South Dakota storms just aren't the same as good ol' Kansas storms. They're just so tame up here. But they still make big fluffy white clouds. I've seen a lot of these clouds over the past weeks (but not up close, much to my disappointment).
Today's drive home was filled with fluffy white clouds again. I followed one particular cluster into town. This one had a rainbow.
Rainbows are cool. Scientifically, they can be explained by light refracting off water molecules in the air and something about color spectrums, which is boring and unexciting. That's not what I think of when I see rainbows in the sky.
And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." -Genesis 9:12-16
As I was watching this rainbow, God was looking at it and remembering this conversation He had with Noah...the Noah...thousands of years ago.
That's why rainbows are so cool.
They're a physical and visible sign of God's promise in action.
I managed to become the topic of my friend Lyla's blog post. Those of you who know me will probably find it especially entertaining. So instead of reading here today, go check out her post - and the rest of her blog, too!
One night I'm standing in front of the bathroom mirror, getting ready for bed. Suddenly, I notice that my eyebrows need some attention.
"Eh," I think to myself, "I don't want to. Maybe in the morning. No one would be able to notice anyway."
But it's important to keep yourself beautiful.
"There aren't any guys around here to keep myself beautiful for. Besides, I've been laying around all weekend sweats and may do it again tomorrow. That's not beautiful."
The bride always makes herself beautiful for her groom.
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. -2 Corinthians 9:6-7
These words have often been at the back of my mind, peeking out to provide some prompting now and again when I'm making decisions about my tithing. Paul is writing these words to a free-spirited Corinthian church, instructing them on the basics of Christian living. He is encouraging them to pool their money as a gift to other believers in other churches.
This time, as I read these words, a new dawning occurred.
My sowing isn't limited to the money I give.
I know that giving and serving come in a multitude of forms. But I have never applied these specific verses to that particular knowledge.
Whatever [time, relationships, acts of service] I sow sparingly I will also reap sparingly. Or generously, if I sow generously. I should give of my time, talents, abilities, and invest in relationships according to what I feel in my heart is right to give. Because this is what pleases the Lord.
Perhaps you have already seen this video of a massive dance that broke out in a train station in Belgium:
I don't know all the stats that went into making this dance happen. One resource told me there were around 200 dancers involved. Regardless of the numbers, it obviously took some time and coordination to make it work.
What if you had been there, merely a tourist passing through to catch a train? Suddenly, loud and random songs start playing, and people all around you begin dancing in unison. What would you have done?
I heard someone talking about this video on the radio, asking listeners if they had joined in the dance of salvation with Jesus. That's a good way to look at it. Are you a dancer who has actively put his trust in Christ? Or simply a bystander who watches all the Christians go by without become involved in the single greatest thing ever to happen to man?
Let me take this view one step further. I want to bring it inside the Church itself. What are you doing as a member of the body of Christ?
Perhaps this resonates with me because I've spent most of my life attending small rural churches. Ones that are structured heavily around tradition. Maybe you attend such a church. Or maybe you have grown up in one and as a result your views and expectations are strongly influenced by this structure and tradition.
Is this a bad thing? No. Not necessarily.
But I have seen many times how this structure and tradition gets in the way of the freedom and power of Christ. Whether it relates to the style of music, the order of Suday morning service, or a person's behavior and language, tradition can snuff out the work of the Spirit. Hymns have always been sung, and there's no place for contemporary Christian songs. Only the piano and organ have ever played, and the guitar and drums are too radical to be in a sanctuary. This has always been the order of service, and to be spontaneous would be inappropriate. No one raises their hands in worship or shouts amen - to do so would be weird and rude. Dancing leads to other things, and it is no way to express worship. Wear your best clothes to church, because jeans are unacceptable.
These are the things I grew up with. Legalistic. And sadly, I'm not sure most of the people in these churches even recognize it.
Now, I'm not talking down tradition. Not by any means. There is a lot to be gained from it. I love the old hymns and find deep soulful truths in them. I'm not much of a dancer and usually prefer to stand still. I enjoy dressing up for God (but also enjoy the freedom to wear jeans once in a while). But when the focus turns to keeping order and not to God and His grace, we totally miss the point of why we gather in the first place.
What kinds of wild and crazy things are happening in your church? Community? Family? (They aren't just for the youth groups, you know.)
What kind of participant are you? Do you walk on by and pretend like you can't hear the music or see the dancers? Do you stand and watch in horror and dismay that perfectly normal people would do such things? Do you laugh and point and whisper to your friend?
Do you get excited and take pictures to share later? Do you clap uncomfortably because everyone else is but keep looking around to see who's watching because you feel like an idiot? Do you wave your hands and groove freely off to the side, encouraging those who are dancing?
Or do you cast aside your dignity and with reckless abandon join in and become a member of the Dance?
