by Emily Huff
For International Dance Day, I offer this song “Lord of the Dance” that I remember from my high school youth group days. It was written in 1963 by Sydney Carter painting a picture of Jesus’ life and mission as a dance.
I danced in the morning when the world was begun,
And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,
And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth:
At Bethlehem I had my birth.
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,
But they would not dance and they wouldn’t follow me;
I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;
They came with me and the dance went on:
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame:
The holy people said it was a shame.
They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high,
And they left me there on a cross to die:
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;
It’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
They buried my body and they thought I’d gone;
But I am the dance, and I still go on:
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
They cut me down and I leapt up high;
I am the life that’ll never, never die.
I’ll live in you if you’ll live in me:
I am the Lord of the dance, said he.
Dance, then, wherever you may be,
I am the Lord of the dance, said he,
And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be,
And I’ll lead you all in the dance, said he.
This song is a beautiful invitation to us as we listen to God saying, “Come dance with me” to us through this day that God has given to us. What might it be like to stand on God’s feet just like a little girl might stand on her father’s feet in learning how to dance?
What might it look like to let God take the lead as we twirl and swing together around the dance floor and as everything else fades away as we dance?
What would it look like to dance through life holding people’s stories tenderly knowing that sometimes we all step on each other’s toes? How might we dance more freely if we could only anchor ourselves in the present moment and delight in the person in front of us? (1)
As you turn towards this day and turn towards those who will be in your path, may this prayer put a spring in your step in your dance with God.
Fill us up with edge-of-seat anticipation
to listen to Your Spirit and
to take your hand as you lead us.
Focus our attention
so that we won’t miss out on ways to participate
in bringing the kingdom here on earth.
May our words, choices, and actions
be offered as true expressions of worship. (2)
Give us courage to laugh at the days to come.
Give us hope to imagine and a heart to listen
to one another’s stories and to You.
Help us to see others as You see them
with deep delight
and help us to remember that
we belong to each other.
Take our eyes and allow others
to see Your tender gaze through us.
Through all circumstances, remind us that
we are always held in Your love, (3)
and let that love spill over into the people before us.
Wake us up to the ways we wound our lives,
the lives of others, and the life of this world,
and recalibrate our hearts that we would be well and whole
in our relationships
with one another and with You.
Through our learning and unlearning
and growing and changing
and becoming,
let us run to You again and again and again
with everything in our lives.
Help us to love you from deep within,
with the strength of our arms,
the thoughts of our minds,
and the courage of our hearts. (4)
Take us by the hand and lead us in the dance…
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 Credit to Father Gregory Boyle for this beautiful mantra.
2 From Morning Prayer from Every Moment Holy
3 Inspired by readings from Julian of Norwich’s Divine Revelations.
4 Matthew 22:36, First Nations Bible Translation
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