we are HOLY wall-flowers called out to DANCE

Today's Readings:Psalm 37:1-42, Deuteronomy 7:6-11, Titus 1:1-16, John 1:29-34
 We read in Deuteronomy today that the Jews were the ultimate wall-flowers.  They weren't the greatest in number. Nothing special. Back then the tribes that were large got so because of their ability at life...so a small tribe was seen as nothing much to look at. Like the folks who go to a dance and get sore butts just sitting and hoping.  They have busted hearts from not getting chosen when the "important ones" walk by to find a partner. They get passed over and spend the night wishing and dreaming.

But God calls out the Jews (and Christians by adoption Eph. 3:5) onto the dance floor, that's what "holy" means, to be called out, separted for a special purpose. And that purpose is to enter into the dance with One who made the dance floor. They were called out to be God's dance partner, forever. Never again would they sit alone. They were dancing with THE morningSTAR and would never have to switch partners.

And we, in Christ are the same called out wallflowers (Hebrews 13:5)....and Lent asks us to look in the wall mirror in the dance studio of our lives...who do we see ourselves dancing with? We can only have one of three partners; God, ourselves, or the world (the tempter). Who is leading? What moves are we doing? We can't just sit still. We can't be like Kim Kardashian who froze on stage when she got called out by Prince at Madison Square Garden awhile back. She got pulled off the stage, Prince was ripped that she froze. It made him look bad. Her partner didn't show her the moves...

But our Dance Partner shows us the moves in Titus today. We are called out and shown the moves. We can't  dance like a person who just wants to leave a covenental marriage, be a jerk, hate doing good, violent, get trashed, fly off the handle when things get hard (Titus 1:1-16). Our moves must be loving, joyful, peaceful, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled (Gal 5:22-23)....no matter how anyone else is dancing around us. The moves can hard at times, but God wouldn't call us out onto the dance floor if He knew we couldn't do the moves. Yes, at times we miss a beat, that's where mercy and forgivness comes in. Prince kicked Kim off the floor when she blew it. God came onto the dance floor himself and showed us how to boogie at the Incarnation!

So, who are you dancing with? Do you think you are a great dancer because of your moves, or do you realize you are on the CENTER STAGE because the GREATEST PARTNER in the UNIVERSE (...after all He made it) called you out? Lent is here, look in the mirror, get out your dancin' shoes, check your moves...the dance party is coming.
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