Latest / Koinonia Christian Center / Dancing in the Dark | Dr. William H. Curtis

Transcript

Dancing in the Dark | Dr. William H. Curtis · Koinonia Christian Center

0:00
I want you to listen to these words that
0:02
come to us from 1 Peter 1: 8 and n i
0:07
announce the title of my sermon in the
0:09
beginning so that you can begin to
0:12
resonate and connect with the theme as
0:14
you listen to the verses so I want to
0:16
talk to you today about Dancing in the
0:20
Dark 1 Peter chap 1 verse 8 and9 read
0:24
like this though you have not seen him
0:28
you love him and even though you do not
0:31
see him now you believe in him and are
0:34
filled with an inexpressible and
0:37
glorious joy for you are receiving the
0:41
end result of your faith the
0:45
salvation of your
0:47
souls
0:48
Dancing in the Dark you may be seated
0:52
even in the presence of the
0:55
Lord Gertrude muah Nelson tells a story
0:59
in her
1:00
provocative book to dance with God
1:04
subtitle family ritual and Community
1:07
celebration in which she says the
1:11
following some years ago I spent an
1:13
afternoon caught up in a piece of sewing
1:16
I was
1:16
doing the waste basket near my sewing
1:19
machine was filled with scraps of fabric
1:23
cut away from my intended
1:25
project this basket of discards was a
1:28
Fascination to my daughter anuka who at
1:31
the time was not yet 4 years
1:34
old she rooted through the scrap
1:37
searching out the long bright strips
1:39
collected them to herself and ran off
1:42
swiftly in her determined
1:45
Direction she then says when I took a
1:47
moment to check on anuka I tracked her
1:50
whereabouts to the
1:51
backyard where she had planted herself
1:54
in the back garden and I found her there
1:56
sitting in the grass with a long Pole
2:00
she was affixing the scraps to the tip
2:03
of the pole with great sticky wads of
2:06
tape she looked up at me and said Mommy
2:09
I'm making a banner for the
2:13
procession to which Gertrude said she
2:17
says to anuka why are you making a
2:21
banner and for what
2:24
procession to which young four-year-old
2:27
anuka looked up at her mom and said
2:30
making a procession so that God will
2:33
come down and dance with
2:38
us after having said that she proceeded
2:40
to lift the banner to flutter and wave
2:42
it in the wind and slowly she began to
2:46
dance and it was clear that young anuka
2:49
saw her relationship with God in a
2:51
specific
2:53
way that day she wasn't thinking about a
2:55
god of rules a god of commands a god of
2:59
judgment a God of
3:01
Correction she did not think of God as
3:04
an arbitrator or a defense attorney a
3:07
material provider or an unexpected
3:10
Uninvited Intruder on the thoughts and
3:13
actions attitudes and expectations of
3:16
those he has
3:18
created that day her image of God was
3:21
much more innocuous and innocent she
3:23
simply saw God as a joyous dance partner
3:31
well young anuka had the same
3:33
perspective apparently as Peter did
3:35
about how life in faith ought to embrace
3:39
a relationship with
3:41
God this letter of course to Christians
3:44
in Asia Minor who are facing all kinds
3:47
of persecution suffering social
3:51
ostracism these diverse communities
3:53
populated by both Jew and Greek and
3:56
they're all suffering together while
3:59
trying to understand their faith trying
4:00
to work it out what does it mean to love
4:03
God in this culture and
4:06
climate it's learning to live in the
4:09
middle tension of joy and
4:13
suffering Joy because they've been found
4:15
by
4:16
Christ suffering because those who find
4:19
them a threat to Imperial dominance are
4:21
making them endure all kinds of human
4:25
mistreatment for simply daring to own a
4:27
personal belief in Jesus Christ as both
4:30
Messiah and
4:32
King and what adds to the pressure
4:34
they're facing is this Christ that they
4:36
are devoted to and following is believed
4:39
to have died and rose again from the
4:42
dead because he was not just the Son of
4:44
God he was believed to be God the
4:48
son so those Peter's writing to a
4:51
following a god they have not seen he
4:53
says that expressly they can only shape
4:56
their faith in God by believing that God
4:59
is real
5:00
and Peter wants them amidst all the
5:02
pressure and suffering and ostracism
5:05
being pushed to the periphery of life
5:07
everything they're facing the threats
5:09
that are looming large he wants them and
5:12
here's really what he's saying he's
5:13
saying a relationship with God does help
5:15
you to dance but only if you're willing
5:18
to dance with him in the
5:22
dark I don't know your dominant view of
5:26
God I don't know how you image your
5:28
relationship with God and I would
5:30
suspect that in this gathered assembly
5:33
both in person and online there very
5:35
well might be as many different views of
5:38
God as there are the people gathered
5:40
here God is Savior and sustainer
5:43
provider protector judge king arbitrator
5:47
God is Beauty and Brilliance and
5:48
blessing God is Redeemer and ruler and
5:51
forever reigning
5:53
King and how you view God determines how
5:57
you relate to him
6:00
if you view God as judge you spend your
6:02
life trying to run from
6:04
him but if you view God as love you
6:07
spend your life trying to run to
6:09
him and Peter knew of these diverse
6:13
views held by those trying to live out
6:15
their faith with that looming shadow of
6:19
the Empire causing great distress worry
6:22
and
6:24
concern but Peter also knew that God
6:26
wants to be seen and viewed related to
6:28
an intera it with based on Joy
6:32
too Peter's invitation however is for
6:35
them to learn to dance you can dance and
6:37
your relationship with God has to be
6:39
fueled infused with joy but only if you
6:43
can learn to dance with God in the
6:47
dark because it's really how God wants
6:49
to relate to us all knowing that life
6:51
will have these recurring dark
6:56
moments and our faith is believing in
6:59
God we've never seen it's living with
7:01
both Joy and suffering and while we
7:04
would wish that we could eliminate the
7:06
suffering side of life the greater
7:08
expectation that Peter lifts is the
7:10
Revelation that while you can't erase
7:13
having to navigate seasons of suffering
7:16
and darkness you can learn in Christ how
7:20
to dance in the
7:22
dark and this is what every one of us
7:24
needs isn't it especially in these days
7:27
of great consternation there's this
7:30
looming anxiety some might confess an
7:33
emotional dismay every one of us carries
7:36
questions centering around the same
7:38
concerns how in the world did we get
7:41
here and now that we're here how do we
7:43
respond to it while that is on the
7:46
social scale we also have our private
7:49
anxieties as well don't we ranging from
7:52
issues of mere personal survival to the
7:55
anxiety attached to our dreams and the
7:57
chasing of our personal goals will I
8:00
ever and can I just and I hope it does
8:03
and how long before and please let it
8:06
happen and God can you make this go away
8:08
and God can you keep this here forever
8:10
God don't let this happen God why did
8:13
this
8:15
happen well Peter stands right in the
8:17
middle of all of this and he says to us
8:20
today child of God you have to learn how
8:23
to dance in the dark too you got to find
8:25
joy in your walk with me despite never
8:29
having seen me find your joy in your
8:32
walk with me despite what your living
8:34
conditions are at present I don't mind
8:37
dancing with you if sometimes you don't
8:39
mind dancing with me in the
8:43
dark you know what this means this means
8:46
you have to offer faith that is tuned to
8:49
the song of the Lord that he plays The
8:53
rhythms he offers and turn it up loud so
8:57
much so that the somber notes of life
8:59
realities are drowned out as you dance
9:02
with God who is the center of your joy
9:06
it's it's learning how to turn power
9:09
outages into moments of fun
9:13
togetherness it's what I used to do on
9:15
the backend Bishop washing and drying
9:17
clothes and I despised both that is
9:21
until my daughter Houston was really
9:24
little and she experienced on a day when
9:27
I was in a playful mood something that
9:30
turned into Fun togetherness against the
9:33
backdrop of washing and drying clothes
9:38
drudgery I took the warm clothes out of
9:40
the dryer and I found her in the master
9:43
bedroom on my bed on my side watching
9:46
one of her favorite shows and because I
9:48
was doing chores and she was chilling I
9:51
took the basket and dumped the warm
9:53
clothes on top of her she found it to be
9:57
so much fun Bishop that every time she
10:00
would hear the sound of the dryer go off
10:04
she knew I was taking warm clothes out
10:05
of the dryer she would beat me to the
10:08
bedroom jump up on the bed and when I
10:10
would come in she'd start already having
10:13
her low physical gyration because she
10:15
knew here comes the basket and the warm
10:18
clothes would be dumped on her you know
10:21
what that turned into I started coming
10:23
home from church after long day of
10:25
counseling and ministering to people and
10:27
helping them to interpret the word and
10:29
dealing with what it means to have to
10:31
handle the custodial chores of the
10:33
institution itself and I'd be on the way
10:36
home and I didn't even have anything to
10:37
wash but you know what I would do I
10:39
would find something to put in the
10:41
washing machine put it in the dryer put
10:44
it in the basket holla upstairs hey
10:46
Houston guess
10:48
what and I'd hear her be line down the
10:51
stairs into the bedroom up on the master
10:53
bed my side of the bed because she knew
10:56
that warm clothes were about to be
10:58
dumped right on her all I'm trying to
11:01
tell you is we learn how to turn my
11:04
drudgery into Fun togetherness because
11:07
we found a way to dance even in the
11:09
midst of the chores this this has to
11:12
be this has to be how you do these
11:16
jobs you've been hired to
11:19
perform this is how you sit in your
11:21
cubicle next to the person you know
11:24
despises you and not let them dilute
11:27
your joy for the day am I talking to
11:30
anybody in here this is how we find life
11:33
a blessing while we're made to walk
11:35
through these challenges physical and
11:37
emotional and relational and maybe even
11:40
spiritual when we're caught in these
11:42
crevices and conundrums in life knowing
11:45
we have to walk through them and we want
11:48
to dance and God said don't wait until
11:50
the sun returns to dance with me learn
11:53
how to dance with me even if we dance in
11:57
the dark
11:59
this really becomes a spiritual lesson
12:01
for us because God enjoys doing for us
12:06
but can I tell you God also enjoys doing
12:09
with
12:10
us you join God in the progression of
12:13
your life you participate in the
12:15
blessing of your own life you do what
12:17
you can you make your moves you step
12:21
side to side you move to the left you
12:23
move to the right you crisscross you
12:26
clap your hands everybody clap your hand
12:29
yeah yeah that
12:30
yeah and God will excitedly dance with
12:35
you although you haven't seen Jesus you
12:38
still love him although you don't see
12:40
him you do believe in him and you
12:42
celebrate with a joy that is glorious
12:45
and beyond words here's what one
12:47
translation says of verse 9 because you
12:49
are receiving the salvation of your
12:52
souls as the result of your faith this
12:56
text teaches us and it won't take me
12:58
long
12:59
that life is lived not in the absence of
13:06
Darkness but in the spiritual
13:08
discipline to Steward the necessary
13:13
coexistence of joy and
13:16
despair do I need to say it again okay
13:19
y'all were quiet just like my church
13:20
that's how I know I had to say it about
13:22
five or six times here it
13:24
is life is
13:26
lived not in the ABS ense of
13:30
Darkness but in your
13:33
discipline to Steward your
13:36
faith with the
13:39
coexistence of joy and
13:44
despair strength and
13:47
weakness confidence and
13:50
skepticism excitement and
13:53
indifference we do not walk in spaces
13:56
and have encounters that are not peered
14:00
with both realities at the same
14:04
time H it to have fun only to be
14:06
impacted by
14:08
traffic and instead of letting your joy
14:11
slip away from you you learn to let it
14:15
co-exist but you own the
14:19
choice did you catch
14:21
it I can't get rid of Despair comes with
14:27
life I can't and always sidestep
14:31
suffering it comes with
14:34
life I'm grateful for the joy I have in
14:38
my relationship with Jesus but my joy in
14:43
Christ doesn't always get rid of my
14:48
necessary seasons of
14:51
suffering they always going to be
14:55
there the coexistence of the two is a
14:58
real
15:00
reality but because of who I am in
15:03
Christ I possess the stewardship of the
15:08
choice and I can choose to let the
15:12
suffering impact my spirit and
15:15
emotionality until it ruins my day my
15:18
week my month my
15:20
season or I can make the choice if
15:23
sufferings got to ride along suffering
15:25
is going to have to deal with the fact
15:27
that my choice is to focus on the
15:33
joy I can explain it how many of y'all
15:35
have ever been around a crowd of people
15:38
where you know some of them in that
15:40
crowd don't like you that's what I
15:43
thought you can make a decision when
15:47
entering into the space that is housing
15:50
the event that I'm going to give in
15:53
emotionally and direct all my attention
15:57
to the people who wish I invited to the
16:00
room or I can enter into the room and
16:03
decide since I got dressed since I own
16:06
my mind my body since I decided to make
16:10
the choice to RSVP that I'd be there I'm
16:13
going into the room and I'm going decide
16:15
that whether or not they like me in here
16:17
I'm eating all the strength and I'm
16:19
drinking all the non-alcoholic drinks
16:21
and I'm dancing to every Melody and I'm
16:24
going to Hob Knob and interact with
16:26
every person in the room I can't get
16:29
them Uninvited the coexistence is going
16:32
to be there but I get to choose whether
16:35
when I leave I was Greatful that I've
16:37
been invited in the first place who am I
16:39
talking to in
16:41
here that's what somebody now needs to
16:43
do just look down your row and everybody
16:45
who has not moved our worship long just
16:47
make your choice tell I'm not going to
16:49
let their lack of movement make me not
16:51
give God praise after the week I've been
16:54
through after what I'm facing after what
16:56
we have in this toxic political climate
16:59
the fact that I'm in safe space and
17:01
somebody has declared this is the day
17:03
that the Lord has made I'm going to make
17:06
my declaration and I shall
17:11
rejoice and be glad in it you can't let
17:16
circumstances and
17:19
experiences that you wish you could get
17:22
rid of stop you from enjoying
17:27
Jesus everybody say enjoy your life
17:29
enjoy your life say Enjoy your path
17:32
enjoy your path because you can't
17:33
separate yourself from some things in
17:35
life but you don't have to let what you
17:37
can't separate from make you sacrifice
17:39
what the Lord has blessed you
17:42
with here here's the principle here's
17:45
the principle let them
17:48
coexist stop thinking something's wrong
17:51
with your spirit or there something's
17:52
wrong with God because he doesn't
17:54
eliminate your
17:55
suffering no let him coexist
17:59
and make the choice that if I have to
18:02
wait to dance in the
18:06
light then I'll learn to enjoy dancing
18:10
anyway even if it's in the
18:13
dark cuz it doesn't matter when or under
18:16
what conditions I find myself as long as
18:20
I'm dancing with
18:21
God this is what God is nurturing in us
18:24
all learning to live in Him in all
18:26
circumstances and conditions I'm going
18:28
move and whatever state you're in living
18:31
in or between certain realities and
18:34
Seasons it doesn't change the thing I
18:36
don't have to see God to know he's
18:40
real I can experience God in the ways
18:43
that he leads me and watch it let's stay
18:45
with the metaphor and the image I know
18:48
there is a God cuz I don't always like
18:52
leading the dance
18:57
moves and the fact that God
19:02
leads moves and shapes me the way he
19:06
wants I'm sorry y'all don't know me but
19:07
I'm having so much fun up here
19:10
already I enjoy
19:12
dancing especially when he
19:15
leads because you and I have been graced
19:19
by God theological term here we've been
19:23
graced by God to live in Transcendence
19:29
Let the church say
19:30
Transcendence it's a gift of faith to
19:33
you child of God that wherever you
19:37
are you are
19:39
there and somewhere else at the same
19:47
time you are always where you
19:52
are and always living above
19:55
it at the same time and here's how you
19:59
know it when others around you are
20:02
describing ground level
20:05
realities and somehow you are seeing and
20:08
interpreting the same thing but from a
20:12
Beyond
20:14
place your comments come out a little
20:18
different and Peter is really releasing
20:21
this truth when he defines what dancing
20:24
with God in the dark means he doesn't
20:26
say it results in Joy he uses the
20:31
Transcendent thought watch it it's an
20:35
inexpressible
20:38
Joy operative word is
20:40
inexpressible meaning when you dance
20:44
with
20:44
God you have so much
20:47
joy you can't even find language
20:53
categories to put it in now I can make
20:55
sense out of this because people are
20:58
around you will want you to
21:02
describe how you have mastered your
21:05
environment to not be affected by
21:09
it and if you're like me the only thing
21:12
you can say inadequate response is I
21:15
don't even know why I'm not
21:19
worried I don't know
21:21
why I'm not scared I can't put words on
21:26
the peace I have even in the midst of
21:30
all this toxicity and
21:32
fragility the incredulity of it all
21:36
we've got people trying to plot us being
21:40
put out of this
21:42
country and yet I woke up this morning
21:45
and said Lord I Thank
21:47
you for a brand new day and if somebody
21:50
was to ask me why I have that much joy
21:53
and confidence I don't always I don't
21:55
always have a language category to put
21:57
it in because
21:59
inexpressible the only thing I can tell
22:01
you is I'm seeing life at 30,000 ft even
22:05
while I'm relating to people who are
22:08
seeing it from ground level so when
22:10
they're talking pessimistically I can't
22:13
join that conversation because I'm
22:15
seeing it from a different level here's
22:17
the level I'm seeing it from and all
22:21
things work together for our good
22:25
because we're called by God and
22:28
according to his purpose do I have any
22:31
Transcendent people in here who can
22:33
testify it's going to be all right I
22:36
don't know how and I don't know when but
22:39
tap somebody on the elbow and tell them
22:41
everything is going to be all right fret
22:44
not yourself because of
22:48
evildoers you and I don't have to be
22:50
scared of anything here's all we need to
22:53
do in everything learn how to give him
22:56
thanks and know that he walk with us and
22:59
he talks with us and he tells us that we
23:03
are his CH somebody toss your head back
23:05
find a praise and offer it to a God who
23:08
gives you inexpressible
23:13
Joy we walk through the same
23:18
realities that impact other
23:21
people and yet we see them totally
23:25
different when you're standing in the
23:27
middle
23:28
between joy and
23:31
suffering don't Focus so on trying to
23:33
eliminate the suffering that you forget
23:36
how powerful is the
23:38
joy that helps you to transcend all of
23:42
this because here's the truth you don't
23:45
just
23:47
endure you don't just survive you don't
23:49
just trust and Obey you don't just hope
23:52
and believe you don't just show up and
23:54
suffer through it you don't live like
23:56
these are your current reality ities you
24:00
transcend these
24:02
realities so that you're always living
24:04
with a loftier view of your life because
24:07
of the grace that has been given to you
24:09
from God to see your life through his
24:13
lenses everybody say
24:15
Transcendence I only have one more thing
24:17
I'm done I think this text that Peter
24:20
offers to the church is also
24:22
teaching
24:24
that
24:26
belief is actually a proof more
24:32
powerful than
24:36
seeing now let it
24:39
simmer
24:41
belief is actually more a
24:47
validation than
24:50
sight here's how he puts
24:52
it you never saw
24:55
him yet you love him
25:01
in fact you still don't see
25:04
him yet you trust
25:07
him and one translation puts on the back
25:09
end of that you trust him with laughter
25:12
and singing and then he gives the why
25:16
because you kept
25:19
believing now doesn't that mean it's
25:21
very simple you don't need Seminary
25:23
education to get this because here's
25:25
what it means I've never seen him but I
25:30
love
25:31
him I don't see him now but I trust him
25:36
with laughter and joy and what's my
25:39
rationale because I believe
25:42
him which means
25:45
belief
25:47
becomes a greater
25:50
validator than sight now I know I'm
25:54
culturally swimming against stream right
25:56
because people say seeing is what I love
26:01
this
26:02
church but Faith inverts the
26:05
Assumption because here's what faith now
26:08
teaches
26:10
believing is
26:14
seeing you got it people are more likely
26:18
to believe something if they can see it
26:20
in culture but what is more true
26:23
spiritually is we are more likely to see
26:25
something because we believe it
26:31
and how do we know this because we've
26:33
never seen God but we know there is a
26:38
God I was competing in this golf
26:41
tournament several weeks ago at one of
26:42
the really really lovely places in the
26:45
country and they have these undulating
26:47
Fairways Jagged edges indentations made
26:50
by the strength and resilience of water
26:52
that has for centuries crashed all along
26:55
that gorgeous landscape Joe who was my
26:57
teammate M for the day competing with me
27:00
and two others in the tournament while
27:02
we're walking along one of the fairways
27:04
he looks at me and he says reev this is
27:06
a beautiful place isn't it I said Joe
27:10
not only is this a beautiful place but
27:12
it is confirmation that there is a
27:15
God because no human could have ever
27:18
engineered this Earth or our bodies and
27:21
the balance necessary to sustain life I
27:25
don't need to have seen God face to face
27:28
though hoping one day to do just that I
27:30
know there is a God I know that Jesus is
27:34
real and my validation is I
27:38
believe so I dance with God because I
27:42
believe I'm never dancing alone you're
27:44
never facing your live realities alone
27:46
and if you can accept that there is Joy
27:48
even in your suffering and strength even
27:51
in your struggles then you can let them
27:53
coexist because your belief is that God
27:56
shows up in every genre in life and
27:59
whether the music of life is upbeat or
28:02
festive or whether the music of night of
28:04
of life has notes and sounds of the
28:07
Blues God will dance with you until the
28:10
only way you can describe it is to admit
28:13
that I have in expressable
28:16
Joy and Peter knows doesn't he that what
28:19
grows our belief is living in faith on
28:23
both sides of Human Experience because
28:26
brothers and sisters it takes belief to
28:29
accept that all your blessings come from
28:31
God but it grows your belief to look at
28:35
dark moments and believe that God has
28:38
blessings in dark moments as well both
28:43
provide blessing but stronger belief is
28:46
needed in one reality that may not need
28:49
to be as strong in another I'm done it
28:53
wouldn't have been difficult to believe
28:56
in God if staring in his face were
29:02
possible I I I heard Pastor T talking
29:05
about giving and doing his stewardship
29:07
remarks this morning and while I was
29:09
musing over the sermon as he was leading
29:12
I was thinking to myself I would that we
29:15
could get to a place that in all of our
29:18
churches we don't have to try to
29:22
reorient you every
29:26
week about what it means to be generous
29:28
to God but every week the pedagogi has
29:32
to be
29:33
repeated because in between life be
29:41
lifen but if God could physically
29:44
manifest in this Sanctuary right now
29:47
you'd be empty in pocket and purse
29:50
running up to the Altar and placing it
29:52
at his feet why because of the
29:54
validation of sight and what I'm trying
29:56
to tell you is if you you believe that
29:59
there is a God your actions and activity
30:02
and attitude ought to be the same so
30:05
guess what y'all the king is
30:08
here and I wonder how you respond to the
30:11
king when the King has manifested his
30:14
presence but I can tell you he's here
30:17
because this is his holy Temple and
30:20
scripture says you ought to be still and
30:23
know that he is God who am I talking to
30:26
in here
30:29
because that means every promise he
30:31
makes would Inspire out immediate
30:35
obedience I promise here it is Robert
30:38
Smith Bishop such a gifted preacher
30:41
Professor author recently retired he has
30:44
a book that he entitled doctrine that
30:48
dances he says when he meditated on the
30:51
word guidance gu UI d a n c e he kept
30:56
seeing dance
30:58
at the end of the word and he says I
31:01
remember reading that doing God's will
31:05
is really a lot like dancing when two
31:08
people try to lead nothing Feels Right
31:11
Movement doesn't flow with the music
31:14
everything is quite uncomfortable
31:15
sometimes even jerky when one person
31:18
realizes that and relinquishes and lets
31:21
the other lead both bodies begin to Flow
31:26
To The Melody of the music
31:29
one gives gentle cues perhaps a nudge to
31:33
the back pressing lightly in One
31:35
Direction or another it's as if two
31:38
people become one body moving
31:44
beautifully he says the dance takes
31:47
surrender willingness attentiveness from
31:51
one person and it takes gentle guidance
31:55
and skill from the other
31:59
my eyes Drew back to the word guidance
32:02
gu UI d a n c e and he says when I saw G
32:08
I thought of God followed by you and
32:14
I he said then it hit me God you and I
32:21
dance as I lowered my head I became
32:24
willing to trust that I would get guid
32:28
about my life once again I became
32:31
willing to let God lead I'm going to my
32:35
seat but cor Andia when you're ready to
32:38
run down the next PATH of your life's
32:40
journey or the next time you're not sure
32:43
which path you ought to take can I
32:45
encourage you to stop where you are
32:48
throw yourself into the arms of God let
32:52
him play A Melody of your
32:56
deliverance and you move move your steps
32:59
in sync and in Rhythm to how God decides
33:03
to lead your life and let you think I'm
33:06
not scriptural this is really what Jesus
33:09
does In The Garden of Gethsemane when he
33:13
says God I've been listening to another
33:16
genre of music and the lyrics say Let
33:20
this cup pass from me but because I let
33:24
you lead in the dance I'm going to tell
33:27
you nevertheless not my will but thy
33:30
will be done y'all y'all don't mind if I
33:33
preach a little bit do you and because
33:36
of that that dance LED Jesus up to a
33:39
skull shaped Hill called Calvary and
33:43
there he had to offer dance moves that
33:46
resulted in the shedding of his blood
33:50
and the breaking of his body but is
33:53
there anybody here who can testify that
33:57
while Jesus uh was dancing to a Melody
34:01
he may not have wanted initially to
34:04
dance to uh that when he let God lead
34:08
God Le uh the party persist until early
34:13
on the third day morning when he got up
34:16
from the grave have I got a witness here
34:19
so why can't somebody help me to help
34:22
somebody else and grab a neighbor by the
34:25
arm and look your neighbor
34:28
right in the ey and tell your neighbor
34:31
I'm not dancing to the beat of my own
34:36
music uh but I'm
34:38
learning how to dance to the beat of
34:42
God's melodyy have I got a witness here
34:46
I'mma leave you all alone and may the
34:48
Lord bless you real good have a good
34:50
week as you navigate life uh between joy
34:54
and suffering don't you forget that God
34:57
God gives you blessed Transcendence so
35:00
that while you're in this world you're
35:02
not really of this world and while the
35:05
culture is playing its somber notes of
35:09
the Blues you show up to the job
35:12
tomorrow and cut your praise
35:15
step and when they say to you how can
35:18
you be dancing against such festive
35:22
notes uh of a Melody uh that is
35:25
oxymoronic uh when you come perod to the
35:29
somber blues that are being played right
35:32
now all negativity coming from that
35:35
white house uh that can I also tell you
35:39
was built by black
35:41
[Applause]
35:41
[Music]
35:44
hands and when that happens you cut your
35:47
step anyway in fact let me give you some
35:50
opportunity turn and tell somebody give
35:52
me just a little bit of space cuz I'm
35:55
hearing a song in my mind right now now
35:58
that sounds something like
36:00
victory is mine I said victory is mine
36:06
I'm hearing a song and the lyrics say he
36:10
may not
36:12
come when you call him but he will show
36:16
up uh right one time is there anybody
36:20
here who doesn't mind tossing your head
36:24
back uh open your mouth find a praise
36:29
bring it up to the surface and tell your
36:33
God I'll dance with
36:36
you whether it's in the light or whether
36:40
it's in the dark I'll dance with you
36:45
whether I'm suffering or whether I have
36:48
joy I'll dance with you because you're a
36:52
mighty good dance partner and a mighty
36:55
good dance leader
36:59
say
37:03
[Music]
37:14
say
37:16
life is
37:19
stewarding
37:21
coexistence between joy and
37:24
suffering your pastor tell you this
37:28
you can walk in one
37:30
meeting and a member give you a praise
37:33
report about cancer
37:36
remission job
37:38
elevation recent discovery of
37:41
pregnancy some reward given to
37:44
them and walk out of that office meet
37:48
somebody in the hallway and shed tears
37:51
because of a recent death or a job loss
37:56
you can come into the pull pit do a
37:58
funeral walk right out and go to a
38:01
service of
38:03
Celebration and some will say how do you
38:06
switch on and off you
38:08
don't you Steward
38:11
[Applause]
38:15
coexistence and here's what Paul said
38:17
I'm done here's what Paul said here's
38:20
how coexistence is
38:21
stewarded when I'm
38:25
weak I'm strong what