Category: Dance

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 9

Maundy Thursday, April 9, 2020

One small step at a time brings us forward into the unsee-able future.

Zechariah 8:21

The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, ‘Come, let us go to entreat the favour of the Lord, and to seek the Lord of hosts; I myself am going.’

Mark 14:26

When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Words of Grace For Today

Maundy, from the Latin word mandatum (command),’ refers to Jesus’ command to ‘Love one another as I have loved you.’

Life moves forward in time, one step at a time, one event progressing into the next. Sometimes the most simple decision or movement by us precipitates things momentous.

Today we remember Jesus act of washing the disciples feet, the act of a servant, done by the master out of profound and unconditional love. Jesus also washed Judas’ feet with all the others’.

How can we, physically isolated for everyone’s health safety, gather together to seek the Lord? We no longer need to seek the Lord’s favour. In our baptisms we have received the promise and the ongoing reality of God’s favour giving us freedom through forgiveness as a gift (grace). We also received gifts of the Holy Spirit that equip us to be the Love of Jesus for one another. Therefore, our seeking is not God’s favour for ourselves. Rather we seek that the favour, blessing, and promises of God may become a daily reality in the lives of our neighbours, the foreigners and strangers in our midst, and all of God’s creatures, indeed all of creation.

How can we not be more creative every day in the manner we exercise Jesus’ love given to us to share with others?

Some of the best news broadcast these days are exactly the creative efforts of people to share the goodness of life with others outside the isolation bubbles we must maintain.

Share the good news. Share Jesus’ love. Make it real. Sing.

One small step at a time, we move forward. The next event may see us hiding in fear and/or showing ourselves more clearly, suffering and/or singing still, mourning and/or filled with Christ’ own joy. Today we ‘wash each others’ feet’, figuratively and perhaps literally, not knowing what will come next, yet always trusting that God’s promises are sure.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 8

Wednesday, April 8, 2020

See all that is fallen, even rotting with only a shell of bark. Remember, this too shall pass.

Psalms 51:14

Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.

John 16:20

Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.

Words of Grace For Today

The horrors of bloodshed are not part of the pandemic. That would make things even worse., as if worse is needed. We still pray for deliverance from this microscopic enemy, or those two legged animals who mindlessly, ignorantly spread it about so easily. It would be so nice to find those culprits and isolate them to put this to an end. But there is no ‘we’ or ‘them’. It is us. The latest is that asymptomatic people, like you and me (if you have no symptoms … yet), can be contagious. Turns out all our very necessary efforts to stop the spread are pretty minimal defences. Like the disease of sin, we easily cannot recognize who is already ill, though they display no signs of illness. So we need pray that we be delivered.

There is in this a great amount of mourning and weeping. First, we weep for what our defence efforts have cost us all, which is no small loss. Second, when loved ones and acquaintances succumb to this enemy, our grief seems to have no bounds.

God’s promises, always and here again, that our weeping and mourning will be turned into joy. We hold on to that promise, and it carries us forward through these difficult days.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 7

Tuesday, April 7, 2020

See the big picture. See it in detail. See through the fog.

Zephaniah 3:15

The Lord has taken away the judgments against you, he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, the Lord, is in your midst; you shall fear disaster no more.

Mark 4:40

He said to them, ‘Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?’

Words of Grace For Today

Jesus paid heavily that we might be forgiven, and know we are forgiven, so that we can forgive others. Jesus frees us from our sins. We can turn our enemies away, by forgiving them so that they become God’s creatures, fellow sojourners on this planet earth. Given God’s truth for all occasions we need fear no disaster.

That does not mean disasters will not come our way.

Only that we need not fear them.

Fear cripples us. Anxiety cripples us. We revert to fight, flight, or freeze instinctual responses that cut off our reasoning. Great when we face a charging hyena or lion. But facing most everyday challenges and many extraordinary ones, like Covid-19, our instinctual, fear and anxiety based responses make their own disasters quicker than we realize.

Covid-19 responses need to be carefully planned, habitually and in great detail carried out, and reviewed and revised in light of the latest real, truthful information about the virus’ transmission and ways of surviving the illness when we or others in our care come down with symptoms.

Literally, fear and panic will definitely kill us, if not physically then in every other manner.

Why are we still afraid? This is not any kind of fear Jesus asks about, this is the fear that will kill us. Have we still no faith that Jesus will save us, even if we die? When we no longer fear death or illness or anything, then we can act with considered, wise actions, which not only protect us from Covid-19 but give us and those around us life, even as we self-isolate and keep physical distance from others.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 6

Monday, April 6, 2020

Look for the beauty no matter how small. Be guided by Beauty and Truth.

Hosea 8:12

Though I write for him the multitude of my instructions, they are regarded as a strange thing.

John 18:37

Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’

Words of Grace For Today

Sometimes we cannot see anything straight, so blinded by our greed, envy, guilt, and anxiety. Some political satirists refuse to use Trump for material anymore. His lies are no longer at all humorous. Asked on Jan 22 whether the US should be concerned about a pandemic, he responded: “No, not at all. We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” Trump’s lies have deadly consequences. As I write this predictions give 100k and 240k deaths in the US, alone. But before we defend this man, or attack him further, Stop. Think. Confess.

We all do this out of anxiety, guilt, envy or greed. We lie, even to ourselves. God speaks, we regard God’s Word as a strange thing, in order that we can carry on in our sinful ways.

Jesus came into the world to testify to the truth. No matter who we are, or what we say, no matter what we believe or disbelieve, Jesus was born to demonstrate the truth to us at it’s core. God loves us, all of us, even when we lie to ourselves and others about real important things in life. God sent Jesus to save us from our own lies, so that we can listen once again to Jesus’ voice: Love one another as yourself, even your enemies.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 5

Sunday, April 5, 2020

God’s Way, Far Above Our Ways

God’s Way, Far Above Our Ways

Psalms 68:27

There is Benjamin, the least of them, in the lead, the princes of Judah in a body, the princes of Zebulun, the princes of Naphtali.

John 12:12-13

The next day the great crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord, the King of Israel!’

Words of Grace For Today

We have our ways of doing what we do in this world. The great are celebrated. We follow the charming leaders who we think will give us the most. God’s way is different. When Jesus enters Jerusalem, the people greet him in celebration singing Hosanna! Jesus’ path was not what they expected. Instead it was self sacrifice so that all people would be saved. Benjamin, Isaac’s youngest and favourite son, does not blossom into a great people. They remain the least of the tribes of Israel. God’s way is not to make us into saints that lead, conquer, and control the world around us. God’s way is the quiet, subversive, gentle, gracious, forgiving ways of giving other people the fullness of life, out of the limelight, as we the Body of Christ, give of ourselves to be Christ present to all.

Covid 19 — Invitation: Be Heard, Listen, Give Help. Be Creative.

But safely apart at home,

If you have one.

19:00 hours: One Minute to Be Silent, Then One Minute to Be Connected –
Separate yet Together

Covid-19 has separated us physically from one another, or rather
we have separated ourselves in order to protect ourselves from SARS-Cov2.

But we need not be socially or spiritually separated from one another.

Take a minute at 19:00 hours (7 pm) to say a prayer or keep silence or remember others.

None of us are in this alone. Most all of us can reach out to others. Do what you can, for yourselves and for others. Be careful, respectful, and courageously hopeful.

Take a minute at 19:01 hours (7:01 pm) to say, by making noise, creative and loud noise (so that others know), you are there and well.

If you are in a car, honk!

If you are at home, set up music to play very loudly!

Or set off your smoke alarm (test button only, not smoke- be smart!)

Or have the children join you in loud singing their favourite song, or hooping and hollering!

Be creative, coordinate your noise making with neighbours, so that there’s cooperation in the music or noise.

Then at 19:15 listen in quiet, unless …

At 19:15 (or later when the noise stops) if you need help now it’s your turn to make some noise.

If you need help urgently, if it is an emergency, make the three long noises, three short noises, and finally three more short noises for the Morse code for SOS.

Listen, and respond, with care to keep from passing contagions between people, households, or neighbours.

Be Respectful. Remember how everyone is challenged.

Be Heard. No one is alone, really.

Provide Help. We are in this together.

Also

Take a minute at 07:00 hours, or the beginning of your day, as at 19:00 hours, to say a prayer or keep silence or remember others.

Colour the beginning of each of your days with Courage, with Compassion, with Creativity, and with Hope.

Know that you are not alone as you do this.

Invite others to keep these minutes as well.

Let our paths virtually cross.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 4

Saturday, April 4, 2020

Where is God? Where are We?

Where is God? Where are We?

Psalms 115:2-3

Why should the nations say, ‘Where is their God?’ Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.

Romans 1:20

Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made.

Words of Grace For Today

In these days many can desperately ask, “Where is God!?!” Since before time and creation, God is invisible … and yet seen in all of God’s works. This beautiful creation speaks volumes of its Creator. Isolated we were encouraged to go outside. So we did in droves (making our togetherness outside a risk to everyone’s health). We humans seek being in nature because there is at the core of each human created in God’s image a deep connection to the pieces of creation. It heals us like music and art, reaching deep inside to what is not well in us, allowing it to heal. This is God at work for us, in us: that God’s creation heals us, if not completely physically, then always and completely in our souls. All is well with us, because God chooses it to be so.

Covid 19 – Invitation to Be Together

But safely apart at home,

If you have one.

19:00 hours: One Minute to Be Silent, Then One Minute to Be Connected –
Separate yet Together

Covid-19 has separated us physically from one another, or rather
we have separated ourselves in order to protect ourselves from SARS-Cov2.

But we need not be socially or spiritually separated from one another.

Take a minute at 19:00 hours (7 pm) to say a prayer or keep silence or remember others.

None of us are in this alone. Most all of us can reach out to others. Do what you can, for yourselves and for others. Be careful, respectful, and courageously hopeful.

Take a minute at 19:01 hours (7:01 pm) to say, by making noise, creative and loud noise (so that others know), you are there and well.

If you are in a car, honk!

If you are at home, set up music to play loudly!

Or set off your smoke alarm (test button only, not smoke- be smart!)

Or have the children join you in loud singing their favourite song, or hooping and hollering!

Be creative, coordinate your noise making with neighbours, so that there’s cooperation in the music or noise.

Then at 19:15 listen in quiet, unless …

At 19:15 if you need help now it’s your turn to make some noise.

If you need help urgently, if it is an emergency, make the three long noises, three short noises, and finally three more short noises for the Morse code for SOS.

Listen, and respond, with care to keep from passing contagions between people, households, or neighbours.

Consider that every day we are inundated with Covid-19 news, most of it alarming. To keep this in perspective, perhaps limit one’s news gathering/listening to the news to shorter periods at most 2 to 3 times each day.

And

Take a minute at 07:00 hours, or the beginning of your day, as at 19:00 hours, to say a prayer or keep silence or remember others.

Colour the beginning of each of your days with Courage, with Compassion, with Creativity, and with Hope.

Know that you are not alone as you do this.

Invite others to keep these minutes as well.

Let our paths virtually cross.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 3

Friday, April 3, 2020

Fruit or Frost

Fruit or Frost

Psalms 89:16

They exult in your name all day long, and extol your righteousness.

Ephesians 5:8-9

For once you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Live as children of light, for the fruit of the light is found in all that is good and right and true.

Words of Grace For Today

If you have ever lived or visited where fresh citrus fruit can be harvested from a tree in the backyard you know what is like to pick a fresh orange or mango off the tree and sit to peel it, juice flowing unavoidably freely over your hands and chin as the goodness quenches your thirst before breakfast. Our grocery store fruit, picked still green to survive shipping to us, is better than none, but simply does not compare. We know what darkness is. It is unavoidably part of everyone’s life. Since Christ claims us and makes us into saints, we also know how marvellous Christ’s light is. Like tree-fresh-picked fruit it flows unavoidably freely over us, and over all of life. We are Holy-Spirit-equipped to share the fresh fruit of Christ’s light with everyone. Be bold (and health safe) as you share the light of Christ with someone caught in darkness.

Facing Covid 19: Daily Words of Grace – Apr 2

Thursday, April 2, 2020

Seeing Salvation … Daily

Seeing Salvation … Daily

Psalms 71:17

O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.

Luke 2:28-30

Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying, ‘Master, now you are dismissing your servant in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation.

Words of Grace For Today

When we live a long life, we know how life is: there are times of full colour, loud celebration, and overwhelming exuberance; there are also times of deadening greys, stifled sobs, and oppressive despair; and there are times of everything in between. As the Holy Spirit leads us, we continue to proclaim God’s great deeds in our lives, in lives around us, and in the lives of saints before us. Simeon, knowing his days were coming to an end, rejoiced that he was able to imagine and know, hear and see, touch and be touched by the infant Jesus, the Saviour of all ages. Whether we are close to our end … or expecting years and decades more of this wondrous life, filled with God’s marvellous deeds, we too can lift our voices in thanks for all God is, and all God has given us to experience in our days on earth. What a marvellous gift we have … to share with others!