In Life, in Death, to Dance Before You--Aug. 6, 2017

[From July 31, 2011 archive]

You are with us; your rod

and your staff--they comfort us.

We do not live to ourselves,

and we do not die to ourselves. 

If we live, we live to you,

and if we die, we die to you;

so then, whether we live or

whether we die, we are yours.

Jesus promised Nathanael he would see heaven

opened and the angels of God ascending

and descending upon the Son of Man.

We may not be privileged to see angels dance

up and down before you; but like David--

who did not care what others thought--

we can dance before you ourselves.

Lectionary Readings

Ps. 108; 150; 66; 23

2 Sam. 6:12-23

Rom. 14:7-12

John 1:43-51

Selected Verses

Ps. 23:4b

…for you are with me;
          your rod and your staff—
          they comfort me.

2 Sam. 6:21

David said to Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me in place of your father and all his household, to appoint me as prince over Israel, the people of the LORD, that I have danced before the LORD.  …"

Rom. 14:7-8

We do not live to ourselves, and we do not die to ourselves.  If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.

John 1:51

And [Jesus] said to [Nathanael], "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."