“Wanna Dance?” (Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30)

According to the saying, there is more than one way to skin a cat.  Let it be known that I do not believe in skinning cats.  The saying is alluding to the fact that there is often more than one way to get a job done.  In our reading this morning we witness the ministry of two people—John the Baptist and Jesus.  Each had his own way of doing things.  John was pretty strait-laced . . . he was ascetic in his lifestyle . . . his preaching was straight-forward and to the point.  He preached that the Lord was coming and everybody had better get their act together before it was too late.  And . . . it worked!  People followed him . . . became his disciples.

Those in power noticed.  They put him and his ministry down.  They said, “He was a demon.”

 

Jesus, on the other hand, was a little looser.  He mingled among the people . . . especially the people who were considered to be on the wrong side of the tracks.  He ate with the sinners and challenged the status quo.  He was friendly and cared about people, their lives, and what the future would be like.  He preached love and grace.  And . . . it worked.  People followed him . . . became his disciples.

 

Those in power noticed.  They put him and his ministry down.  Pointed out his despicable behavior of mingling with the “untouchables”.  They said, “Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.”

 

Those in power noticed because they could see how successful they were.  They could see how people were following them.  Following them because they believe in the individual and the words they shared.  Those in power could see the shift in power . . . could see a movement being born.  It was a threat.  A threat to them and to their power.  And like all the powerful before them and after them they did what they could do by creating fear.

 

Fear can be a powerful immobilizer . . . it can stop people in their tracks.  Fear can also be a great impetus to action . . . usually action to quell the storm that is feared.  Get rid of the problem and there is nothing to fear.  Is that not what happened to John the Baptist?  Was that not what happened to Jesus?

 

If you have ever experienced fear, you will have to admit that it can wear a person down and out.  Make one weary.  Make one feel burdened.  Let me ask this question, are there any here this morning who have never been weary?  Never had to carry a heavy heart burden.  If so, well then you are free to go.  To the rest of you, Jesus invites you to dance.

 

The choice is up to us.

 

Every time I hear this passage of scripture I am taken by the line: “We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance.”  English songwriter Sydney Carter wrote one of my favorite hymns way back in 1963 . . . Lord of the Dance.  It is a hymn that is typically sung on Easter Sunday, but is always a great one around a church campfire.  Its tune is a variation of the Shaker tune, ‘Tis a Gift to be Simple.  The idea behind the hymn was tell the gospel story in the first-person voice of Jesus with the device of portraying Jesus’ life and mission as a dance.  Each verse tells a part of the story from the birth in Bethlehem to the resurrection.  The chorus between each verse is:

 

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.

 

If you have never heard the song, I suggest that you listen to it.  It is a catchy song and one with a powerful message.

 

I have always loved the image of our relationship with God through Jesus as a dance . . . a dance through life.  Now I want you to understand that I cannot dance worth a hoot.  I have two left feet.  No sense of rhythm.  I can’t dance.  Ask Dana . . . she can probably count on one hand the number of times she and I have ever danced.  In fact, our first dance might have been at our daughter’s wedding and our second at our son’s.  If you dance with me, you had better have your steel-toe boots on.  It’s that bad.

 

But, like the song says, Jesus invites us to dance . . . he’ll lead.  Just come on and dance, says Jesus.

 

So, why won’t we dance?

 

Could it be because we are fearful?  Could it be because we are weary?  Well, there certainly is plenty to be fearful about in our lives . . . these are difficult times that we are living in, and they don’t seem to be improving.  I know that we are weary . . . that we are tired.  It is just the times that we are living in.  It is hard to dance when one is scared and tired.  Yet, Jesus invites us to dance.

 

Okay, okay . . . he doesn’t say “dance” straight up.  He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  He is telling us to follow him, and he will show us the way.

 

As I said, I can’t dance.  But, you know what?  It all depends on who you’re with.  You ask my grandchildren . . . well at least the youngest ones . . . and they will tell you that Papa can dance.  They’ll tell you that I can boogey across the floor.  I learned the secret to dancing, first it is who you dance with . . . I prefer those under the age of ten.  Second . . . you know that song about dancing as if no one is watching you . . . I do that.  I dance as if no one is watching me.  And no one cares how poorly I dance and neither do I. And guess what, God doesn’t care . . . God just wants me to join in the dance.

 

Yes, there was that reluctance.  We all have that reluctance . . . that fear . . . wariness of dancing.  It is a matter of taking that step of trust and letting loose.  Some of you may remember singer Leo Sayer.  In one of his songs called Long Tall Glasses, which many people call the I Can Dance song, he tells the story of being on the road, tired and hungry.  He sees a sign advertising food and drink for everyone.  So, he pulls over, heads in and discovers so much food and drink that he is going to faint from the joy of it all.  Just as he is pulling up to the table to eat, someone yanks him from his chair and tells him, “Before you can eat you gotta dance like Fred Ataire.”

 

Of course . . . he can’t dance.  But he is hungry.  The food looks good.  Then . . . the heck with it all.  He convinces himself that he can dance:

 

If you were hungry as me

Then i'm sure you will understand

Now wait a minute

Of course i can dance

Of course i can dance

I'm sure i can dance

I'm sure i can dance

I can dance

I really hit the floor

Ah it feels good

Look at me dancing

I did a two-step quick-step and a bossanova

A little victor sylvester and a rudy valentino

You should have seen me moving

Right across the floor

Hand me down my tuxedo

Next week i'm coming back for more

I can dance

Oh yes i can dance

Look at me dance on the floor moving

I feel good

I can dance

    

I can dance.  You can dance.  We can all dance.  Let us not allow ourselves to make excuses as to why we can’t dance.  Jesus don’t care.  God don’t care.  My grandchildren don’t care . . . my wife, well that is another story!  Dance!  Jesus shows us the way.  So . . . dance.

 

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.

Amen.

 

“Because of You” (Matthew 10:40-42)

In the tenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is sending out his disciples.  He is sending them out into a world that is dangerous and threatening . . . a world that will be in opposition to their mission of sharing the “good news” of Jesus . . . a world that would go to no end—even death—in order not to change.  It is a world of old and tired ways bent on keeping the powerful in place and the status quo in line.  Is this not the existence to which we—the followers of Jesus—have been called today.  Being a follower of Jesus and sharing his “good news” is not an easy task.

Jesus says this to the disciples as he sends them out: “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves . . . Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues . . . Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death . . . You will be hated by everyone because of me . . .” (Matthew 10:16-39)

 

Well, we know that Jesus never said that it would be easy . . . and it is not!  Following Jesus is tough.  Sharing his “good news” is tough.  We live in a world that goes against Jesus and his “good news” . . . a world that loves and embraces power over love, relationships, and the wholeness and holiness of community.  A world that stands in opposition to God’s Kingdom and its call to “love one another”.  It is tough going for those who are the followers of Jesus.

 

So where do we find hope?  Where do we find the energy to keep going?  When we look at the task of sharing Jesus’ “good news” to the world in which we live . . . well, does the task not seem impossible?

 

Loren Eiseley tells the story of “the star thrower”.  It is a story that you probably know about the guy tossing starfish after starfish into the sea.  When asked why, he replies that if they don’t get back in the water soon, they’ll dry out and die.  Looking at the beach strewn with thousands of starfish, the person asking the question tells the guy that he can’t possibly hope to make a difference.  To which the guy responds, “To the ones I throw back, it makes all the difference in the world.”

 

Sometimes the big picture is overwhelming.  Sometimes we need to step back and take a smaller view of the situation before us . . . to take smaller bites instead of attempting to swallow the whole thing at once.  By ourselves it is difficult to save the world.  Instead, we should acknowledge that God will take care of that and that the best we can do is to take care of the business that is in our little corner of the world in which we have been placed.  We do what we can do where we are and trust in God to take care of the rest.  Thus, we are called upon to do acts of mercy and deeds of compassion—large and small—and realize that even these make a difference.  In this even a “cup of cold water” can make a huge and unexpected difference to those to whom we give it.

 

Discipleship—following Jesus—does not have to be heroic.  Too often we do not realize that all the small acts of devotion, tenderness, kindness, and forgiveness within the relationships that are important to us are the foundation of faith. Faith is composed of a thousand small gestures.  But also remember, Jesus tells us that there are no small gestures.  Anything done in faith and love has cosmic impact and significance for the ones involved and, indeed, for the world God loves so much.  Ask that star fish that got tossed back into the sea.

 

A couple of weeks ago at the summer camp the university runs for high school kids with disabilities exploring the transition from high school to post-secondary education I was having one of those days.  First of all, riding herd over a group of teenagers is a challenge all of its own but throw in there unforeseen bumps in the road . . . well, lets just say I was having a rough day.  From the start nothing seemed to go right . . . speakers showed up late and then went way over their time limit . . . we got way off schedule . . . we literally missed our bus . . . I had to punt and come up with programming on the fly . . . the weather was getting stormy . . . I had to cancel a part of the day’s schedule . . . and I was getting more frustrated and anxious by the moment.  I felt like I was in a disaster film.

 

At the end of the day, as the kids gathered for our closing exercise before heading to their beds in the dorms, we sat in a circle to wrap up the day.  The tradition at the end of each day is for everyone to share two things—one thing that was good and one thing that they would change.  Worn out by the day’s events . . . I started.  I thanked the kids for their attitude, openness, and willingness to hang in there despite all the hiccups of the day.  I explained that I really felt bad about it all and that it wasn’t fair to them.

 

As I was sharing, I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder . . . patting me.  The young lady sitting next to me was patting me on my shoulder . . . she just reached out and started patting me.  She offered me a moment of comfort . . . a moment of reassurance . . . a moment of acceptance . . . hospitality.  In that moment at the end of a long day it was just what I needed . . . a “cup of cold water”.  A simple act of kindness.

 

As the family gathered last weekend to celebrate a granddaughter’s birthday, we all sat in the living room watching the opening of presents.  Like any family there were the usual “ohhhs and awes” as each gift was revealed.  With this granddaughter Dana and I had given her an American Girl doll that was Native American of the Nez Perce tribe call Kaya. Everything about the doll was approved by the tribe before it was put on the marker, thus everything associated with the doll is expensive.  As she open one present to reveal the doll’s pet I jokingly said, “Now you just have to find someone to get you her teepee.”

 

 At that moment every adult turned and looked at me with that “what are you doing” look.  Not knowing what the problem was, I sat there confused as it began to dawn on me . . . Nana and Papa—Dana and I—were giving her and her doll that expensive teepee.  OH!  The look of surprise on my face made them all laugh.  I was embarrassed to the moon and back.  If there had been a rock to crawl under, I would have . . . I was six shades of red.

 

Then I felt a small hand on my back.  Up and down, up and down.  My youngest granddaughter was rubbing my back.  In the midst of the laughter and my embarrassment came an act of reassurance, comfort, and love that let me know that I was loved.  Again, a small act of kindness . . . a “cup of cold water”.

 

Looking back on those moments, those simple acts of kindness made all the difference in the world about how I was feeling.  With perfect 20/20 hindsight that we have all been blessed with, I wish I had taken a moment to say, “thank you.”  To say thank you to that young lady for having made a difference . . . of saying thank you to my youngest granddaughter for turning my world right side up . . . of saying to both of them that it was because of you that it made all the difference.

 

This is where we find hope.  This is where we find the energy to keep on going.  This is where the world begins to change . . . one small act of kindness at a time.  We are all recipients of such acts of kindness every day.  And we are also the givers of such gifts and blessings.  It is in such acts of giving a “cup of cold water” to another that Jesus’ love is shared.  It is a love that can be shared anytime and anywhere with gestures that seem small in the eyes of the world but loom large in the life of those who receive them.  In such a way we are making the world God loves so much a little better, a little more trustworthy, a little more joyful through our gestures of love, mercy, and compassion.

 

Remember, there are no small acts of kindness in the eyes of Jesus.  Through “cups of cold water”, hugs, helping hands, encouraging words, and listening ears we are caring for the world that God loves so much.  It is because of you . . . and you . . . and you . . . that we find hope and strength for the journey we have been called to take.  We probably don’t say it often enough but thank you.  Amen.