Spiritual Journey Thursday: Shall we dance?

 

I danced in the morning when the world was begun,

And I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun,

And I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth:

At Bethlehem I had my birth.

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.

I danced for the scribe and the Pharisee,

But they would not dance and they wouldn't follow me;

I danced for the fishermen, for James and John;

They came with me and the dance went on:

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.

I danced on the Sabbath and I cured the lame:

The holy people said it was a shame.

They whipped and they stripped and they hung me on high,

And they left me there on a cross to die:

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.

I danced on a Friday when the sky turned black;

It's hard to dance with the devil on your back.

They buried my body and they thought I'd gone;

But I am the dance, and I still go on:

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.

They cut me down and I leapt up high;

I am the life that'll never, never die.

I'll live in you if you'll live in me:

I am the Lord of the dance, said he.

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.

--Lyrics by Sydney Carter, 1963

May...

Maypole dances

Spring into Summer

pastel to neon Creation

you can almost see 

the flowers blossom

beneath unseen feet

dancing 

under a joyful sun

shaking off the ashes

of darkened days

those feet leaping high

so very, very high

melting into the

blazing sunlight

until you can't

see them anymore.

You let out a whoop,

your heart filled

with love and delight

privileged to play

in the garden of the Creator,

the Lord of the Dance.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,

And when we find ourselves in the place just right,

'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd,

To bow and to bend we will not be asham'd,

To turn, turn will be our delight,

Till by turning, turning we come round right.

--Elder Joseph Brackett, 1848

SJT writing circle, I hope this music and my humble offering of poetry inspires your own thoughts on "Shall we dance?".