Ballroom Dancing

Text for this Sunday's sermon/conversation at The River: John 15

"'Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.'"


Live in me. Wow. Somehow, I've missed that phrase before. I mean, we're all taught that God lives in us, right? We accept Jesus into our life and the Holy Spirit mysteriously comes to dwell inside our heart. Very cut and dried... a bit confusing perhaps, but nevertheless a clear pathway to becoming a Christian.


Okay, in truth I don't really understand how God could truly "live" inside of me... but hey, it's a statement of faith, right? However, when I read this passage about grapes and vines, it kind of changes my presuppositions about how God chooses to "live" in me... because I'm also informed that I need to "live" in Him. That kind of revelation will either cause a complete metaphor meltdown for followers of Jesus... or possibly guide us to better understanding the thoroughly and completely relational nature of our God.


"Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you..." Have you ever thought of that before... I mean really thought of it? Jesus isn't giving us some kind of metaphysical formula for salvation here. No, he's inviting us into a partnership of relationship with the Triune God - Father, Spirit and Son. Entering into this partnership is like stepping on the dance floor of a great ballroom, expecting Jesus to lead us... and being willing to go where he guides us. His part is to lead and guide... whereas our part is to trust in his leadership and submit to his breathtakingly beautiful style and grace.


Living in Jesus is far more organic than woodenly mechanical . Faith is not merely blind obedience to someone we cannot see or hear. Heck no! Living in Jesus is a response of our spirit to the One who formed us... who knows our name... who understands our pain... who knows what we've done and failed to do... who continually offers us the opportunity to stop living according to our flesh, and instead place ourselves in His arms and simply dance with Him. To live  in Jesus is to become perfectly in sync with the gorgeous melody of God's will, and His mysterious plan of salvation in and through Christ.


I'm on the dance floor most of the time. In fact, there have been times that the dance has been so awesome I have forgotten where I am for awhile. However, much of my life in Christ, I have been a rather poor dancing partner. Either I step on his toes, or try to choreograph moves of my own (which feel awkward and off time with the music). Heck, sometimes I stop dancing with him altogether. But that's what I love about Jesus... He patiently waits there for me as I thrash about in my paranoid schizophrenic state of mind trying to decide whether or not he's really a good enough dancer to entrust myself to him that much... that thoroughly... that completely.


Of course the answer is yes... I mean, really - who makes a better dance partner than the One who created rhythm itself? The One who inspired the Waltz and the Tango and the Foxtrot? The One who formed us together in our mother's womb? Who better to "make our home in" than the One who came to us... and laid down his life for our sake? Duh!