Tuesday, April 26, 2011

He is Risen!

I’ve been reflecting on the resurrection and thinking that whatever difficulty we experience in our lives - God can move the stone!
Also, as I prepare to lead sessions on the Bible and Poetry, I’ve been reflecting on the character of God through Song of Songs - God’s poetic love letter to us:
Listen! My beloved!
   Look! Here he comes,
leaping across the mountains,
   bounding over the hills.
My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag.
   Look! There he stands behind our wall,
gazing through the windows,
   peering through the lattice.
My beloved spoke and said to me,
   “Arise, my darling,
   my beautiful one, come with me.
See! The winter is past;
   the rains are over and gone.
Flowers appear on the earth;
   the season of singing has come,
the cooing of doves
   is heard in our land.
The fig tree forms its early fruit;
   the blossoming vines spread their fragrance.
Arise, come, my darling;
   my beautiful one, come with me.”
(Song of Songs 2:8-13)
Some years ago, I wrote this poem as a response to the resurrection, inspired by the Song of Songs:
Stone upon stone
upon river 
upon stream
my Lover is calling
He is beckoning to me
A love consummated on a cross
and sealed in a tomb
We rise to new life
Bride and bridegroom.



And I just love the explosion of joy expressed in this worship dance video by First Baptist Church, Houston - Dance Your Shoes Off!




During the Olympics next year, we will be taking to the streets of London to do the same thing. We’ll be allowing our joy in God to explode into dance!
Happy Easter!