Being Joyful, Dancing and Singing

Picture this: It's a dark and stormy night. The rain is pouring down in buckets. A man dons a full-length trenchcoat, a gentlemen's hat, and an umbrella. And then he heads out into the cold, wet night.

At first he hides behind the umbrella and the collar of his coat.

But then, something happens. . . something about the raindrops hitting his black umbrella - something about the cuffs of his trousers getting wet - something about the rhythm about it all. . .

That something, is delight. He becomes delighted by it all. Delighted about being soaked in the wetness of God's grand creation. Delighted about being soggy. Delighted about how the rain glistens on the pavement in the soft glow of the streetlights.

He becomes so delighted that he drops his umbrella and lets the rain pelt his face, and run down his neck. His delightfulness grows and grows until he starts to hear the beat, and move to the beat - the rhythm behind the raindrops. The da-da-da da-da-da-da - and then overcome by delight he breaks out in song: "I'm singing in the rain, I'm singing in the rain!"

Can you see it now? Of course you can! It's Gene Kelly singing and dancing in the rain!

My favorite part is when he hikes up his jacket and starts splashing around in the deep puddles - and lost in delight he fails to see the policeman who's staring him down, sure as can be that he's drunk as can be!

Delight. Wonder. Being lost in it all.

This weekend's Psalm is the 100th. "Be Joyful in the Lord all you lands, serve the Lord with gladness; come before his presence with a song."

Be Joyful. Only in the Church can a scowl and a sour face pass for joy! Only in the Church can the droning recitation of Elizabethan English prayers and the durge-like singing of a hymn pass for joy!

Be joyful in the Lord all you lands!

When God asks that of us, I think he really means it. I think he really wants us to be joyful.

Any 'why' you may ask: because "The LORD himself is God; he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. . . For the LORD is good;his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age."

We're to be joyful - we're to delight in the presence of God because he made us. Because he knit every fiber of our being together, and because he knows every hair on our heads. Because he woke us up this morning, breathing breathe into our lungs and coursing blood through our veins. Because he sent us His son. And because His Son bore the cross for us. Because we're the sheep of his pasture.

If that's not cause for joy, I don't know what is! How can we sit still? How can we not help but sing, dance and shout, filled with delight and joy, lost in wonder love and praise. How can we not hike up our trenchcoats and jump around like school children in overflowing puddles.

In Matthew 9, Jesus looks upon his followers, realizes that his followers are like sheep without a shepherd, and "he had compassion for them." The Greek word for compassion there, doesn't just mean "compassion," it means "moved in his bowels." Jesus looks at us, his people, and he is deeply moved, from the very core of his being. When we cry, he cries. When we delight, he delights. When we dance in the rain, he swings from a light pole.

What we need in our Christian walk, in our Christian worship, and in our Christian faith is to open ourselves up to joy, to delight, to wonder in the presence of God.

This past Easter, at St. Peter's, I gave the invitation to communion, and a blonde boy with curly hair, who was newly baptized and full of Resurrection-wonder, came running up the aisle and jumped onto the altar rail. He turned around and looked at the congregation behind him, as if to say: "Come on, guys! What's the hold up!"

Jesus was there, and was beckoning him. He had been created by him, redeemed by him, sanctified by him, and washed in the waters of baptism by him - and filled with delight he ran to the altar rail. If there was a light pole he would have swung from it. If there had been a puddle he would have jumped right through it.

Be joyful in the Lord - Be filled with delight - be lost in wonder love and praise. And don't worry about getting your shoes wet.