Dancing the Days

Pastor’s Column

February 7, 2010

Dancing the Days...

Hello, Friends!

On Sunday I talked about our district training meeting last Saturday, and shared some insights offered by our superintendent, Rev. Bobbi Kaye Jones.

I cited the visual images she presented, to demonstrate aspects of who we are as followers of Christ called United Methodist—a newborn baby boy, pictures of her home church in Mercedes that had burned, Clint Rabb’s photo, a young mother in Haiti, a child asleep under a mosquito net.

But I forgot one—maybe the best one of all. Her last image was of an amazing lady I’m honored to know. Jeanette Ball, a longtime faithful member of St. John’ UMC, is a champion United Methodist woman, director of the Senior Singers’ choir, crusader for the well-being of all—and one of the most joyfully alive human beings I’ve ever been blessed to meet.

When I would substitute teach for Bobbi Kaye’s Nia class at St. John’s, there was Jeanette—80-plus and post-knee replacement surgery, moving with energy and delight in what her body could do, inspiring the rest of us to keep on dancing.

So it didn’t surprise me at all to see Jeanette’s smiling face beaming at all of us on Saturday, suspended in mid-air, having her first zip-line ride experience in Costa Rica, where she had gone with some other faithful ones to do mission work!

Zip-lining—in Costa Rica—in her 80’s, and still finding life to be one great adventure after another, in the service of the Lord!

My column is called “Dancing the Days” for a reason—I’ve found I can stay more centered, more focused, and more hopeful when I remember to take delight, find beauty, share joy, and move outside my head into an integrated mind-body-spirit way of being.

I’ve taught Nia, a dance-exercise experience, and I hope to, again, in the near future.

Jeanette reminds me that we can count it all blessed, and dance our days with joy, no matter the circumstance, no matter the challenge, no matter the apparent obstacles—we can do all things, through Christ who is our joy and our strength and our salvation from small-minded, fear-based illusions of lack.

I look forward to dancing with you (in spirit—hey, maybe in body, too—you never know!) this Sunday, and all our days to come.

Shalom,

Sarah+