The meeting of 'The Ladies Fellowship and Longholme Sisterhood' in Rawtenstall.
The Lord of the Dance
Strictly Come Dancing a popular T.V. Show with Bruce Forsyth and Tess Daly the presenters and its panel of judges Len Goodman, Bruno Tonioli, Craig Revel Horwood and Elisha Dixon.
The variety of dances: the Waltz – flowing with ease and grace. The Quick Step – sure footed precise timing. Latin American – lots of rhythm and powerful gestures. Rock’n roll – athletic and fast moving.
The Celebrities are partnered with professional dancers and over the weeks we saw a gradual improvement of their technique.
The Lord of the Dance
The Lord brings us into fellowship with each other in our churches, we dance together, work together for a period of time, until our circumstances change, perhaps move house or job and so we change partners, change churches and go off and dance with someone else. We may go back to where we started from or even dance on our own for a bit, until we cease to dance.
Barnabas and Saul
In Acts 13 Barnabas and Paul set out on their first ministry tour. They went from place to place setting up churches. John Mark joined them on route, but he left them at Perga in Phamphilia. Barnabas and Paul eventually arrived back at Jerusalem. Soon afterwards Paul wanted to go and re-visit the churches that had been planted. Barnabas was inclined to take John Mark with them; Paul did not want him to so they disagreed and changed partners: Barnabas went with John Mark, Silas accompanied Paul.
On the previous series of Strictly Come Dancing, John Sergeant and his partner Kristina Rihanoff were very popular as a result each week they were voted by the general public to stay on the show. This really upset the judges as other celebrities and their professional partners who were better dancers than John and Kristina but they were being voted off the show.
Barnabas was known as the encourager he perhaps wanted to encourage the young John Mark. Whereas Paul, I could imagine him being a person who dotted the i and crossed t and expected everyone to do the same.
On Strictly Come Dancing the 'encourager' for me was Bruno Tonioli, and Craig Revel Horwood who looked for perfection from the celebrities.
The Lord of the Dance
Jesus said, “We piped but you would not dance.” Matthew 11: 17
Jesus maybe was thinking of the time when the Ark of the Covenant was being moved from the house of Obededom to the city of David by King David. The people played their instruments whilst King David danced before the Lord.
“King David danced before the Lord with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel brought up the Ark of the Lord with shouting, and the sound of the horn.” 2 Samuel 6: 14, 15.
The Pharisees would not dance before Jesus the Ark of the New Covenant.
The Ark was a wooden box overlaid with gold, the lid was made of solid gold with two cherubim facing each other on it. Contained inside the Ark were the tablets of stone with the Ten Commandments written upon them. The almond rod that budded, that had belonged to Aaron and the pot containing Manna, the daily bread provided by God for the Israelites on their wilderness journey. The Ark had 2 gold rings on each side,the rings were placed on the four feet to hold the poles which (overlaid with gold) allowed it to be carried by the Levites.
The tablets of stone with the ten commandments written on them.
The prophecy of Jeremiah prophesied that the Law would be written in the heart and mind, everyone would know God and their sins would be remembered no more. The Law and all the temple rituals and sacrifices of the Mosaic covenant were fulfilled in Jesus death and resurrection.
The almond rod that budded, the sign of the priesthood.
A dispute arose amongst the tribes of Israel as to should be the priests. Moses was instructed by God to give all the houses of Israel a rod and to place Aaron’s rod with the rod of the Levites. Next day Aaron’s rod was found to have budded and also it had almonds on it. The dispute was settled, Aaron and his sons with the Levites were chosen by God to maintain the sanctuary, its offerings, and the altar of incense.
Following this action Aaron took a censor, which was a vessel that contained hot coals sprinkled with incense and made atonement, he prayed for the people. He stood between the dead and the living; and the plague stopped. 2 Samuel 16: 47, 48.
Jesus was chosen by God to be the intercessor between God and his church.
“For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. He can deal gently with the ignorant and wayward, since he himself is beset with weakness. Because of this he is bound to offer sacrifice for his own sins as well as for those he is called by God, just as Aaron was. So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “Thou art my Son, today I have begotten thee” as he says in another place, “Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 5: 1-6.
Jesus was appointed by God as high priest, he offered himself as the final sacrifice for sin and the causes of sin by laying down his life. God raised Jesus from the dead. He is seated at the right hand of God in heaven where Jesus intercedes for us, his church.
Jesus the Manna, the Bread of eternal life.
Jesus the living bread, meaning his words inwardly digested are food that nourishes the human heart/soul, they become to us Spirit and life. Jesus the Word of God clothed in the flesh. John the Apostle wrote we have handled the word of life.
“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of life. The life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us, that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you may have fellowship with us; and our fellowship is with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ.” 1 John 1: 1-3
On the last series the voters at home continued to support the more entertaining celebrities like Ann Widdecombe and her dance partner Anton du-beke. The judges seem to have come to terms with the change of emphasis from being completely competitive, to the show having an element of light entertainment.
Naomi and Ruth
In the course of their life time the Lord of the Dance brought them to a situation were they moved on by going back to where Naomi came from, the town of Bethlehem. Naomi and her husband and their two sons left Bethlehem because there was famine in their area.
They moved to Moab which was located south east of the Dead Sea. Naomi’s husband died and within a short time her two sons died. Naomi decided to go back to Bethlehem, she advised her daughter’s in law to go and live with their families. However, Ruth did not want to, she wanted to stay with Naomi and go with her to Bethlehem. The two ladies went to Bethlehem, there Ruth met Boaz and fell in love with him, and they were married.
This love story reminds me of the waltz, the elegant couple dance with flowing steps gliding across the dance floor.
Len Goodman the top judge on the show apparently looked for good interaction between the professional dancer and the celebrity. We saw this interaction in most of the celebrities as they developed over weeks of training.
Nabal and Abigail.
Abigail was married to Nabal; he was very rich he owned 3,000 sheep and 1,000 goats. We read that Nabal was surly and snappish, a hard, ill tempered and an oppressive man.
It was shearing time and they asked King David for his help to guard their flocks against Philistine sheep rustlers. In response David sent his soldiers to guard their flocks. Shortly afterwards David needed Nabal’s help in supplying food his men. Nabal made out that he did not know King David. When David heard he was displeased and took up arms against Nabal. When Abigail found out that David was on his way to take his revenge, she decided to intervene, but not to disclose her plan to Nabal. She would go and make peace with King David before he arrived at their home. Abigail loaded her donkey with goods as a gift in defence of her husband.
When she met King David her attitude was so respectful and apologetic David accepted her apology and the gift on behalf of her husband. On her arrival home she found her husband drunk. Next day she told Nabal of her meeting with King David, his reaction to this news, he was ashamed. Ten days later Nabal died.
Nabal had suffered a mortal blow to his pride knowing that his wife had interceded on his behalf to make amends for his sin against David.
Shame associated with nakedness.
Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened to the consequences of their sin against God, they felt ashamed of their nakedness and covered parts of their body with fig leaves.
In the Hebrew Scriptures nakedness is associated with sin. Canaan was cursed by his grandfather Noah for seeing him naked, “Canaan would be a slave to his brothers.” Genesis 9:25 Noah’s son's Shem and Japheth took great care to cover him up.
Jesus when he arrived at Golgotha, the soldiers removed his garments and divided them between themselves by casting lots. Jesus was naked on the cross bearing the shame of Adam and Eve redeeming us from their sin.
Shame can leave us with lack of self worth, passive and insecure. Healing comes when we ask Jesus to walk back to that moment when we felt ashamed and through repentance leave that shame on the cross where we enter into the freedom of Jesus' forgiveness. God raised Jesus from the dead defeating sin and the causes of sin. Through faith in Jesus that he has paid the price for our sin we are set free from shame.
I think Abigail would have been good at the quick step, she monuvered around Nabal and arrived precisely at the right time to negotiate with King David on her husband’s behalf.
Arelene Philips was taken off the judges panel, I think most people were puzzled as to why? Maybe the producers were ashamed of her age. The producers replaced her with a younger woman Elesha Dixon.
Abigail went on to marry King David becoming one of his wives.
Arelene Philips is now a judge on another TV dance show judging the latest modern dancing.
Letting go
It was hard for the disciples to let go of Jesus when he was crucified, died and placed in a tomb. They did not understand why God had allowed him to die.
On the evening of the day of his resurrection after Jesus breathed on them the Holy Spirit, he opened the eyes of the disciples understanding regarding the prophesies that referred to his death and resurrection, and also that repentance and forgiveness should be preached in his name to all nations. Luke 24: 45-47.
Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians he wrote of coming to them not in lofty words or wisdom, he came among them preaching the crucified Christ which was followed by signs of the Spirit in power. “That their faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” He goes on to say, “But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glorification. None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him. God has revealed to us through the Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 2: 2, 6-10.
God decreed before the foundation of the earth his Son would suffer and die on a cross to redeem all creation from the fall of man. Those who believed in the Son of God would enter into the glorious kingdom of God. But it was a secret unrevealed until after Jesus' ascension. At Pentecost the Apostles for the first time proclaimed that Jesus was the Messiah.
The Jewish people would not have crucified their Messiah, if they had known that the Son of God was Jesus. For this very reason, it was hidden from their understanding. The Chief Priest Caiaphas had a prophecy from God which he shared with the council when they were seeking a way to destroy Jesus. “It is expedient that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation should perish.” John 11: 47-53.
He believed that Jesus was threat to the stability of the nation. By removing Jesus God was delivering them from the Romans destroying their holy place and nation.
After Pentecost when Caiaphas heard from the Apostles that Jesus had been raised from the dead, you would have thought that he would have realised that it was God's intention for the Messiah to die and be resurrected, but Caiaphas was a Sadducee and they did not believe in the Resurrection of the dead.
“Though he had done so many signs before them, yet they did not believe in him; it was that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed our report, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Therefore they could not believe. For Isaiah again said, “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart . . . Nevertheless many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.” John 12: 37-43.
The Lord of the Dance will cause us to move on to dance with new partners. This can sometimes cause distress, especially if we don’t realise that the Lord is moving us on to fulfil his purposes.
On Strictly Come Dancing the celebrities were very disappointed when they had to leave the show. They had worked so hard to learn the dances and to win the hearts of the voters.
Mary and Martha
When Lazarus died, his sisters were broken hearted, but we know that it was only for a short time. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. But for us, when a husband or wife dies or a family member the pain of separation remains like a thread unbroken by the passage of time. Our hope is in the resurrection of the living and the dead when Jesus returns, we shall be for ever with the Lord of the Dance.
Bruce Forsyth at 83 years old he has seen a resurrection of his career. Old twinkle toes, he can still think on his feet with his spontaneous jokes.
Dancing for Joy
Kara Tointon and Artem Chigvintsev danced for joy as they were voted Strictly Come Dancing winners. During the weeks they had spent learning to dance together they had fallen in love. The show ended with a spectacular dancing from them.
The Lord of the Dance
Jesus our dance teacher and partner, perfects all that we undertake in his name. Our rhythm and posture, the steps, twirls and gestures are effortless movements on the dance floor of the kingdom of God. Like Kara and Artem’s love for each other, Jesus loves us so much that he gave his life for us and his love is everlasting.
