Introduction
Growing up I was a dancer. In dance classes we would always learn the dance while facing a mirror, allowing us to watch ourselves as we practiced the moves, make sure that our body alignment matched what was called for, and use the visual cues to learn how it felt to hit the right spots and motions. In this part of the process we paid some attention to the other dancers in the routine, but it was primarily individually focused as we just learned the necessary, foundational steps.
But then we’d reach the inevitable practice where we turned away from the mirrors. The first few times through any of the dances while not watching ourselves were always a total mess. We’d bump into each other, we’d trip over ourselves, and in general we’d dance as if the routine was brand new, even if we had it down cold pre-turn. When we were no longer able to watch ourselves, we had to stop and remember what each step was supposed to feel like in our body’s alignment, we had to pay attention to the other dancers and where we were in relation to them, and we had to rely on the teacher’s feedback about how we were doing. We had a general sense, sure, but on our own we couldn’t see the bigger picture.
That transition from mirror-focused to trust-focused was hard, and it was typically a practice marked with frustration, finger pointing, and high emotions. But when we had good coaches, it was also a practice marked with encouragement: “You know what to do.” “Pay attention to the dancers around you.” “Stay calm.” “You’re already good at it!”
As chance would have it, these are the exact encouragements Paul was sending out to the church in Thessalonica as they were entering the phase as a new church that was strikingly similar to a turn-away-from-the-mirror practice.
As dancers, once we were able to reorient ourselves away from only paying attention to what we were doing, and instead rely on signals, feedback, and sense memories, we were usually able to dance together successfully as a team. Could we expect the same for the church?
Join us this weekend as we dive into 1 Thessalonians 4 and consider what signals, feedback, and sense memories might look for us as the church.
Grace and peace y’all,
Laura Holland and the teaching team.
Communal Confession for Vine and Branch
Rejoice, Grace Church this time culminates our Sabbath day, our gift of rest and renewal.
We rejoice in this time for worship and wonder.
God gives us Sabbath as freedom from and freedom for.
God is worthy of worship, our Creator, Healer, and Inspiration.
Hang on Grace Church, we were never promised an easy road.
Jesus bids each and all of us to take up our cross and follow Him.
We have the promises and person of Jesus with us every step of the way.
Because we have this we will endure, even though we struggle.
We have the testimony of those who have gone before us to encourage and enlighten us.
Because we have this we will follow their example and receive their encouragement.
We have been given each other to rejoice with, grieve with, grow with and work with.
Because we have this community and all these things we will not lose heart or be forever discouraged.
Grace be to you now and forever in the Name of our Lord Jesus
Lord’s Prayer
Christ, who taught us to pray saying:
Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come, your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who’ve sinned against us.
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom, and the power,
and the glory forever. Amen.
