Nicole’s e-Pistle “Lord of the Dance”
July 1, 2026
Greetings, Friends!
I have been thinking a lot about Jean Strain lately, along with her family. On Thursday, we will celebrate her life with a Service of Witness to the Resurrection. One of the hymns we will sing is “I Danced in the Morning,” a beautiful piece about the life of Jesus Christ, portrayed as a dance, and one that invites us to join in with our Lord of the Dance. I think this is a fitting tribute to Jean, who enjoyed a life filled with music and dance.
The hymn was written in 1963 by an English songwriter named Sydney Carter. He adapted the music from an old Shaker song from 1848 called “Simple Gifts” and also found inspiration from a 17th-century English carol called “Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day.” The lyrics trace the life of Christ from birth to death and resurrection. The refrain, “Dance, then, wherever you may be,” reminds us that our own lives are a kind of dance as well. We, as believers, are called to dance with joy, knowing that we do not dance alone.
I have never taken formal dancing lessons, except when I was five. I took ballet, tap and jazz, but for reasons I will share in person if you ask, I had to stop taking lessons after that first year. However, I do love to dance, especially with a partner that knows what he’s doing. I’ll never forget being 21-years-old on a river boat cruise with my family. The theme for the voyage was Cajun, with cuisine and entertainment that was saturated with all things Creole. One evening, there was a live Cajun band, and in the middle of a rousing polka, the accordion player, who had to be in his 60s, put down his instrument, crossed the dance floor to our table, and twirled me onto the dance floor before I knew what was happening. My only experience with a polka was Missus Anna teaching the King of Siam how to dance – 1-2-3 and 1-2-3 and 1-2-3 and… I had no idea what to do with my feet, though at times, the musician lifted me off of them completely as he spun me around.
Faith is a little like dancing a polka for the first time. At first, we spend too much time trying to count and get our feet to move in the right direction. Then, as the music begins to penetrate our souls, we realize that the dance is less about perfection and far more about trusting our partner and allowing ourselves to simply let the music carry us away. Mistakes do not mean the dance must end. Missed steps simply become part of the dance as we continue to more. The music of God’s grace does not stop but goes on and on and on.
For those of you who are in town, I hope to see you at Jean’s service tomorrow evening. For those of you traveling for the 4th of July weekend, safe travels until we meet again. I love you all!
Blessings and peace,
