Mourning Into Dancing

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
   and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
   and you have healed me.
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
   restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
   and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment;
   his favour is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
   but joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my prosperity,
   ‘I shall never be moved.’
By your favor, O Lord,
   you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
   I was dismayed.

To you, O Lord, I cried,
   and to the Lord I made supplication:
‘What profit is there in my death,
   if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
   Will it tell of your faithfulness?
Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
   O Lord, be my helper!’

You have turned my mourning into dancing;
   you have taken off my sackcloth
   and clothed me with joy,
so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
   O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever. Psalm 30

Our house was always filled with music and dancing when our daughters were young. They all took dance classes, ballet as well as many other forms. Our daughter Ariel studied dance in college and has taught dance. Dance is a wonderful expression of so many emotions that words cannot contain. Sometimes our bodies need to express what our written and spoken words cannot - our connection to the earth, our gratitude and fears, our great passion for life and compassion for all living things.

Today, since it is Saturday, I chose the psalm for today rather than the Gospel. These ancient words, which were sung, capture for us today the feeling of restored living and new hope for tomorrow. In the midst of challenging times, it is important to sing and dance, even when we have no business doing so. Dancing and singing can restore our joy and our gratitude. 

Today, I ask God to help me restore my joy by trusting, as the psalmist did, that when we sing we pray twice. May we be restored and renewed as we dance and sing through troubled times, for God is surely in the midst of us.