Ke$ha and King David

It's rare that the car radio is on any other stations besides NPR and the classical one. But every once in awhile, during the rare event I am in my car longer than 5 minutes (I hate driving places), I turn to the pop station to listen me some good dance tunes.

Today, ke$ha was on with her hit "we r who we r" and I was almost brought to tears. By what you ask? By the gospel message present in her song. Before you roll your eyes or think I am trying to be relevant or hip, let me explain with the underlying sentiment of the song that the gospel makes possible. Let me rephrase that, before you become Michal watching King David dance naked in the streets, hear me out.

There is a deep deep desire within us to be "who we are". While there are millions of things that can help us with identity crises, I think it is important to understand what the gospel tells us who we are: we are children of God who deep down want to joyously celebrate God and all that he has done by, yes, quite possibly, "dancing like we dumb dumb dumb our bodies going numb numb numb".

Ke$ha writes fun party songs that just begged to be danced to with careless abandon. No burden of moralism, suffering, sin, weight of the world in her catchy techno beats. It's freedom and good times she preaches in her lyrics.

Which is similar to what grace preaches. Grace is not somber. Grace is wild. Grace is the abandon found on a dance floor. The crazy jubilation of being set free by a god who loves deeply and enjoys you deeply. And that brings out the truest good times possible on this earth with the promise of more in the next.

I understand the appeal of freedom and good times, especially to girls. Too much of our up-bringing, especially in the church, is heavy on the legalism, restrictions, denying oneself, all things that have a good and noble place in the kingdom and the life of faith, but are not the freedom of grace. The freedom of grace is dancing in the streets naked because of what God has done for you. Is rocking out in a club dancing your heart out because you are young and alive and want to taste the goodness of the world and Jesus. It's having a good time and letting loose for the love of the Lord. It's release of worry about what people think, whether you are measuring up, whether you are worthy and just being "who you are," awkward dance moves and all.

And yes, morality or the law has a delicate and important tension with grace in the process of sanctification. Not trying to throw it out the picture. In fact, I would probably argue that it is impossible to dance naked in the streets like David without a deep love of the law and an integrity from following it.  Living righteously is extremely important, but what I am arguing is that if it is at the cost of joy and freedom, then it aint the gospel. God wants sacrifices of heart, which include jubilant celebration and abandon.

Dear lord, may we embrace the joy and freedom you offer through your son Jesus. May we dance in abandon for all you have done for us for your glory and for the health of our hearts and mind. In your name we pray, Jesus. Amen

Poison Oak and Sin or the Sin of Itching

I have poison oak. It's pretty bad. It started on my hands and is slowly spreading across my body despite my best efforts to not itch and to cover myself in every topical cream and remedy possible. Nothing's worked. Not baking soda, vinegar, benadryl, caladryl, calamine, nope not a thing. need to get hydrogen peroxide as that used to be my go to, but don't have a lot of faith that that will work as well.

And in my mind that makes it a thing horrible enough to be an analogy to sin. Sin. Sin that starts as something small like touching a leaf of an unknown plant, that quickly turns into something that takes over your body and worsens with every itch and every self remedy. It's hard to get rid of and probably impossible to get rid of it without divine intervention. Expect scars. Expect it to get worse before it gets better. Expect unpleasantness.

Dear God rid me of poison oak and sin! Amen.