It’s All About the Core… Getting your groove on with God.

Shoulders square.

Back straight.

Shoulder blades together.

Don’t push your chest out.

Now…. relax.

These were the first words from from Jeff, our salsa instructor. Dance lessons have been on our bucket list for a while. You wanna know if your relationship has what it takes – dance with your partner.

I was already talking to myself.

“Relax? How am I going to relax AND think about all of that AND keep up with Trisha who already has this down pat?”

Trisha was once a figure skater and she’s musical. Me? I had to close my eyes and count the steps. My neck was already sore from being stiff. I can’t say for sure, because my eyes were closed, but I am pretty sure Trisha stepped out of the way a few times to save her toes. No wonder they say come in socks for your first lesson.

“Just a second”, says Jeff.

He goes from the studio and returns with Ana, his most graceful wife. It’s right out of a movie, the way they dance. What’s most mesmerizing is that you get the sense that their connection transcends their bodies, even their shared energy. They’re connected by something greater.

(A quick note – it occurs to me that by picking a personal topic, I am talking about a man and a woman dancing. A topic for another time – but for now, I wonder if there are studios that are LBGTQ friendly? I am going to ask. If there aren’t then there should be.)

“Relax,” he says, “Because you have to get your body to remember. You have to trust your body as much as you trust your partner.” There’s just no getting around the honoured process of time and practice.

It occurs to me that faith and trust in God is a lot like that…. getting the core of our souls in line so that the rest can just sort of take a life on of its own.

We can stress about the rules of religion, the various ins and outs of the “God/No God” debate and all of that, but in the end, faith boils down to trust and the posture of our souls. We need to know the freedom to understand the source of life as it comes to us, just as a first time dancer seeks freedom from his anxiety to hear the music as it comes to him and let it teach his body to listen too.

(Another quick note – I know that there are some who have been truly hurt by religion…. and this is a tragedy. If you are one, then know I have journeyed with others who have also – wanting to find healing to get their own sense of self back. If you would like to share your comments, I will be more than happy to listen. There is healing to be found – even if you are not so sure right now.)

And faith boils down to time and practice.

Yes – faith takes time and practice – time and practice to get into the groove. Think about that for a while and let it sink in.

So here is a simple thought for you this week: When you think about faith, what do you feel? Empty, sad, confused, excited, nothing?

And here is another simple thought for you this week: When you think about trust, what do you feel?

And when you allow these two feelings to mesh, are you able to dance?

Maybe this is awkward? Will you give it time and practice?

Trisha and I are sold. We bought a package of lessons that we can use at our discretion. We took some time to clear the furniture at home to dance. The kids are going to think we’re crazy. We don’t care. We don’t even know what kind of dancers we will be…. doesn’t really matter. We are just trying to trust the whole process, even if we can’t guarantee her toes will stay safe!

Wouldn’t it be cool if, as church, we could let faith and getting in a groove with God be just as fun?

— from Rev. Eric Lukacs blog Not So Idle Thoughts