Lord of the Dance, Tomorrow shall be my dancing day

Life with God, Reading the Bible for Spiritual Transformation by Richard J. Foster ISBN 10: 0061671746 ISBN 13: 9780061671746 --------------- 讓靈修大師傅士德告訴你，讀經的力量有多大！ 從小到大，為了應付大大小小的考試，我們被迫捧讀各式各樣的課本，文組學生把化學元素表編詩硬背，數學天才推算出長恨歌的程式邏輯。一本課本可以讀個五遍、十遍，重點線條畫得花花綠綠。但是考試一過，課本論斤賣，也不管他後宮佳麗究竟有幾千了。 這樣一想，基督徒對聖經的推崇備至真是不可思議。不論是三年兩約走一回，或是一年兩約讀三遍，總沒有將聖經打包拍賣的一天。究竟是什麼力量，吸引基督徒一再回到聖經裡？ 說了你可能不信，基督徒讀聖經，比較像是在玩Wii。你看他們津津有味地一讀再讀，就像是玩Wii的人在螢幕前手舞足蹈。你以為他們是傻子，其實是因為你看不見他們所見的美好異象。為了實現眼前的願景，他們一次次用心靈、用頭腦，回返聖經世界。而每個遊戲前的基本動作指導，則像是各式各樣的操練：獨處、靜默、禁食、服事、禱告、順服……，都幫助他們在身體、意志、心靈、品格各方面，得到過關斬將的力量。 好消息是，北美靈修大師傅士德，在本書提出一種「以馬內利讀經法」，帶領我們進入神與人同在的3D聖經世界：默想馬利亞領受童女懷孕的預告，我們操練敬畏與順服；看見彼得行在水面上，我們操練承擔的勇氣；看著約拿逃避神的呼召，我們操練悔改與憐憫；讀到大衛失腳，我們操練聖潔的品格。你會發現，讀經力量大，不在於得著呼風喚雨的能力，而是藉著種種操練，使我們在現實世界中，真正活出與神同在的生命！ --------------- Sydney Carter in 1967 Lord of the Dance is a hymn with words written by English songwriter Sydney Carter in 1967. He adapted the tune from the American Shaker song "Simple Gifts". The hymn is widely performed in English-speaking congregations and assemblies. It follows the idea of a traditional English carol, "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day" which tells the gospel story in the first person voice of Jesus of Nazareth and originates the device of portraying Jesus' life and mission as a dance. Carter's lyrics show a liveliness and wry humour in his adaptation of the theme which is not present in "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day". I danced on the sabbath when I cured the lame, The holy people said it was a shame; They whipped and they stripped and they hung me high; And they left me there on a cross to die. Some have expressed the view that this stanza should be altered. For example, an article in a Quaker publication[3] stated that although "Lord of the Dance" is "one of our most popular and widely sung" modern hymns, this particular stanza can be taken to be anti-Semitic, and "[e]ach time we sing this verse together we lend emotional power and the appearance of support for what is in fact a lie". However, a response in the same publication noted that while "the holy people" happened to be Jewish in the particular case of Jesus, a "larger and more meaningful interpretation" of the phrase is to identify it with "those who consider themselves the most righteous" at any time and place, and of any ethnicity. The hymn "has been taken up widely throughout the Christian Church".[4] 「Dance Your Shoes Off」（跳舞跳到脫掉鞋子） Founded upon the teachings of Ann Lee, Shakers today are mostly known for their cultural contributions (especially style of music and furniture). One such group was the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, commonly known as the Shakers, who arrived in America from England in 1774. Founded in 1747, in Manchester, England, from a group of dissenting Quakers, only a handful of Shakers came to North America in 1774. Once in America, the Shakers won many converts, and their faith spread to include roughly 6,000 members just before the Civil War. The Shakers were but one of many sects that found fertile soil in the North American continent to practice their beliefs and expand. Today, except for one active community in Sabbathday, Maine, the great Shaker villages are diminished, but the Shakers left an enduring impact on the religion and culture of the United States. The French Camisards, whose religious beliefs inspired both the Quakers and Shakers, originated in southern France during the 17th century. Influenced by the French Calvinists, the Camisards, whose name originated from the Provence word camiso, or chemise (shirt), rebelled against the royal persecution of their faith by the French authorities. ----- Tomorrow shall be my dancing day Tomorrow shall be my dancing day is an English carol usually attributed as 'traditional'; its first written appearance is in William B. Sandys' Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern of 1833. It is most well known in John Gardner's adaptation, but numerous other composers have made original settings of it or arranged the traditional tune, including Gustav Holst, David Willcocks, John Rutter, Ronald Corp and Andrew Carter. The first verse words are unrelated to the story of Jesus. It could be thought that the carol came from a folk song which was then adapted. The verses of the hymn progress through the story of Jesus told in his own voice. An innovative feature of the telling is that Jesus' life is repeatedly characterized as a dance. This device was later used in the modern hymn "Lord of the Dance". In two of the song's 11 verses, "the Jews" are specifically mentioned as Jesus' antagonists, in one verse going on to say that their antagonism was "because they loved darkness rather than light" (quoting words of Jesus, who was not specifically referring to Jews). See the articles on Antisemitism, Jewish deicide, and Antisemitism in passion plays for more discussion of these issues. 1. Tomorrow shall be my dancing day; I would my true love did so chance To see the legend of my play, To call my true love to my dance; Chorus Sing, oh! my love, oh! my love, my love, my love, This have I done for my true love1 2. Then was I born of a virgin pure,2 Of her I took fleshly substance Thus was I knit to man's nature To call my true love to my dance. Chorus 3. In a manger laid, and wrapped I was So very poor, this was my chance Betwixt an ox and a silly poor ass To call my true love to my dance. Chorus 4. Then afterwards baptized I was; The Holy Ghost on me did glance, My Father’s voice heard from above, To call my true love to my dance. Chorus 5. Into the desert I was led, Where I fasted without substance; The Devil bade me make stones my bread, To have me break my true love's dance. Chorus 6. The Jews on me they made great suit, And with me made great variance, Because they loved darkness rather than light, To call my true love to my dance. Chorus 7. For thirty pence Judas me sold,3 His covetousness for to advance: Mark whom I kiss, the same do hold! The same is he shall lead the dance. Chorus 8. Before Pilate the Jews me brought, Where Barabbas had deliverance; They scourged me and set me at nought, Judged me to die to lead the dance. Chorus 9. Then on the cross4 hanged I was, Where a spear my heart did glance; There issued forth both water and blood, To call my true love to my dance. Chorus 10. Then down to hell I took my way For my true love's deliverance, And rose again on the third day, Up to my true love and the dance. Chorus 11. Then up to heaven I did ascend, Where now I dwell in sure substance On the right hand of God, that man May come unto the general dance. Chorus 1. Alternate Chorus: Sing O my love, O my love This have I done for my true love. 2. Or: I born of a virgin pure. Return 3. Sandys' Note: "According to one of the Apocryphal Gospels (1 Infancy, 14) when Judas was a child our Saviour expelled a devil from him, he having previously struck Jesus on the right side and endeavoured to bite him." Return 4. Sandys' Note: "In "Mount Cavalry," an old Cornish poem, published by Mr. D. Gilbert, it is related that the cross was made from the wood of the tree whence the apple sprang that caused Adam to sin. Another tradition is, that Seth went to the Cherub that Kept Paradise, and received three grains from the Tree of Life. From these he made an oil wherewith Adam was anointed, and the stones were put into his mouth. A tree afterwards sprang up which was subsequently converted into the holy cross. At the time of building the Temple the builder endeavoured to adapt it, but he could not in any way make it suit its purpose, and it remained there for some time unapplied; and afterwards in the pool of Bethesda. After the death of our Saviour great virtues were attributed to the wood of the cross, and fragments of it were eagerly sought for. "A curious story on the subject is related in Harl. MSS. 2252. (temp. Hen. VIII.) intitled, "A grete Myracle of a Knyghte callyde Syr Roger Wallysborow." This knight being in the Holy Land, wished to bring off privily a piece of the cross; he prayed to that effect, when his thigh opened miraculously and received it. He returned to Cornwall, his native country, having in the course of the voyage through virtue of the cross appeased the elements and prevented shipwreck. On his arrival his thigh again opened to let out the fragment of the cross. He gave part to the parish church where this happened, thence called Cross Parish, and the remainder to St. Buryan, where his lands were. "The names of the two thieves were said to have been Titus and Dumachus, (1 Infancy, chap. viii.v.3.) of whom the former prevented the latter from robbing Joseph and Mary on their journey to Egypt with Jesus, who then foretold to his mother that they should thirty years afterwards be crucified with him, and that Titus should go to Paradise." ---------- the distinguishing feature with the Shakers is they embraced celibacy, and therefore did not marry and have children, hence any new members were converts, and among young people they were few and far between. Other than that, they seemed to be theologically close to the Quakers and Mennonites of the time.