The Big Dance

The Children's Minsitry Director asked the children yesterday, if they knew what was special about next Sunday. (Answer...Palm Sunday...)

Before someone came up with the right answer, my seven year old son Joshua leaned over to his mom with that knowing grin and whispered..."Selection Sunday..."

Actually, yesterday was "Selection Sunday"!
Selection Sunday is when 68 Teams are invited to play in the NCAA Divsion I Men's National Basketball tournament. All 68 teams will be vying for the elusive and exclusive title of National Champion. Some teams receive "automatic bids" by winning their respective Conference Championship. The rest of the field is invited to what is called "The Big Dance."

Let what has become known as "March Madness" begin! Behind Christmas and Easter, this is my favorite season of the year!

My alma mater, Davidson College has had their ticket punched to The Big Dance for the second year in a row. March Madness is three weekends filled with some of the greatest basketball of the year.

Terms like Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight, Final Four and the Road to Atlanta will dominate the tournament landscape.
Upsets and Cinderella teams who will wear the glass slipper for a game or two highlight each tournament. Millions of people fill out the Tournament Brackets predicting who will win. Big money is at stake. Who will become the 2012-2013 National Champion? It's anyone's guess as this has become a national obsession. Follow along with the tournament and tune in on Monday, April 8th to see who will wear the crown.

My iWitness...

The Big Dance of the Christian life is the heavenly kingdom.

We are confused if we think that the Big Dance of the Christian life is simply a place out there, somewhere filled with angels on clouds playing the harp while people lounge around in white robes.

Yes, the heavenly kingdom awaits all those that trust in Jesus. Yes, heaven is a destination resort in the afterlife where all the saints reside in a great cloud of witnesses. Yes, heaven is that place where we wear the crown of righteousness and worship God who sits on the throne of His kingdom. Yes, heaven is the place of perfection, peace and purity.

And Yes! The heavenly kingdom starts in the right here and now. The Big Dance plays out on the court of real life with real people dealing with real issues. The Big Dance is filled with terms like Grace, Forgiveness, Service, Suffering, Faith, Abundant Life, Mercy, Fellowship, Church, Scripture and Love. The Big Dance is going on right now. Are you dancing?

The good news of The Big Dance is that your ticket has already been punched by the one who lovingly and purposefully sacrificed himself on the cross for us, only to be raised three days later in incredible glory and now sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty.

The good news of The Big Dance is that the ticket has been punched and guess what?

"You're invited..."

Let's dance!!!

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!

"And David danced before the Lord with all his might." (2 Samuel 6. 14)