dance

Embodied: I Wish You Would Dance

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I wish you would dance
As though you knew I loved you from the start.
As though I smiled with delight
As I imagined you into being.
Oh how I wish you would dance
As though you know that your whole being was intended
And your every movement was a celebration
Of your uniqueness and belovedness.
I wish you would dance
Like you caught a glimpse of how I see you.
How I always saw you
And it enlivened your soul and you could do nothing but dance.

Oh how I wish you to dance!

I wish you could feel this aching inside of me
This deep love I have for you
Which formed mountains, galaxies, and blood pulsing veins in you.
Which holds space in its vastness
And holds space in the heart of you.
I wish you could feel the aching I always had for you
Before you were you, yet still I knew you.
An aching that led us to that tree
Formed to bring suffering
Yet somehow transformed to bring life to the least of these.

Oh how I wish you to know…

Written by Rebecca Baxter
Picture found on pinterest, credit: Mary Southard
Originally appeared on The Sanctuary Prayer Space on Facebook.

Blessings of artistry, creativity, worship & BEaUty, Jody
Shine Brightly!

Jody Thomae © 2020 All Rights Reserved

_________________________

Book Front
God's Creative Gift by Jody Thomae

Jody Thomae is the author of God’s Creative Gift—Unleashing the Artist in You and The Creator’s Healing Power—Restoring the Broken to Beautiful, both in-depth, interactive devotional books that are part of the Bible Studies to Nurture the Creative Spirit Within series and serve as resources for creative Christians, artists, and lovers of beauty and worship. Jody has been involved in worship arts ministry since 1997, serving as worship arts ministry pastor, worship leader and creative arts director, and is a guest lecturer on creativity, embodiment, and spirituality with Healing Care Ministries. Her passion is for the revelation of God to be made more real through the prophetic use of the arts in church and the use of creativity and embodiment in formational and healing ministry. It is her desire to portray the message of Christ’s desperate and unfailing love for His people to help sustain the hearts of the broken and weary. She is particularly interested in the reclamation of the body in the healing of trauma and works in the area of embodiment with survivors of abuse, addiction, and trauma. Her life verse is Isaiah 50:4.

Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 27

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She’s a professional dancer… she’s a physicist!! Wait! Which is she? She’s both! Today’s Kintsugi of the Soul* features Merritt of the BBC show The Greatest Dancer. Check out this young woman’s determination and strength!

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Kintsugi of the Soul, edition 13

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Today’s edition of Kintsugi of the Soul features a profound TedTalk from performance artist Natalia Duong. She touches on mirror neurons, service to others, and the healing power of a listening community. A must-watch!

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Mirroring: You Know Me

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Attendees of Healing Care Ministries Spiritual Formation & the Art of Spiritual Direction Cohort often ask me for an outline of motions for a mirroring demonstration I do to the song “You Know Me” by Stephanie Gretzinger. I’ve been asked to videotape it but I hesitate because it is often a profound experience of the participant being felt and known by God. I feel videotaping is an intrusion of that experience. In the photos above you find me mirroring with my dear friend Sarah.

Mirroring is done to face-to-face and is most powerful with high levels of attunement and empathy from the “minister” to the one being ministered to under the power of the Holy Spirit working through you. It is often used in Dance/Movement Therapy but I have found it to be a powerful tool in spiritual direction and in teaching embodied prayer.

Crotched Mt Continue reading

Poem ‘She dances’ ~ Lilly Hope Lucario

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My next book is all about healing from trauma using the creative process. This poem is a perfect example of it. And it is…
So incredibly powerful… so trUly BEaUtiful….
From blogger Lilly Hope Lucario at
https://healingfromcomplextraumaandptsd.wordpress.com/

Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #253 — Heart of Courage

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Our last post of 2015!

 

Let me leave you with this message of courage as you walk the path God has placed before you for the year ahead.

“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,
    you may now dismiss your servant in peace.
For my eyes have seen your salvation,
    which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:
a light for revelation to the Gentiles,
    and the glory of your people Israel.”

The child’s father and mother marveled at what Simeon said about him. Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.” ~ Lk 2:29-35

Imagine hearing this blessing over your child and then those very last words. Just as Simeon is pouring out this wonderful worship of the infant Christ, he ends with this warning to Mary. Women of Ancient Israel longed to give birth to the promised Messiah, the One who would bring hope, healing and restoration to their nation. Yet few would understand the cost of this “gift.”

What gift has God entrusted to you? How will you work with God to bring it to fulfillment in your life? Will you press forward even when the road ahead gets tough? Even when your soul is pierced? Will you still say yes? Continue reading

Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #251 — Nativity Shadow Dance

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Screen Shot 2015-12-05 at 11.44.45 PMWe are nearing the end of our Create-A-Day 2015 posts. As we wind down, I want to leave you with a shadow dance to “O Magnum Mysterium” sung live for CHRISTmas Eve 2013 at Northland Church in Longwood, Florida. Such BEaUty!!

“O Magnum Mysterium” written & arranged by Morten Lauridsen

Original Text:
O magnum mysterium,
et admirabile sacramentum,
ut animalia viderent Dominum natum,
jacentem in praesepio!
Beata Virgo, cujus viscera
meruerunt portare
Dominum Christum. Alleluia. Continue reading

Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #227 — Benediction Dance

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As we have focused on Advent resources, let us keep our eyes fixed on Christ

Matt Durbin (c) 2010

Matt Durbin (c) 2010

If any of you want to walk My path, you’re going to have to deny yourself. You’ll have to take up your cross every day and follow Me. If you try to avoid danger and risk, then you’ll lose everything. If you let go of your life and risk all for My sake, then your life will be rescued, healed, made whole and full. Listen, what good does it do you if you gain everything—if the whole world is in your pocket—but then your own life slips through your fingers and is lost to you? Luke 9:23-25 The Voice

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Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #222 — Dance of the Trinity

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Won’t you join me on the dance floor today? This is going to take some artistic license and creative choreography, but I hope you will join me with open mind, heart and eyes.

When I first watched this dance to Luminus on So You Think You Can Dance (2015), I was immediately taken with what I saw as the image of the Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Three dancers dancing and creating together in unity and beauty. Let me describe what I see in this dance. You can follow along with the times throughout the video indicated.

To set the stage, Derek Piquette (left) represents God the Father, Gaby Diaz (middle) dances the Holy Spirit, and Moises Parra (floor) represents Christ. SYTYCD 2015 2From the very beginning of the dance, we see three persons from one God. The smoke creates an ethereal mist and the stars an image of space and time being created. Just as the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the earth so too do they (0:33) as the three work together to create all of earth and mankind. Then God steps forward as the Great I AM (0:35+), Father of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Next the Holy Spirit steps forward (0:42+) bringing artistry to the Tabernacle through the Spirit-filled artist Bezalel, the gifts of the Israelite people, and the worship of the Levites, revealing the beauty of God (0:49). Then as they dance in unison, we see them working together to demonstrate God’s faithfulness and sovereignty throughout the history of his people. Continue reading

Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #215 — Down to the River Dance

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Keone & Mari Madrid

Enjoy this remarkable piece by Keone & Mari Madrid, a husband and wife duo that loves to tell stories through dance and choreography. This piece is called Water.


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Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #191 — Books for Worship Dance

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jodythomae.comContinuing our focus on books for creatives, artists and worshipers, I want to look at a variety of books today all geared towards those in worship dance ministry or who use dance as a personal way of worship. There are many, many books for dance so I want to consolidate some of them here.

First, Lynn Hayden of Dancing for Him Ministries has a full variety of books and instructional DVDs. I featured her awhile back, and you can refer back to that post here.

Here is a list of several more books I recommend: Continue reading

Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #174 — Bring Your Praise Dance

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FBIt’s another Facebook Friday!!

Today’s group is Bring Your Praise Dance, administered by Prissy Cosme.

Here’s the group description:

We have created this group so we can all come together and share our best praise dances. Feel free to post any praise dance video groups. Please share any tips that will benefit for groups that are starting out. Those tips will be saved on this page for future reference.

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Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #162 — Dancing In Your Calling

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I love this inspiring story from the Dance Theatre of Harlem. It reminds me of the story of Gideon. While he was hiding from Israel’s enemies, threshing wheat on a winepress, the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” Gideon responds, “Pardon me, my lord, but if the Lord is with us, why has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonders that our ancestors told us about . . . But now the Lord has abandoned us and given us into the hand of Midian.”

The Lord turned to him and said, “Go in the strength you have and save Israel out of Midian’s hand. Am I not sending you?” Continue reading

Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #154 — 4ever Praise Dance Network

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FBFacebook Friday once again!!

Today’s group is 4ever Praise Dance Network…True Worshipers. Administered by worshiper, teacher & dancer Roxi Arthur, the group description reads: Continue reading

Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #147 — Imaginare Performing Arts Ministry

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Imaginare Performing Arts Ministry is a creative arts ministry based out of Puerto Rico and Florida that uses a combination of dance, acrobatics, aerial dance, and physical theater to portray the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Imaginare Arts 2“Anointed to impact this generation,” their performances are powerful and prophetic!

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Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #142 — Artists in Christian Testimony

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actinternational.org

actinternational.org

A.C.T. International (Arts in Christian Testimony Intl) is a remarkable organization helping artists take their witness to the world. Founded in 1973 by Byron Spradlin, the organization has artistic ministries in over 15 countries. According to their website: Continue reading

Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #134 — Christian Dance Facebook Groups

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FBIt’s another Facebook Friday! Let’s network together and make His praise glorious!

International Christian Dance Fellowship is an organization of Christian movers and dancers that exists to mobilize the movement arts in ministry and mission. It is an international networking and resource for people involved or interested in dance and movement expressing faith. Find out more at http://www.icdf.com/. They have two groups on Facebook:

International Christian Dance Fellowship (ICDF) – public

International Christian Dance Fellowship (ICDF) – private

ICDF

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Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #123 — Illustrate a Sermon Through Dance

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Mary & MarthaThis is a great example of an illustrated sermon. The story of Mary and Martha is told through dance. And dance alone. No lyrics, no words, no dialogue. Yet it beautifully illustrates the scripture passage found in Luke 10. Continue reading

Create-A-Day: your daily dose of creativity #118 — Disturb Us Lord

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Disturb us, Lord, when we are too well pleased with ourselves,
When our dreams have come true
Because we have dreamed too little,
When we arrived safely
Because we sailed too close to the shore. Continue reading