Daily Devotion – June 25, 2021 – The Rev. Meg Sander

Psalm 30 (NRSV)

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.

O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.

O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name.

For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

As for me, I said in my prosperity, “I shall never be moved.”

By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain; you hid your face; I was dismayed.

To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication:

“What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?

Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper!”

You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

so that my soul may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

Devotion

I love chaperoning middle school dances, because I love to dance, and it brings me joy to see the kids having fun and laughing… mostly at me. It was hard to get together with the pandemic, but we created dances on Zoom and I danced outside the kids houses. I’m just glad they didn’t call the police. I was blessed that the kids let me into their lives and shared their hurts and pains with me. They were being bullied and judged and felt like they didn’t matter. It made me sad that they had to go through being pushed out and pushed away. I couldn’t do any of the latest dances, but the kids lit up when we made up our own dances, like “the garbage truck,” and “the salt shaker.” It turned into dance charades and the popular kids joined us too—a community of misfits who fit in at God’s dance party.

Prayer

Loving God, you lift up our souls and clothe us with joy. Help us to sing and dance your praises forever. Amen.

Meg Sander ’89 M.Div.
Semi-retired; Pastor, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Wells, MN.