Dancing The Perichorisis

I’m not proud of it, but it’s true. From time to time I would sneak a glance at the television while my wife and daughters were watching Dancing with the Stars. I was most curious about Hines Ward, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Pro-Bowl wide receiver. “If Hines can do this, I’m certain I can as well,” I would tell myself. I would think that thought in the same way I still believe I can run receiver patterns and catch touchdowns in the NFL. I still believe I could realize the NFL dream . . . if I so chose. I still believe I can dance well . . . if I so desired. So . . . if you dared to ask . . . “yes” . . . I think I can dance!

In my ministry context dance floors are becoming a regular feature at wedding receptions. Often I lurk in the corner to monitor the floor for that individual with absolutely no sense of rhythm or fluid movement. My early research suggests there is at least one at every wedding! I realize not everyone can dance.

My youngest daughter’s Saint Patrick’s Day birthday reminds me annually of one attempt to grasp the doctrine of the Trinity – the three-in-one shamrock (It also gives us Shamrock shakes, but that’s another blog!). No doubt this image falls far short of articulating the mystery of the Trinity. Nevertheless the Church continues to employ images to get at the mystery known as the Holy Trinity. Dance is one of those images. This divine dance is called The Perichoresis. Broken down one discovers the compound nature of the Greek word (peri around/ choreo choreography). This was a way of imagining each person of the Trinitarian Godhead entwining with the others. It’s a moving metaphor!

Recently I attended my daughters’ dance recital. There I was reminded that a choreographed dance is made up of many different parts. Fluid motions of the individual dancers entwined with one another and in sync with the music creates the dance. As I watched I realized why the church finds dance a useful description for the Trinitarian nature of God.

So what does the doctrine of the Trinity have to do with ministry today? Perichoresis may be a fun word to say, but how is it helpful? When Jesus commanded his disciples to go, make disciples in the nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, he invited his disciples to dance The Perichoresis. The message of the Great Commission seems to be this: being enveloped in a new identity (see the Beatitudes) we are pushed onto the dance floor to choreograph around the world to the glory of God and to teach others the divine dance.

My elementary conclusion is that the Gospel of Matthew is a Dance Manual. The Beatitudes, found at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, include statements in the indicative. These indicative statements proclaim Good News: through the death and resurrection of Jesus this is who I’ve made you to be. Or, better put, “as you are entwined in me, this is who you now are.”

The remainder of the Sermon on the Mount as well as the rest of the Gospel introduces the dance moves of the inbreaking Kingdom of God. Responding to the grace of God and with God as the lead partner, we learn how to dance around the world to the glory of God:

You have heard it said . . . but I say to you
No one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24)
Enter through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13)
Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24-27)
If another members sins against you, go and be reconciled. (Matthew 18:15ff)
Go, sell your possession and give the money to the poor (Matthew 19:21ff)

As we grow in grace the dance moves become more syncopated and challenging (Matthew 25):

I was hungry and you fed me
I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink
I was a stranger and you welcomed me
I was naked and you gave me clothes
I was sick and you took me in
I was in prison and you visited me

So, go ahead and ask me: “Do you think you can dance?” Only as my life is caught up in God’s life! And the same is true for you! If the Church of the Nazarene is going to nurture “Christlike disciples in the nations,” she better learn to dance The Perichorisis!

Dancing The Perichorisis

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	Associate Professor of Practical Theology and Pastor of the Quincy, MA Bethel Church of the Nazarene jeffrey.barker@enc.edu « Reflecting on “Making Christlike Disciples in the Nations” Holiness and the Nazarene Imagination » Dancing The Perichorisis Jul 11 0 Tweet I’m not proud of it, but it’s true. From time to time I would sneak a glance at the television while my wife and daughters were watching Dancing with the Stars. I was most curious about Hines Ward, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Pro-Bowl wide receiver. “If Hines can do this, I’m certain I can as well,” I would tell myself. I would think that thought in the same way I still believe I can run receiver patterns and catch touchdowns in the NFL. I still believe I could realize the NFL dream . . . if I so chose. I still believe I can dance well . . . if I so desired. So . . . if you dared to ask . . . “yes” . . . I think I can dance! In my ministry context dance floors are becoming a regular feature at wedding receptions. Often I lurk in the corner to monitor the floor for that individual with absolutely no sense of rhythm or fluid movement. My early research suggests there is at least one at every wedding! I realize not everyone can dance. My youngest daughter’s Saint Patrick’s Day birthday reminds me annually of one attempt to grasp the doctrine of the Trinity – the three-in-one shamrock (It also gives us Shamrock shakes, but that’s another blog!). No doubt this image falls far short of articulating the mystery of the Trinity. Nevertheless the Church continues to employ images to get at the mystery known as the Holy Trinity. Dance is one of those images. This divine dance is called The Perichoresis. Broken down one discovers the compound nature of the Greek word (peri around/ choreo choreography). This was a way of imagining each person of the Trinitarian Godhead entwining with the others. It’s a moving metaphor! Recently I attended my daughters’ dance recital. There I was reminded that a choreographed dance is made up of many different parts. Fluid motions of the individual dancers entwined with one another and in sync with the music creates the dance. As I watched I realized why the church finds dance a useful description for the Trinitarian nature of God. So what does the doctrine of the Trinity have to do with ministry today? Perichoresis may be a fun word to say, but how is it helpful? When Jesus commanded his disciples to go, make disciples in the nations, and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, he invited his disciples to dance The Perichoresis. The message of the Great Commission seems to be this: being enveloped in a new identity (see the Beatitudes) we are pushed onto the dance floor to choreograph around the world to the glory of God and to teach others the divine dance. My elementary conclusion is that the Gospel of Matthew is a Dance Manual. The Beatitudes, found at the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, include statements in the indicative. These indicative statements proclaim Good News: through the death and resurrection of Jesus this is who I’ve made you to be. Or, better put, “as you are entwined in me, this is who you now are.” The remainder of the Sermon on the Mount as well as the rest of the Gospel introduces the dance moves of the inbreaking Kingdom of God. Responding to the grace of God and with God as the lead partner, we learn how to dance around the world to the glory of God: You have heard it said . . . but I say to you No one can serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) Enter through the narrow gate (Matthew 7:13) Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me (Matthew 16:24-27) If another members sins against you, go and be reconciled. (Matthew 18:15ff) Go, sell your possession and give the money to the poor (Matthew 19:21ff) As we grow in grace the dance moves become more syncopated and challenging (Matthew 25): I was hungry and you fed me I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink I was a stranger and you welcomed me I was naked and you gave me clothes I was sick and you took me in I was in prison and you visited me So, go ahead and ask me: “Do you think you can dance?” Only as my life is caught up in God’s life! And the same is true for you! If the Church of the Nazarene is going to nurture “Christlike disciples in the nations,” she better learn to dance The Perichorisis! Print PDF E-mail BOOKMARK Untagged « Reflecting on “Making Christlike Disciples in the Nations” Holiness and the Nazarene Imagination » Comments Trackbacks Author About the author Jeff Barker http:// Trackback Trackback URL for this blog entry Comments Please login first to submit your comment


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