SimplyChurch

Doing the Happy Dance Quebec launched the country’s first provincial lottery in 1970. The 1982 roll-out of Lotto 6/49 with its “Just imagine” slogan made the lottery a national pipe dream; the 2009 arrival of the $50-million jackpot Lotto Max, which admonishes Canadians to “Live your dreams to the max!” serves to further stoke the frenzy. Not that lotteries are marketed as high-stakes gambling: they’re wholesome fun to be celebrated by a “happy dance.” – an euphoria that is expressed with people dancing wildly in joyous celebration. The happy dance isn’t a new thing. In my childhood days, it was Snoopy who first did the happy dance. Later on, Calvin and Hobbes showed their excitement in their version of the happy dance. And more recently, Mumble, a little Emperor penguin who had a horrible singing voice and couldn’t find his “Heartsong”, discovers his joy in life expressed through tap dancing. I’m not one for dancing. In fact, I am not one for expressing my emotions on my sleeve. My sister called me Mr. Spock while I was growing up. Not much excites me into a physical or emotional outburst. Roller coasters, buffets, sports cars, women, pets, money, etc. none of these things ever excites me. Do you want to know what excites me? Sunday mornings playing on the worship team, speaking the words of God, praying with one another, fellowshipping, celebrating, and mission trips to faraway places. My most exciting times are when I can celebrate the power of God at work with other people who too have been transformed by the power of God. I certainly have been blessed to hear about how God’s power has transformed the lives of people I have met, and even more, privileged to be part of God’s transformational power at work in this world. I hope that I might continue to bring more people and to share with more people a happy dance - not just at Simply Church on a Sunday morning but every day for a long long time.