By David Valentine, co-founder of Rethink and partner/board member/practitioner of the Veritas Lifestyle and Veritas Life Adventures
“God… may he dance like a wild maniac tonight. Bring awesome dance partners to him, and may he party well. Amen."
Laughing my friend said, "I've never had anyone pray for me to dance like a maniac and party well!"
At the time I thought that was kind of funny and sad. The guy I was praying for is a Christian, and no one had ever prayed for him to have a ridiculous amount of fun. I often find people believe Jesus is stuffy, because church gatherings and "church" people for that matter are stuffy.
The Bible speaks of God as someone who throws big long knock down drag out parties. Feasts with food as far as the eye can see, delicious beverages, and crazy wild dancing.
Heaven, it seems, is a never-ending party!
I didn't want to go to heaven, because I thought it would be like church (man we really need to do something with our gatherings). My idea of heaven was a white washed never ending sing along about God, which is boring. In the book of Revelation we get a glimpse of what heaven will really be like—a wedding.
If you're like me you've been to fun weddings and dud weddings. There's been a consistent trend amongst the less than fun weddings I've attended: Two people just stood before an entire group of people and declared their love for one another, and everyone treated it like a funeral. No dancing, no party, it was a gathering with golf claps.
The weddings I don't want to end are those with unbelievable food, beverage, and of course dancing. I mean the kind of food you have to stop yourself from overeating. There is no shortage of drinks, and the dancing goes late into the night.
What we see in Revelation is the wedding feast takes place in a new earth. In this new earth the lamb sleeps next to the lion, and the baby plays near the cobra’s den. When God puts the whole world back together the party is going to take place here. This makes complete sense doesn’t it? We’ve all seen that sunset on the beach, or the view from the top of the mountain, or the crystal clear water, which leaves a real sense of awe.
The wedding venue is the whole earth. Renewed, restored, and as it should be.
If heaven is the manifestation of how things should be, perhaps we need to begin living out the way things should be now? Now what do you do at parties? You have fun. You enjoy the people’s company around you.
Parties are designed for your enjoyment.
This life, in all of its heartache, complexity, and broken state was made for your enjoyment.
A musician I love, Sleeping At Last, wrote this incredible chorus in one of his songs,
I couldn’t help but ask
For you to say it all again.
I tried to write it down
But I could never find a pen.
I’d give anything to hear
You say it one more time,
That the universe was made
Just to be seen by my eyes.
The universe was created to dazzle us.
Is this your view of God? The benevolent ever giving force who wants us to enjoy His creation?
If it's not, could your understanding of God be hijacked by a small tightwad version of a deity?
Jesus wants you to party well, because in the end we will party for eternity.
Which is something I'll gladly drink to.
