This past weekend I took a small group of youth and adults from FBC Tucker to Disney World for the Faith in 3d conference. Yes, we got to spend 3 days park-hopping, but we also spent those days fellowshiping and worshipping with 1500 youth and adults. The theme of the weekend was "Imagine, Create, Animate."

Saturday night's worship proclaimer was Mark Yaconelli.

Mark is a giant in the world of youth ministers and I have grown to really admire his teaching methods and his ability to tell stories and connect through preaching. (I strongly recommend hisbook Contemplative Youth Ministry ----> you should buy it)

One thing he said this weekend was so simple, yet so profound.

"Christianity is not about beliefs and doing good, it's about being alive, being able to dance and being able to mourn"

Now, of course, Christianity is by definition a religion that is structured in what followers of Jesus believe and do. But, that is not what I wish to discuss in this post.

Christianity is about being alive. Jesus came to give us life. This life should be full of dancing and mourning as Mark suggests. Today at FBCT we had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Nancy deClaissé–Walford, one of my professors at McAfee. She is leading our "Lunch on Main" Bible study for 3 weeks and teaching us about the Psalms. Today we talked about Psalms of Lament and focused on Psalm 13.

To the leader. A Psalm of David.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me for ever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long? How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?

Consider and answer me, O Lord my God! Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death, 4 and my enemy will say, ‘I have prevailed’; my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.

But I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.

I agree with Dr. deClaissé–Walford who said "we (the Church) have forgetten how to lament." There are more Psalms of lament than Psalms of praise, so lamenting must be important.

This Psalm begins with a cry to God--"how long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?" We have all felt this cry deep within us, but are often afraid to speak these words to God. We mourn deep within and we fill as though God is far away and does not care about our situation. The Pslamist gives us freedom to mourn, freedom to lament, freedom to say "GOD, WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Yet, Psalm 13 ends recognizing that God is eternally faithful and God hears our cries. "my hear shall rejoice"--my heart shall DANCE--"in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me."

Be ALIVE. Dance. Laugh. Sing. Mourn. Weep. Lament.

Cry out to God, yet rest in God's tender mercy, amazing grace, and unfailing love.

I will dance and I will mourn, because God became alive in Jesus Christ and lives in me through the Holy Spirit.

I am alive. I will dance and I will mourn.