The Dance of the Bridegroom
by Christopher J Patton
What dance is this, that you've done for me?
Emptied from heaven to set me free?
His eyes laughed with love, though sore from weeping;
His music awoke me from the death of sleeping.
Yeshua birthed Meshiach, His name was proclaimed
Risen ben Elyon, by His own death disdained
In favor of my life, your life, yes ours...
Once worthless, now valued beyond suffered hours.
Such suffering, yes, beyond comprehension
Because He needn't embraced crucifixion.
All power was His without our salvation,
All wisdom and love in eternal creation.
But, because who He is, was, and will be,
There never is, was, nor will be, another choice could be.
Into His image my self I unfold
A soul to the Devil that once had been sold:
Sold from my birth giving thanks to one Adam,
Sold in a life consumed by pursuit of death's lust,
Fled dead from the start, good torn from my heart
Bound in fear until trust
Triumphed my fears, sins and a self that's now slain, a chosen communion
This supper I suffer, daily I die, once alone but now with Him won
By the One who comes for me, even adores me, this second called Adam,
This risen creation of image and likeness reborn from above
For my promised creation formed jointly in love.
Though knitted in trial knots, so tough to unlearn
Tie them righteous, I will, rather than burn.
And so He dances for me, alone it doth seem,
So perfect His focus on my hidden gleam,
Spiritual gold refined in love's fire -
The kind of light bold that stokes His desire.
Placed from above, God's presence within me
Peace, joy, and love - a new birthed eternity.
Never more shall I die, though flesh suffer ruin
From old sins and new, or some persecution.
His glory I seek, be holy, I choose
To others it seems I've chosen to lose:
Freedom and comfort, goodness and wealth
Suffered loss gladly for endless soul health.
Stumbling my efforts prefect His grace,
As we dance now apart, at a distance, in pace.
Whirling He breaks the circle of time, leaping for joy -
Lo, He calls......He shouts, "Now, arise and be mine!"
Awake, I answer veil lifted, "What's this? Now? Oh, YES!"
While entering bliss.
Abandoned in joy, triumphant in conquest
Face-to-face my Promised possesses His dearest.
Close to His breast we dance glory together,
Now led, hand in hand, embraced thus forever!
With clouds in our hair and stars in our eyes
Perfect love now burns out the formerly lived lies.
I know nothing at all but His dance of pure being
Once trusted, believed, though then yet, unseeing -
Then, when I waited...
Anxious, imperfect.
In hope,
Now blessed
Forever.
(May 24, 2001)
