I grew up dancing ballet. As a minister, I’ve incorporated teaching ballet in congregations I’ve served, while continuing to perform with a community dance company. And when you’re a ballet dancer, late summer marks the beginning of something: Nutcracker rehearsals.
Midmonth, our director casts the show and begins distributing extensive notation for each dance, from the Dewdrop Fairy to the mouse corps. French terms, musical counts, and intricate stick drawings and configurations fill those pages. Until the first weekend in December, when we perform, the flat words on the page will serve as a map for the movement to follow.
In Matthew 16, I imagine a similar distribution process: Jesus hands out God’s redemption choreography to the disciples. After Peter’s impetuous confession that Jesus is the Messiah, perhaps Jesus thinks they are prepared for the challenge of this new dance.
