Dance, then, wherever you may be! Relate this OT story with the NT
story with the theme of dancing. David was dance for God's glory to
give worship. Herod's daughter was dancing to deceive, to gain fortune
and to play on Herod's sexual deviance. How can these two relate
together? When do we dance? Do we dance the dance of life or of death?
Padre DWB in Ontario
This scripture speaks to me about the way worship gets fixed. When the
ark of God came to rest in Jerusalem after its long journey from
Egypt, the focus of Israelite worship and theology made an adrupt
shift from tabernacle or pitching tent with God worship to a more
structured or institutionalized worship. When worship gets fixed in
the mind of the worshipper, one begins develop turf issues where
worship only feels right in familiar territory. Territory may only
involve one place of worship although it can be the territory of
denominational. Along with this, worshippers develop a very elitist
mentality. Ours is the only right way or we are the only ones going to
heaven. This maybe a good place to interject Jesus' comments made to
the woman at the well with regard to where one should worship. Maybe
King David would not have danced for joy if he could look down through
the ages to see how the leaders of temple worship would eventual treat
his Messiah descendent. TN Mack
This text reminded me of a sermon by a U.M.C. Bishop White, I believe
given at annual conference that year in Springfield? I am not UMC but
was impressed with a video of the sermon, "I Could Have Danced All
Night." He was actually preaching on a Psalm that referred to dancing,
but does anyone know where that sermon text might be? I'd just like to
read it again. Pastor G
I'm currently on study leave at Pendle Hill in Pa (a Quaker retreat
center). There are teens here too (not with me), and last night they
had a group called "Quaker Gansta" do a rap version of "Lord of the
Dance" (among other traditional hymns... including "In the Garden"
!!!). People got up and started dancing along and I thought that
George Fox would be rolling over in his grave. But I was impressed
that these teenagers were finding their own way to express their
faith, which was just as authentic as the traditional faith. David is
a good example to us.
DGinNYC
This text might actually scandalize my congregation!
I might do something I learned as a youth counselor at a youth retreat
years ago - you can do the Bunny Hop to "Lord of the Dance."
It's the first text I've read and I'm going to go with it and call it
"Shall We Dance?"
Oh, this is going to be fun!
Smart Blonde in GA
I'm calling my sermon "Bustin' a Move for God."
I am going to include the material the lectionary leaves out, reading
all of verses 6:1-9. That doesn't mean I'll try to cover everything in
my message.
The message seems to be that the Lord's blessing is upon those who
stay close to the Lord, who abide in the Lord -- and the Lord's
blessing is to be celebrated with worship and praise, including
singing and dancing.
This passage does a lot of things, me-thinks, covering verses 1-19: *
Establisheds the City of David as Israel's religious capital as well
as its political capital. * It depicts a great celebration in the form
of worship. Raisin cakes -- whoo-hoo! :-) * It tells me its hazardous
to offend (or give ofense to) the Lord. * It illustrates the power of
God's blessing(s).
This is my second week in a row on the OT and King David. We can't
really understand the life and times of Jesus apart from the life and
times of his ancestor, David, so hopefully it's worthwhile to remind
people about who he was and why he was so important to Israel.
Dave in West Ohio
It's
been a long while since I've posted to this site, but I've continued
reading posts here regularly, and they've often been quite helpful in
sermon prep. Here's a thought that's been running around in my head
this week. While I was reading this passage (and the Gospel, in
juxtaposition), a line kept coming into my mind from "The Lobster's
Quadrille," the song sung by the Mock Turtle in Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland-- "Will you, won't you, will you, won't you, will you,
won't you join the dance?"
God invites us to dance. Sometimes, we accept, and we dance like we've
never danced before (witness David's cavorting in front of the Ark).
Other times, we decide that we'd rather dance to our own beat, thank
you very much, and we go off in another direction (ala Herodias'
daughter). "Will you, won't you, join the dance?" Or, to put it
another way, from the wonderful Roger's and Hammerstein hit, "The King
and I," 'Shall we dance?' Our congregation is in the midst of
discerning God's plan for our future, so I think that this Sunday's
challenge will be to ask ourselves, "Shall we dance?" Or, whose side
are you dancing on? Will you, won't you. . .
macdonde (in exile in Newcastle upon Tyne)
On further study, there's much more going on than meets the eye in
this text. I've ended up with more questions than answers.
Why did Michal look at David with contempt? She saw him dancing, but
why was that contemptible in her eyes? Scripture doesn't say. A
scriptural mystery?
Next, that he was girded with a linen ephod suggests that he was
dancing ritualistically. I don't know if it's as ritualistic as, say,
the Shakers, where the steps are all choreographed and that particular
dance is what they do every week, or if his dance resembled an African
or Native American or Polynesian religious ritual .. or, if he was
just free-styling it, dancig with abandon.
Also: does anyone else draw a parallel between v. 19 and the feeding
of the multitudes in the gospels? The ark is with them, having been
out of their presence and kept from them, and now the presence of God
is among them and food is distributed among all hte people. Likewise,
when Jesus comes, the word made flesh, he feeds people with a miracle
of fish and bread. Too far a stretch?
Also, I'd like any suggestions on incorporating some words of
assurance for our congregation who just lost a dear member to cancer
this week. The grief in this declining church is very real.
Sally in GA
Dear Sally in GA and other DPSers - I am new to this site and new to
preaching. This will be my first time on the other side of the pulpit,
so send up a prayer for me. Sally, you mentioned the grief in your
congregation and I want to suggest that you take a look at the Mark 6:
14-29 text. It's about John's death, but it comes in the midst of some
wonderful text about miracles, healing and feeding the multitudes.
God's power abounds in the midst of tragedy.
As for Michal, if you read the version of this in 1 Chronicles 13 (?)
I think you will get more clarity. It seems that David may have worn
the over garment (the ephod), which is described much like an "apron"
of sorts, without anything else. He is exposing himself (literally)
for the world, with out care. I am trying to point out David's
transformation from one in King's robes at the beginning of the
celebration and where he ends up, praising God in a priest's robe (a
servant's role)at the end. I see it as a challenge to let our light
shine as Jesus did. Hillary, NJ
Sally in GA, As I have briefly studied this passage, a large part of
her despise probably came from the reality that the line to the throne
has forever shifted from Saul's descendants to David's. This dynamic
maybe the major reason people from an older generation often despise
contemporary worship. So it goes with anything that breaks with
tradition. Yet, God has the final say. Worship styles may change, but
God chooses to bless many different style in different circumstances.
Once God withdraws the Holy Spirit from one and places it on another,
worship gets fixed until God chooses to unsettle that which gets fixed
even that which seems to be set in stone. TN Mack
Greetings, colleagues! Thanks for all of your wonderful comments. Wish
you had been there during some of those post-Easter Sundays when I was
verging on desperate and there were few postings. I'm linking the
Mark, the Amos and the Samuel for a kind of brooding sermon about
being hated for faith. The main gist is how God can call us to do
things that will cause us to be despised by those who disagree. I've
had some life experiences on this one from doing AIDS ministry and
ministry to the mentally ill. I think I'm calling it something like,
"But God told me to!" Main problem with this sermon so far is how to
address the issue of false prophets and those who do harm in the name
of the Prince of Peace. Thanks for all the great ideas so I can
abandon this if need be and talk about dance! Red-Headed Rev. in
Redneck VA
Someone once said that statistics are like bikinis- what they reveal
is interesting, what they conceal is vital... I feel the same way
about this reading. There's lots of great stuff in the dancing, and
Michal and all that...
But there's something important here, too, about Uzzah being struck
down, and David being angry and afraid, and leaving the ark with
Obed-edom out of fear. The dance seems, in part, a reconciliation. Is
David dancing in acknowledgement that this God who is vast and
frightening and does things we don't understand is still worth dancing
for?
There's also an intriguing connection between the city of Baal-perazim
(5:19-20) where God burst forth on David's behalf against the
Philistines, and Perez-uzzah where God burst forth against Uzzah. One
named in celebration, one named in fear and anger. Both because God
burst out. God bursts out- and we can dance about that, or not.
I am reminded also of the Beaver's description of Aslan- "If there's
anyone who can appear before Aslan without their knees knocking,
they're either braver than most or else just silly... Safe?... Who
said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's
the King."
Sometimes dancing is a good way of keeping your knees from knocking,
too.
Or am I just being unnecessarily negative because it's raining?
nay-oh-mee
I often read this site and get valuable insights, but rarely post. i
want to offer a different twist on the Michal story. there is a great
deal of talk about her not being blessed and the switch from the
Saulide line to the Davidic line but ...
What if she was speaking as a prophet to David. And she, like J Bap,
was persecuted for it. The Torah states that it is a sin to show
oneself in public, but yet here is David, the leader, ruler and King,
strutting his stuff and "letting it all hang out." She loved him once
(1 Sam.), but she sees what power has done and how it corrupts. Is he
doing this out of respect for God or political gain?
On another note,I am titling this sermon, Baila con Dios. The Spanish
use this term - dance with God. I'm thinking about starting this
sermon from the back of the sanctuary and just dancing my way up to
the pulpit, using only the music in my head.
Jen in PA
I think Michal is pivital in this text. First she is not described as
David's spouse, but rather as Saul's daughter. Love is not mentioned
but rather "she despised him in her heart." If we were to continue in
Michal's history, we would learn that from this time forward she had
no more children. We reap what we sew. We can dance in love and
service to the Lord or we can stew and hate with the leadership of
satan. Are we willing to dance? What dance are we dancing and where is
our heart? This is an excellent passage to re-vision our worship to
God. Do we worship for God or for ourselves? Dale in Michigan
or did David cut her off, because he could not hear her speaking the
truth to him. The NIB has an interesting commentary on how David uses
this entrance for his political advantages. Can Michal see that and it
costs her a child?
The OT and Gospel lessons seem to be inviting some kind of reflections
on what it means to have a body. David allows his body to be an
instrument of praise in worship of God, and Michal is scandalized by
it, echoing many others in centuries sense. Our Jewish roots lead us
to value the body as a good gift of God, and the sexuality that is
wired into our bodies. The Gospel lesson, in contrast, shows what
happens when the body becomes itself an object of worship. The dance
of Herod's daughter in law leads him to lose all perspective as he is
overcome by her sexual charms. There is much in our culture that seems
to echo this story, the distortion in which sex is used to sell just
about anything. As Christians we are called to find a God-grateful
appreciation of body and sexuality, that does not idolize the body,
but doesn't run from it either. St. Francis, aware of the dangers of
the passions of the body to lead astray, completely abused his body,
only to repent of his treatment of "brother body" as he lay dying from
years of body neglect. Christians often seem a disembodied lot; afraid
of our sensuality. David calls us back to inhabiting our body as a
means of giving God praise. I'm not sure of the connection of
Ephesians other than its thrice repeated affirmation that we are to be
the praise of God. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul,
strenght and mind. The whole package. Jeff, NJ
Perhaps the connection between 2 Samuel and Ephesians is that we have
much reason for praise: we have been chosen to be holy and blameless
in his sight; the Gentiles were predestined to be adopted as God's
children through Jesus Christ; through Christ, we have redemption and
forgiveness of our sins; God made known to us the mysteries of his
will, etc. Need I say more. So why shouldn't we dance as King David
did? We have so much for which to sing and dance and give praise.
David had reason to dance. Michal was deaf to the Lord, therefore, she
had no reason to dance and was blind to David's reason for
celebration. Maybe she was jealous? Point the finger at someone for
doing something different in an attempt to worship God and it covers
up your feelings of unworthiness, maybe covers up your guilt for your
own sins. In his joy and celebration, David let his inhibitions down.
He stripped himself of all that separated him from total worship of
his God. Maybe we need to examine our own inhibitions and do a little
"stripping" ourselves. What keeps us from being in total submission to
God? What prevents us from worshipping God completely? What fears keep
our witness silent before the masses? Things to think about.
Rev. Cheryl Stratton Pastor, Tyner UMC Tyner, IN
Sally in GA--
I don't know if this is helpful at all, but something about the
physical presence of the ark is comforting to me. Certainly it's not
just comforting--people who touch it get zapped, etc. But the thought
of God with us in that very powerful way may be something to hang on
to. And of course there's the image of the faithful dancing in
response, in this life and the next. My prayers are for you and your
congregation in your grief.
Laura in S. Texas
Hey,
I'd like to just compliment you all on some of the finest
contributions I've ever read on a DPS lectionary board. Really good
stuff here on the 2 Samuel passage, digging into it in any number of
excellent and thought-provoking ways. I want to welcome Hillary in NJ
to the board and to this side of the pulpit, and I'm sure we all join
in asking God's blessing upon you as you make your "debut" this
weekend. Trust the Spirit's leading. I also thought your suggestion to
Sally in Ga. for dealing with the grief issue through the Gospel
lection was an incisive idea for linking text and circumstances.
Finally, to Red-Headed Rev. in Redneck VA, as the father of a
23-year-old son who is disabled with paranoid schizophrenia, I just
want to say thank you for your ministry to and with the mentally ill.
God bless you!
dave k. / west ohio
nay-oh-=mee - I don't think you're being too negative; the so-called
"negativity" is what the bikini (as someone else suggested) is
concealing.
I don't think we're doing justice to the text by trying to guess
what's going on in Michal's mind. Scripture doesn't specifically say
why she despised David.
I'm thinking metaphorically (and if anyone is still here on a
Saturday, I'd appreciate input). The ephod, or apron, is a ritualistic
garment used in worship, and he is naked beneath it. I'm thinking in
terms of "baring our souls" before God.
I also don't think this text is exclusively about changing worship
styles, though there does seem to be an element of that. Without
knowing what's really going on in Michal's head, we can't presume that
she's despising David because of his dancing, and therefore can't turn
her into a personification of all "traditional" worshipers.
Such is my difficulty with the text. There's more than meets the eye,
as any bikini-wearer demonstrates.
The words to "I hope you dance" come to mind. I hate that schmaltzy
song, but the words ring true; the hope that we never lose our sense
of wonder, as David is showing before the Lord. Dancing with all his
might, whether for atonement, reconciliation, or pure joy, the dance
is one of worship and is "with all his might."
Sally in GA
Sally in GA Yes. there are a few of us out here working on Sunday's
message on the day before. I have just moved into a new parish and
have little time during the week to really focus on the message so . .
.
I, too am working on the idea of dance being a perfectly appropriate
way of praising God. Though not traditionally held as appropriate in
our Methodist back ground, it is in our heiratage going back into the
Hebrew scriptures as this Sunday's text shows and as we remember such
passages as Miriam dancing in thanksgiving and praise at the safe
crossing of the sea.
As far as Michal's reaction, while there is a wonderful tradition in
the Jewish traditions of thinking about the scriptures and seeing
where that leads, expanding on them etc, (though I can't come up with
the proper term for it right now of course) how much of that can we
put in a sermon? I don't have the answer other than we do need to be
careful about setting our own ideals into that situation and then
calling it God's words.
just a few thoughts on this Saturday morning before I head off to
another "getting-to-know-the-new-pasor" gathering.
Blessings on all of your Saturday and or Sunday worship times and on
your ministries.
Shalom Nancy in NE
P.S. please excuse the spelling, there is a reason I was not called to
be a secretary. (-:
I'm stuck, stuck, stuck.
Maybe the best way is to go with what I've been struggling with - and
that is to know what's going on in Michal's mind. It seems that her
despising David, and preventing an heir, is pretty crucial to the
message - but WHY???? Why is she despising him? I mean, she alters the
whole salvation story!!!
And the text doesn't tell us whether David knew Michal despised him
(though, I suppose he figured it out after sleeping on the couch).
Still, the dancing and the shouting and the music goes on, rejoicing
in the safe arrival of the ark - and the people are fed, the multitude
of Israel.]
Sally
I recall my younger daughter's first baby cereal. With her, the
pediatricians were recommending to feed your baby only breast milk or
formula for an entire six months. Well, my little one was hungry, and
I gave in to her fussing when she was a little over 5 months old. I
couldn't hold out, and I was nursing her constantly!
Well, at her first bite of cereal mixed with milk, that little baby
cheered! Wiggled in her seat and cheered! as if to say, "Finally!
Something to eat around here."
What if the word of God were taken from us and we couldn't go to the
corner bookstore to buy a new Bible? What if we were hungry, and food
was kept from us? Wouldn't we cheer and rejoice at its return?
In a day and age of plenty, it's hard to put ourselves in the shoes of
the millions of people literally starving for food, and starving for
God's presence. What if the metaphorical ark were taken from us - and,
metaphorically speaking, aren't we guilty of removing it from our own
presence? When we return to the Lord, there is joy and abandon.
Still smart, still, blonde, still Sally in GA
Boy, am I eating my words! I was trying to stop at v. 19, and I think
I'm going to expand the reading through v. 23. I'd read my
interpreter's earlier, but I guess I got sidetracked and stuck without
my resources.
Sorry to all
Blushingly yours, Sally
probably no-one is writing their sermon this late, but i can only
write mine under pressure! I found an interesting quote from Sydney
Carter on his Lord of the Dance hymn "I see Christ as the piper who is
calling us. He dances that shape and pattern which is at the heart of
our reality.....i sing of the dancing pattern in the life and words of
Jesus". I kinda like that...for more see www.stainer.co.uk
Nicola Trinty Anglican, Aurora, Ontario
