David’s Dance Party

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12-19

July 15, 2012

Sometimes the lectionary places before us scripture that seems particularly – even amazingly – timely; sometimes it is as if in drawing up the cycle of readings for the church the designers of the lectionary had some peculiar insight into the unfolding of history such that the word of the Lord for the church is delivered just in time.  Sometimes the cycle of readings brings together a set of passages that seem designed to speak to one another.

Other times, not so much.

Sometimes, like this morning, the lectionary simply places before us a good story. So this morning I’m trusting that whatever word you may need to hear from the doxology from Ephesians that we just heard will come to you by the grace of God, because I’m not going to touch on it at all. And the gospel story, the beheading of John the Baptist, was just too gory for a mid-summer Sunday morning!

The story from the older testament, on the other hand, is just so much fun! Listen for a word from God in a passage from 2 Samuel that I like to call, “David’s Dance Party.” Given that title, it strikes me as fitting to read it in bits and pieces, and to interrupt the reading with some music. So, listen with the ears of your hearts, and sing when the spirit says sing.

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand. David and all the people with him set out and went from Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who is enthroned on the cherubim.

They carried the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new cart with the ark of God; and Ahio went in front of the ark.

n  Marching in the Light of God/Siyahamba

David and all the house of Israel were dancing before the LORD with all their might, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.

So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-edom to the city of David with rejoicing; and when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fatling. David danced before the LORD with all his might; David was girded with a linen ephod.

I got a Living Social offer last week for Fatback’s Funk-a-thon Dance Party! I wonder if that’s what inspired King David to get his groove on in front of the ark of the covenant.

I love this little story of David’s dance party. It’s a wonderful reminder that sometimes you just have to express your worship with your whole self. Sometimes, as this old kids’ song reminds us, when the spirit says dance, well, that’s just what you gotta do!

n  You Got To Sing

A friend and colleague posted on his blog last week a small dream he has, inspired by this passage. He said that when he read the story of David dancing before the ark he got an image in his mind of charismatic Christians, the so-called “holy rollers” who sing and shout and whoop and holler and clap and stomp and move in worship – the kind of folks of whom the Muppet Movie might say, “don’t look like Presbyterians to me” – the kind of folks who might sing in non-native languages! Oh, my!

n  Tu Eres Mi Gran Amor

My friend wondered if we could imagine a time when Presbyterians and charismatics might share one another’s gifts, if we could imagine a time when we “frozen chosen” might worship the Lord with abandon and when charismatic Christians might study deeply the sacred texts of our common history.

I suppose part of what my friend was imagining is captured in one little word from this song – it’s also one little word from our mission statement at Clarendon:

n  Come All You People

Of course, not everybody will appreciate what you do when the spirit says do it, and not everyone will join you in your song, your dance, your study of the word of God. Even in this joyous little episode from the life of King David not everyone is happy. Michal, the daughter of Saul, looks out her window in disgust at the display.

So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet. As the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal daughter of Saul looked out of the window, and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

The story goes on to say that she is appalled that the king uncovered himself before the maids of his servants – a line that has led some to suppose that David danced naked before the ark. I think what’s actually going on here is that David took off his royal garb and put himself on the same level as the rest of the people, dancing in a linen garment that would have been typical for folks of much lower standing than the king. It’s a bit like an image of the president in blue jeans. Some folks are just not going to like that because it doesn’t meet their expectations of what the powerful should look like.

I believe that was part of the resistance to Jesus – 2,000 years ago and today. We prefer our saviors not remind us that we all need salvation, that we are all broken, that we are, ultimately, alike in our frailty whether we live in the penthouse suite or alongside the city’s streets.

Oh, and we really do not want to think that we might find a savior – that we might find our heart’s true home, our own wholeness, our own deep shalom – among the destitute, some place like Butler St.

n  Butler Street

The good news in this story turns not so much on Michal’s response to David, but on David’s response: he just keeps on dancing! Indeed, in spite of the critics – and you just know there was more than one, because there always is – in spite of the critics, David just keeps on dancing!

Not only that, but the worshipful dance becomes a feast at which all are fed!

They brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place, inside the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and offerings of well-being before the LORD.  When David had finished offering the burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts, and distributed food among all the people, the whole multitude of Israel, both men and women, to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes.

n  Amazing Grace

A table at which all are welcome and all are fed! That is the very definition of grace. Amen.