Readings: Psalm 24, Ephesians 1:3-14, Mark 6:14-29, 2 Samuel 6: 12-19
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, July 14, 2024
The General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church USA took place a couple of weeks ago in Salt Lake City. As usual there was much heart searching, discussion and debates that went on until the wee hours. Yet the most trending story from the Assembly had nothing to do with the business, but something that happened in the middle of the business.
In a short break between Sessions in the main hall, the music for the dance song known as “The Electric Slide” came over the P.A. System. A couple of folks stood up and started to do the moves, followed by many, many more. Soon the floor of the General Assembly became a dance floor. God’s frozen chosen were, for a brief moment, united by the strains of disco.
Of course, there were instantly critics who thought that this sort of thing was out of place at such a dignified occasion as a General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church. But for those who took part it was a welcome moment of relief from the heaviness of a workload that created a lot of tension and disunity.
Our Bible reading today featured David, now King David, traveling to the home of Obed-Edom, to retrieve one of Israel’s national treasures, the Ark of the Covenant. According to tradition the Ark, a large chest, gilded entirely with gold, had been constructed by Moses. It housed the stone tablets of the 10 commandments as well as Aaron’s staff and some of the manna the Israelite's discovered in the wilderness.
If you have ever watched the Indiana Jones movie “Raiders of the Lost Ark” you will be aware of the fearsome reputation the “Ark of the Covenant” holds! During some of Israels historic victories the Ark had been carried with them into battle. In one of those battles it had been captured by the Philistines, but it seemed to bring them nothing but trouble.
So, in fear and trembling, the Philistines returned it to Israel. David intended bringing it straight home. But on the way home, one of the drivers of the cart, had put out his hand to steady the Ark, and been struck down dead by God. That was why it had ended up at the house of Obed-Edom. David was like, “Ermm. Let’s not touch it for a while.” It was a terrifying object to be around.
It was at the home of Obed-Edom for three months. During that time Obed-Edom’s home received blessing upon blessing. Hearing of this, David organizes a trip to bring the Ark to be at the center of his Kingdom. That such a thing could now happen, was a source of great rejoicing. Like the good old days, but even better.
It’s here that the dancing comes into the story. We read that as the Ark is traveling home (2 Samuel 6:14) that “David danced before the LORD with all his might.” I’m pretty sure he wasn’t doing the Electric Slide. But whatever moves he was making, as with what happened at our recent General Assembly, there were those who did not approve.
Chief among those that disapprove is David’s wife, Michal. We read in verse 16 “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.”
Some things I wish to share from this passage.
1. There are times we need to celebrate.
The wisdom of Solomon instructs us that there is a time for mourning and a time for dancing. Life is not an endless party. But there are times when exuberant rejoicing is the correct response to make to the grace of God. Bringing home of the ark was one of them. The actions of David are comparable to the reception that the Father gives to his returning son in the parable Jesus told of the Prodigal Son.
You remember the story of how the son goes to a far-off land, wastes his inheritance and returns home expecting to live a life of servitude? The Father sees him far off, and in an undignified manner, the very opposite of what his culture expected of him, drops everything he is doing, picks up his robes and runs as fast as he can to embrace the returning penitent, oblivious to his condition and unafraid of whatever anybody may think was right or wrong.
In a similar way, David is bringing the Ark home. He celebrates to the utmost of his abilities. He just doesn’t care what others may think. His dance is an expression of how he was whole heartedly giving his life over to God.
Notice this. The parade has form and order. The whole thing reads like a liturgy. There is a procession. There is music. There are sacrifices. There are prayers spoken. There is an offering. At the end of it all there’s food and everybody goes home with something. It sounds almost like an average Presbyterian worship service. But there is also exuberance and freedom and room to express heartfelt praise.
People from different traditions complain that they find our form of worship stuffy. They don’t like our bulletins and our prayers and our formality. They feel it is stifling rather than soul refreshing. There are reasons why people are surprised to see a bunch of Presbyterians at their national conference doing the “Electric Slide.” It is a little unexpected.
One of the things our Reformed tradition has always struggled with is the question of what is and what is not appropriate in times of worship. It’s not just ‘do we dance’ or ‘don’t we dance’ it’s a whole lot more. What words do we use? Do we use King James Bible English and ‘Thee’s’ and “Thou’s” or do we use more familiar terms? What music is the correct music for times of worship? What instruments are best suited? How do we receive the offering? Who sits where and who stands when? How do we “do” communion? Is a time of greeting each other and walking around, a distraction or a way of deepening our fellowship and welcome? And what about the announcements? Do we include community events? Do we say something about this, but not about that? Who is on the prayer list? What goes in the bulletin? And so it goes. I have come to this conclusion.
2. It’s all about where your heart is.
I have been on retreats where the emphasis has been on silence and simplicity. Where we have been encouraged to take time out, away from the music, away from the constant barrage of media, where there has been no sermon or program or meetings, but a spiritual director on hand whose advice you could or could not seek. And such times have been a blessing.
I have been to music conferences with lots of folks there from a Pentecostal background. A full praise band on the stage playing at a volume that shook the rafters. I once found myself sitting in a row, where my white English face stuck out in a sea of multiethnic faces. When the music started, they were on their feet. Dancing, swaying, shouting and singing their hearts out. I had no option. Go with the flow or go home. And such times have been a blessing.
I have worshiped in tiny country chapels where the informality was like that usually experienced in a family home. I’ve worshiped in huge city cathedrals, amid pomp and ceremony and bells and smells, at conferences, in the open air, in small groups and in vast crowds. With people in their Sunday best outfits and people at the beach in hardly any outfits at all. And such times have been a blessing.
David’s heart was in that moment. David understood the significance of what was taking place. And it was a glorious moment. It was not a time for mourning, it was a time for dancing. Where our heart is determines how our worship will be.
If we have a heart desiring to worship and serve God then whatever the form or the external circumstances around us, we will do our best to enter into that situation and offer ourselves to God.
The occasion may be solemn, or it may be exuberant. Sometimes we will misread it and sometimes we may act in ways that seem inappropriate in other people’s eyes, but as scripture says in 1 Samuel 16:7 “for the LORD does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.” So bear in mind this.
3. Whatever we do, somebodies going to find a reason to criticize
There was a sermon “On Dancing” delivered in 1845 by a free-church minister, who had received complaints from the local Episcopalian minister about the “Local Dances and Balls” that were attracting many to attend them. The minister points out that in the second book of discipline of the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, dancing is enumerated as an offense and that any minister indulging in such a practice should be removed from office.
Furthermore, it is suggested that the undeniable effect of dancing is to encourage immorality among the sexes, lewdness and profanity that is adverse to all serious thought and “distracts congregants from their consideration of death, judgment and eternity.”
In the parable of the prodigal son, it was the elder brother who complained and refused to join a party that celebrated the grace of God. In this story it is David’s wife, Saul’s youngest daughter, Michal, who takes offense.
2 Samuel 16:20 “Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David, and said, "How the king of Israel honored himself today, uncovering himself today before the eyes of his servants' maids, as any vulgar fellow might shamelessly uncover himself!"
There was a time when Michal was head over heels crazy madly in love with David. When David won her hand in marriage after a victory over the Philistines, she was well pleased. On one occasion when Saul threatened David’s life, he had stood up against her Father and saved his skin. But as years went by her relationship with David had become increasingly sour.
We are not given an insight into how it happened. We do know that by time the Ark came to town, Michals’ love for David had cooled and she felt only contempt and jealousy. As the scripture says, she ‘despised him in her heart.’ The hatred she carries completely blinds her to the presence of God during the events that were taking place. Hate can do that.
She sees no significance in the Arks return. She sees nothing in David’s dancing that has anything to do with devotion or worship. She accuses him of doing the whole thing as a show for the young servant maids whose attention he was seeking to attract. I think that minister in 1845 would have agreed with her!
But not David. I feel he would be more in sympathy with the words of William W. Purkey. “You've gotta dance like there's nobody watching, love like you'll never be hurt, sing like there's nobody listening, and live like it's heaven on earth”
If you do that, there’s always going to be those who just don’t get it. Who will find a reason to pull you down and criticize and belittle you in their vain attempts to bolster their own self-importance and deal with their personal insecurities.
What I take away from this account of David’s dizzy dancing, is this.
1. There are times we need to celebrate.
2. It’s all about where your heart is.
3. Whatever we do, somebodies going to find a reason to criticize
And in the face of all that, I’ll conclude by saying this. If we live our lives with our hearts set on pleasing God, then for sure, sometimes we will mess up and sometimes we will cause offense.
But rather that, than never enjoy the overwhelming grace and love of God, that puts us in a place where it’s all we can do, to stop leaping from the pew and doing a little dance for the Lord.
And to God be the glory. Amen
Reverend Adrian J. Pratt
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