2 Samuel 6: Dancing for Joy David, wearing a linen ephod, danced before the Lord with all his might, while he and the entire house of Israel brought up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
After being anointed king over Israel by the elders, one of David's first official acts is when he sends for the sacred ark of the covenant. He plans to install it in Jerusalem, the new capital city he is building. This symbolic move will underscore that God, not a human king, is the true ruler of Israel.
It takes a few false starts to get the ark to the City of David. Disregarding God's explicit instructions, the Israelites try to transport the ark on an oxcart- the method the Philistines use to parade their gods- rather than on the shoulders of the Levites, as God has commanded. Somebody dies, David gets mad, and the ark sits in a private home for three months.
Nevertheless, when the ark finally does move to Jerusalem to the accompaniment of a brass band and the shouts of a huge crowd, King David completely loses control. Wild with joy, he dances in the streets, pretty much breaking every rule of royal etiquette. David's wife, scandalized, reproaches him. But David sets her straight: It is God, no one else, before whom he is dancing. And he cares not what anyone else thinks as long as his one-person audience senses his jubilation.
In short, David, a man of passion, feels more passionately about the God of Israel than about anything else in the world. That message gets broadcast to the entire nation...through song and dance.
Life Question: Do you think that there should be boundaries in the way a person should be permitted to worship? What do you consider to be worship etiquette in the church that you attend?
Coming from a fairly conservative Catholic faith background, it would be safe to say that if David had showed up on the doorstep/ church altar to perform his celebratory dance for God, it would not have been favorably received by the folks in the congregation. That said, the various worship styles that I have witnessed at the Chapel have truly touched me. There's this one gal who sits up front each Sunday and vibrantly lifts her hands in praise while we in the band, the WT, and choir lead the congregation in song. At first, it appeared to be rather ostentatious, but I've really become to appreciate her passion for Christ's love, and I guess in some ways I'm envious of her courage to be able to reach out to God in such a charismatic way. Personally, when I'm with the band playing the songs, I often find myself drifting away from the click track/ instrument channels and engaging in a type of solitary prayer with God- (hoping my strumming doesn't come across too offensive to ears...)
2 comments:
Yes ; There should be boundaries in corporate worship. I've seen situations where there have been issues of distraction that take the attention off of the Lord. There is a delicate boundary between freedom of expression and imposing your rights to the detriment of another. The perameters of what the issues are is the problem. For each one is accountable for his action on this matter. John 4:23 Jesus says: "True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks". It seems this is mostly an internal issue ; although many churches dance as David did, and raise one or both hands and speak out in ecstatic utterances; I have to wonder if God knows if this is a substitution of a physical act that others can enter into or a spirit and truth worship experience. I know one thing for sure ; Uzzah knows that an irreverent act of worship can have severe consequences. David may have even thought it would be more palatible for the "world" to see the Arc of God's power presented in a worldly way ( on a cart rather that Priests ). I believe he repented and that he truly entered into the Lord's joy as he he was truly " a man after God's own heart ".
The etiquette at my church is mostly conservative. Although there is and undercurrent of folks who actually respond with their voices in song, hands clapping, even moving with the songs. I know people who love the music but don't sing along. It seems that we all could learn from David's responce. Being estranged from the corporate worhip enabled him to open up when he had the chance. I guess he had thankful, happy feet!!
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