The Lord of the Dance, July 12, 2009

2 Samuel 6:1-19
Mark 6: 14-29
Part of the beauty of faith, comes in reflection upon the words, for what WORD we hear, looking beyond and beneath the circumstances for the meaning and importance of what is taking place. On face value, these are each readings about the entertainment of DANCE. David brought the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem with leaping and dancing, with music of the Harp, Cymbals and Castanets, yet one was afraid the Ark would fall, and the power of God broke out against him. At King Herod's Birthday, Salome danced the dance of the Seven Veils and the King was so taken with her, he offered her what ever she desired. DANCES of REVERENCE, of Pageantry and Ceremony, and Dances of Seduction. But more, what these passages describe, thinly veiled beneath the Dance, are ABUSES of POWER, and the LORD THAT WILL NOT BE ABUSED.

Our lives are filled with symbolism. We use the symbols of authority, of power without even thinking... The point this morning, is that we must think, we must realize WHO is the LORD and what we are doing! It is not enough, to go through the motions of life, following the rhythms and being at the right place at the right time. The SYMBOLS we surround ourselves with have power.

Yesterday morning, I met with several couples about getting married... So many couples, it began to feel like a Wedding Chapel, finishing with one and Calling out NEXT, as another couple and another went through all the same questions about FLOWERS and BRIDAL PROCESSION and vows and details. We cannot take MARRIAGE for granted, as if Everyone gets married, our relationships are too precious for that. We have been stuck trying to LEGISLATE and DEFINE what constitutes Marriage, basing our LAWS on the LEGAL BENEFITS and Obligations of the MARRIAGE CONTRACT, rather than each of us continually working on the perpetually changing relationship that is marriage. Part of what we try to help the couple realize in GETTING MARRIED, are all the symbols and traditions, and their claiming what traditions and symbols and values they want to have in their marriage. There is very little in a wedding that comes from the Bible. Jesus went to a Wedding once. Many people throughout History were married. But the actual wedding, is filled with symbols, A Unity Candle, the Bride wearing white for Virginity, throwing rice for Fertility, having an Aisle runner so your feet do not touch ground, Bride's side and Groom's to represent those who have come to witness your vows, having witnesses hear your vows because more important than written contracts Your Word, Your Vow is Your Sacred Bond.

More than the election of the 1st President in 20 years who was not named CLINTON or BUSH... More than an Administration that promises to CHANGE the Economic Structure, Change to the Banking Structure and Change to the Automotive Structure, CHANGING the Health Care system that we have all become dependent upon, Changing how our Nation is perceived by other Nations, More than all the Change we have witnessed and anticipated, DAVID brought Change to his Nation. David and his army took all Israel and Judah. David took the City of Jerusalem, to become the City of David. Under King David, God shifted the History of Israel from being the NOMADIC People of GENESIS and EXODUS and JUDGES, to becoming the DYNASTIC MONARCHY of ISRAEL, a Monarchy that would create KING SOLOMON and would build The Great Temple at Jerusalem, one wall of which, despite invasions and wars and time, still stands today. SO, If you were King David, bringing CHANGE to the Nation, What symbols from our history would you want to gather and Bring to Jerusalem? What Symbols would legitimize POWER as the OLD Fulfilled in the NEW? David recalls the ARK of the COVENANT, the ARK which with Moses, led the Nation from the Wilderness into the Promised Land, The Ark which led the People in HOLY WAR against their enemies and made them great, the ARK containing the TEN COMMANDMENTS.

King David envisioned creating a place to CARE FOR this ancient sacred relic. For 20 years, the Ark had been abandoned in a hiding place, and now with a great parade and Dancing, the ARK would be brought on an OXCART for David to Protect. But what King David did not understand was that the ARK of the COVENANT was not a SACRED RELIC to be CARED FOR. The Ark had been a footstool for GOD. The Ark had its own POWER, for the Ark did not represent the Nation, did not represent the POWER and HISTORY of Moses. The Ark of the Covenant bore the NAME OF GOD, so was HOLY. The ARK had not been rolled about on an OXCART or Trailer, As A Thing Which is HOLY the ARK was to be carried on the Shoulders of the Priests. When they returned 3 months later, to bring the ARK as a Blessing for Jerusalem, the procession took six paces and stopped in SABBATH to Sacrifice to the LORD, then they took six steps more and stopped, and six steps more, creating a kind of DANCE to Worship the LORD. No longer was David Bringing the Ark as a Sacred Relic, as a Symbol of the Past to CARE FOR, instead the King now knew the ARK WOULD BLESS ALL JERUSALEM and through the City of David would bless the Nation, and through the Nation of Israel bless all the nations of the World.

What occurs beneath the DANCE, what motivates the rhythm is as important or more so, than the DANCING! Otherwise, symbolism becomes entertainment, amusement. We become focused on the Moment, not on where we are going, or who we are. We become caught up in providing service and in dividends, rather than in the pride of accomplishment, rather than in the creation of something with our name and God's name upon it.

I am perpetually awed by the beauty of this SANCTUARY. The original donor, did not want their name displayed. The only evidence of him is on the back of a pew, ensuring there would be a place for a stranger. He gave enough for the building of the building, but intentionally not for Stained Glass windows and Ornamentation. So the congregation went to all the original families of this Village, many of whom were not Presbyterian, but asked each for a donation for a window to honor their role in the building of this community. At the time, we took LITERALLY the Commandment to Make No Graven Image. Backing into this, that if a Craftsman made an image of a person, and that person we know to have been created in the Image of God, then any depiction of a Human person, would be an idol in the image of God. So instead, there are abstract designs, flowers of nature, allowing that which bears the likeness of God to live.

The passage from Mark is a wonderfully subtle and suggestive story. What is it about?
It is not about the Dancing. It is not about the Sacrifice of John the Baptist. Mark seduces us with this story about HOW KING HEROD was seduced. Mark subtly describes how HEROD had tried to keep JOHN the BAPTIST where he would be Safe. SAFE meaning that John could cause no harm to Herod, and John would not be attacked by Herod's Guards, because Herod was intrigued and entertained by what JOHN said. What had put John the Baptist's life in danger was that he dared to say to King Herod that HEROD was wrong, wrong for killing his brother PHILLIP to TAKE Phillip's Wife HERODIAS as his own. More than Adultery, More than Bigamy, more than Murder, HEROD had lusted after, and had made his own family member his wife. AND while John the Baptist's challenge intrigued him, Herod still did not understand, not until his BROTHER'S WIFE'S DAUGHTER seduced him with her dancing. Then, when out of drunken lust he was willing to give her half his kingdom, when he was forced to kill John the Baptist for her, Herod suddenly realized he had lusted after his own daughter, as King he had abused his Power as King of Israel, and still he did get it until JESUS and Jesus Disciples came preaching REPENTANCE. Suddenly, having been seduced into executing John the Baptist, when Herod hears of Jesus' preaching REPENTANCE, King Herod realizes that his lusting after his daughter dancing, was what John had condemned HEROD for in his lusting after his brother's wife HERODIAS, and knowing where the story goes, we know that King Herod will eventually be seduced into putting Jesus on Trial.

If Dancing were only Dancing, Dancing would be marvelous exercise and great entertainment. IF Life were only about living. But there is a LORD of the DANCE there is a God to whom we pray.