The Politics of Dancing

Mullet Alert!


1Chronicles 15:27-29

Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the musicians, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod. So all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the Lord with shouts, with the sounding of rams’ horns and trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps.

As the ark of the covenant of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David dancing and celebrating, she despised him in her heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The politics of dancing
The politics of ooo feeling good
The politics of moving
Is this message understood

"The Politics of Dancing" by Re-Flex written by Paul Fishman from the album of the same name.

The Ark of the Covenant is coming home! It's a time for celebration and dancing. Unfortunately, as with any parade, danger lurks on the open road. There has been a fatality. David left the Ark behind while creating standards and practices to make sure it made its way back to Jerusalem carefully and properly. But it's almost home now.

David's dancing in front of the Ark too. The Lord should be in the mood to celebrate the return of the Ark to the people of Israel so horns and trumpets and cymbals and lyres and harps should be met with dancing and rejoicing. In this theocracy, a place where the rulers of the faith are also the political rulers, the dancing that brings in the Ark is also the dancing of politics. Or is it the politics of dancing?

Of course, Michal, Saul's daughter, she wasn't too happy. Her father and brother fell at the hands of David's army. No matter how much David loved Saul and Jonathan, nothing could salve this truth. The politics of dancing was that she despised him.

Some churches love this singing and dancing tradition, some love it to the point that worship looks more like a Broadway show than worship. Then there are churches that are so reserved that the phrase "frozen chosen" is well known across the theological spectrum. It's time to remember that the pipe organ and piano were never mentioned in scripture, so when the worship committee says pipe and drum and dance don't belong in church it's time to remind them that they do, they certainly do belong. This is the politics of dancing, the politics of ooo feeling good.

We need to move some more in worship, but we still need to remember that worship is not a place where the congregation is an audience. God is the audience. The congregation is the "cast of the show." The pastor and worship leaders? They're the directors. If it makes you feel any better, Michal would hated it!