Sermon 07-12-09

2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19                                                          Mark 6:14-29

Shall We Dance?

Notice that “both readings have dancing at the center of their narrative. But David and Herodias’s daughter are dancing to different rhythms and with different results.” (Seasons of the Spirit, Cong. Life, Pentecost 1, July12,2009, pg.58).

Let us listen once again to the two stories one from David’s perspective,

and from Herodias’s daughter’s perspective, woven together.

PRAYER

Why was King David so happy?

Let me tell you why, the Philistines in the previous chapters are asking for

advice from the priests and the diviners, about what they should do with the ark of the Lord? The ark of the covenant has been in the land of the

Philistines, the enemies of Israel. They believed that they were able to take over the land of Israel, but God had another plan. God through the prophet Samuel had a strategic plan that defeated the Philistines. God also punished the people with a bubonic plague, and a series of disasters, for holding the ark of the covenant. “The Philistines, attributing the plague to the presence of the ark, make arrangement to return it to its former owners.

They returned it with a guilt offering, in order to restore healing.”

(The New Oxford Annotated Bible, O.T. pg. 348-349)

“David as king makes of Jerusalem the administrative center, a spiritual as

well as a political center of Israel.(Text for Preaching, Brueggemann, Year B, pg.422)

He also appointed priests to pick up and bring back the ark of the covenant from the land of the Philistines to Israel to “a tent shrine.”  “…becoming a focal point for the nation’s worship.”

(The Hebrew Bible, A Socio-Literary Introduction,, Gottwald, pg.321)

V. 5 seems to suggest that David and those (thirty thousand chosen) who

were with him were so overcome with emotion that they engaged in festive dancing as the ark made its way along toward Jerusalem, it also appears that the dancing was still in progress as the ark entered the city. Because the act of sacred dancing was accompanied by instruments… as part of their traditional rituals. We read that ‘the house of Israel dance before the Lord with all their might, and songs, with lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.’”                                    (Brueggemann, Year B, pg.422)

“King David was excited. Soon the ark would be in their city. What a

wonderful day this had been! And then David began to dance. David,

danced, danced and danced.”  (Seasons of the Spirit, Cong. Life, 7-12-09, pg. 58)

Why was Michal, the daughter of former king Saul, and one of David’s wife,

so resentful and unhappy? Perhaps, she was not able to join in the

celebration, because she was so cot up on her own issues. She was childless and misfortune by it. Perhaps she couldn’t believe that David could be happy if she was not happy. But his joy was so overwhelming that it is believe also that as King David’s dancing, brought questions like: Was he engaged in a ritual more associated with worship of the pagan gods? Was the king to be so vulnerable? “The suggestion that David’s dancing involved some type of irreverent ritual causes one to treat the significance of the dancing with some circumspection.

The ark is brought to the temple. The king now dressed himself in the

priestly garments, is invited to offer the sacrifices for God’s goodness.

“The climax of the celebration ends with a feast meal for the people of God.” (Brueggemann, Year B, pg.423)

Many years later, in another palace, King Herod is celebrating his birthday

party with the most prominent leaders of Galilee as his guests. A proud

father shows off his daughter’s talent as a dancer, and she becomes the

central attraction, she indeed did an extraordinary job. Her father was so

pleased that he said to girl the girl “ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it” to you. (Mark 6:22b) In her innocence she consults with her mother, an angry and unhappy woman, who found her opportunity for revenge. The daughter question is, “mother what should I ask for? She replied, ‘The head of John the baptizer.’” (Mark 6:24) And her wish was granted at the request of the girl; but her father was deeply grieved… v.26a.

“Herod the king had a fascination with John. Herod respected John as a holy man, regardless of the truth about his wrong doing by marrying his brother’s wife, his sister in law, Herodias. On the other hand, Herodias was grudged by John’s truth-telling, a truth too hard for her to face. Herod had to shield John from his wife’s rage and disagreement “and put him in prison on her account…” v. 17.

Trapped between the promise to the girl and the guests at the party

as witnesses, the king’s “personal respect” in the political arena “is easily

abandoned when decision making circumstances got in the middle. Although grieved by the request, Herod (honors his word and) orders John’s death.” (Brueggemann, Year B, pg.422)

Why kill the messenger? I ask… what fault he had?  I don’t believe that God’s will for John the baptizer was to die beheaded. I believe that God had a wider plan for John as the one preparing the way of the Lord Jesus Christ. The anger of a person, in this case a woman, an angry woman, Herodias, got her way.

“John’s tragic end in a sense anticipates Jesus’ words spoke to the disciples later at the Temple, when they are warned about being dragged before governors and kings and beaten in synagogues for the sake of the gospel (Mark 13:9-11). Later Jesus, as did John, innocently suffered at the hands of vacillating political figures.  Herod and Pilate both see good in the accused men brought before them, both would choose freedom over capital punishment, both found themselves trapped…(between what was right and what was external), and both permit violent death.” (idem, pg. 426-427)

What are we dancing around in our lives?

What are we dancing around in our church?

What is God’s plan for us here at CSCC-UCC?

What external circumstances are getting in the way, that holds us back in order to not be able to face our realities and move forward?

Is God calling us to a joyful celebration, a dance of praise?

Or are we dancing a dance of betrayal?

What rhythms are we following with our dancing? God’s or our own?

BENEDICTION

May the blessing of God,

The dancer and the dance,

move with us and within us this day and always. Amen!