Twirly Skirts and Psalm 150

We enjoy sharing our weekly stories on Sunday mornings with the Road Less Traveled group. Together we rejoice in the birthdays, sports victories, promotions, anniversaries, and achievements large and small each week. Together we also share in the disappointments and struggles. Sharing knits our group together in Christian love.

On Sunday, Jason & I shared primarily about our Ghana trip preparations, fears, and expectations. In our discussion on the worship services there, we recounted Manny's description of the Ghanaian custom of dancing down the aisles to give an offering- a bit of a change up from passing the offering plate. A classmate commented, "I'd be more worried about having to dance down the aisle than operating the vision machine."

It struck a chord – with force. The rough idea for this post came to me later Sunday afternoon, but it has taken several days to flesh out. Identifying the notes that made up that chord (self-consiousness, dread, and fear) posed more of a challenge than I had anticipated. I lost my Bible and got a little distracted trying to find a cutesy quote or post title. I found an "old Japanese proverb" that read We're fools whether we dance or not, so we might as well dance." I chuckled a little (maybe I was on a caffeine high), but didn't find comfort and hope.

I found my Bible (YAY!) and started flipping through Samuel to see what I could find in the story of David, the notorious wild-dancer and man after God's own heart. I skimmed through David's story:
Jesse presenting son after son before sending for David from the fields to receive Samuel's anointing,
David's music-making calming Saul's soul,
his bravery (and foolishness?) in his defeat of Goliath,
his deep friendship with Saul's son Jonathan,
his marriage to Saul's daughter Michal,
his escape from the wrath of Saul,
his integrity in sparing Saul's life,
his weeping over the capture of his wives,
his lament for the deaths of Saul and Jonathan,
his anointing as King of Judah and later as King of Israel,
his defeat of the Philistines,
and finally to the scene where he brings the Ark to Jerusalem.
And I paused there, in his moment of triumph and celebration, before God refuses his offer to build the temple, before his sin with Bathsheba, before the tragic loss of his child, I stopped to regard his worship, adoration, and celebration.

David really lived. He risked. He loved. He cried. And he danced. Before God. With all his might. But, even his victory did not start up and stay up.

We're up: 2Sam6:5 "David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the LORD,
with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbols."

We're down: 2Sam6:7 "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God struck him down there because of his error, and he died there beside the ark of God."

David is ticked: 2Sam6:8 "And David was angry because the LORD had burst forth against Uzzah."

But, David learned from the mistake. Dr. Arnold's Samuel Commentary says "In a way that seems especially foreign to present-day readers, the unfortuntate Uzzah illustrates the holiness of God present in the ark. To touch the ark is to impinge on God's holiness, to draw too close and presume too much." This leaves David with a question of how he will ever have the LORD dwell with him. David took the ark elsewhere for three months before returning to bring it into Jerusalem. In this second entrance, he danced, still with all his might, but clothed with a linen ephod and sacrificing on the way.

I am self-conscious to a fault. David initally acts apparantly without consciousness frequently. But between verse 5 and 15 David learned to examine his actions and pause. I dread events of which I am fearful. Soren Kierkegaard argued that dread, or angst, is a desire for what one fears and is central to his conception of original sin. I want to dance, but I am afraid of what people with think of it. I want a relationship with God, but I am afraid of what that will require of possible sacrifice. David anticipated. He anticipated the action of God and looked with great joy toward the future. I am afraid. David was fearless. But, David learned to live in awe of God. A healthy fear that respects the holiness of God but does not prevent jubilant praise.

As I was sorting through many of these thoughts, my doorbell rang. The kids ran with wild abandon toward the door to receive the package. A dear sister who has done mission work in Togo had sent a beautiful, colorful, flowy skirt. Erin's eyes lit up. "Mom," she said, "I bet that skirt will twirl." I tried it on and sure enough, it only took a spin or two to achieve great twirly effect. The kids and I danced and twirled all over the living room laughing, filled with joy.

I thought, I bet God really loves when they dance down the aisles to give their gifts to him. He probably doesn't look for bad rhythm but only sees their joy. And as long it is a joy that delights in Him in ALL His holiness, then I bet it brings him great joy, too.

The lesson I learned from my dear Prayer partner: Prayers of the body of Christ change fear and trepidation into celebratory dancing!

Psalm 150
Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heaven!
Praise him for his mighty works; praise his unequaled greatness!
Praise him with a blast of the ram's horn; praise him with the lyre and harp!
Praise him with the tambourine and dancing; praise him with strings and flutes!
Praise him with a clash of cymbals; praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
Let everything that breathes sing praises to the LORD! Praise the LORD!