Lets Party

2 Samuel 6:

 14 David, wearing only a linen cloth around his waist, danced with all his might to honour the Lord15 And so he and all the Israelites took the Covenant Box up to Jerusalem with shouts of joy and the sound of trumpets.

16 As the Box was being brought into the city, Michal, Saul’s daughter, looked out of the window and saw King David dancing and jumping around in the sacred dance, and she was disgusted with him.  18 When he had finished offering the sacrifices, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty 19 and distributed food to them all. 20 Afterward, when David went home to greet his family, Michal came out to meet him. “The king of Israel made a big name for himself today!” she said. “He exposed himself like a fool in the sight of the servant women of his officials!”

21 David answered, “I was dancing to honour the Lord, who chose me instead of your father and his family to make me the leader of his people Israel. And I will go on dancing to honour the Lord22 and will disgrace myself even more. You[b] may think I am nothing, but those women will think highly of me!”

On Friday it will be 75 years since the last (we hope) World War ended in Europe.  Perhaps not as dramatic as the Armistice of 11 November 1918, and of course it was not the end of the war as many, my uncle included, were fighting in the far East until August.

It was, though, a time for rejoicing both for the victory and for survival.

Rejoicing in victory is nothing new.  David celebrated when he finally succeeded in doing what his Father-in-Law Saul had been unable to do, and repatriated The Arc of The Covenant from the Philistines to Jerusalem.

David knew how to party!

Stripped down as far as possible in the hot midday sun he danced along with his men as the Arc was paraded through the streets. Everyone enjoyed the celebrations, except his wife Michal whose father Saul had tried unsuccessfully to win the Arc back. Whether feeling for her father, or in genuine disgust at David deporting himself as he did, she took him to task, saying he had made a fool of himself in the streets.

David though was having none of it. He was dancing to celebrate his victory but also to honour God, who had made him victorious.

I have often thought we should have dancing in the Church, despite the fact that my dancing is probably worse than my singing (I know, hard to believe anything could be that bad!) but whatever we do to honour and worship our God is a good thing, and it is not for others to question how we do it.

Praise Him.

Prayer

Lord God, our loving Father in Heaven, it is sometimes hard at the present to worship you with joy in our care worn hearts at the moment, but when the time comes we shall give you thanks in joyous celebration.  In these hard times help us to keep alive the joy we do, and can know, through loving you and being loved.

In your Mercy hear our prayer,

Amen