"Worship: better than 'dancing with the stars'"
RUMC
July 19, 2009 and WOW July 22, 2009
I have to admit it . . . it has become something of a national phenomenon that I don't understand it. I have tried to watch 'Dancing with the stars,' but it doesn't do a thing for me.
But the same was true for Dance Dance Revolution when I first saw it. If you don't know DDR it is a video game in which you dance competitively by following the on screen dance instructions. It was very popular among my youth group in Bettendorf. Well, I didn't understand it either until I tried it. Well, actually I am not sure I ever REALLY understood it, but I understood its attraction better.
I don't know what it is, but dancing has just never really been my "thing." Ask Robyn.
So you can lay aside all you fears that because king David danced before the Ark of God into Jerusalem I am going to ask you to dance this morning. I am too afraid that I would look like a big freckled fish flipping and flopping around on the bottom of the boat if I tried to lead you in dance.
B UT--- and there's always a "but" isn't there. BUT I think we can learn a little about worship if we think about it as a dance.
First, some history. This story comes from very early in David's reign as king. He has taken over the throne from Saul, beat back the Philistines and consolidated the Northern Kingdom (known as Israel) and the Southern kingdom (known as Judah). He chose a new capital city which was right on the border between the north and the south (probably a pretty smart political move). That city was Jerusalem. The war with the Philistines had united the kingdoms militarily against a common enemy. The character and leadership of David was bringing them together politically and economically. The one thing left was a religious unification. So David sent for the Ark of the Covenant.
Now, most of you know the Ark of the Covenant from Indiana Jones movies. What you might not remember is that the ark was given to the people of Israel by God while they were wondering in the wilderness. It was the throne of God. It was the seat of the divine. It was as close to God as you could get. And therefore it became the central symbol for worship of God. And it had powers. When the Philistines captured it they discovered that no matter what city they used to hide the Ark, that city was overrun with rats and the people were covered with boils. They finally added 2 + 2 decided to get rid of the ark. They sent it back to Israel. But whenever someone touched it and they were not ritually clean- they died. The Israelites finally stashed it away in Kerith Jeram and apparently somehow forgot about it.
That was 20 years ago. 20 years without the most important symbol of the faith. Can you imagine 20 years without our beautiful cross? It would be pretty hard. And when we got it back we would have a big old celebration wouldn't we? We'd pull out all the stops and plan the biggest, most beautiful worship celebration we have ever had.
And that's what David did.
There were 30,000 men in attendance that day.
Musicians and artists.
Priests and dignitaries. And YES DANCERS.
And when they saw the Ark of the Covenant round the last corner they couldn't contain their joy. They broke out in worship. They Played and prayed. They sang and the bells rang. They offered sacrifices and praises and . . . well they danced. Have you ever had dancers in worship? Maybe liturgical dancers? Or maybe you have been to a church where Dancing in the spirit is more common?
Now I would like to think that if someone broke out in dance during worship, you might be surprised, but not upset. Surprised, because it is just not a regular part of our worship tradition here in Reinbeck. About the time this church was started though, the Holy Rollers were popular; they were people who were very emotive in their worship. Dancing in down the aisles was part of that tradition. And in many churches today it would not be anything unusual to see people spontaneously dancing as part of regular worship.
As I said earlier, I am not going to try to convince you to get up and dance. If you are like me, you are way to self conscience to do that unless God just takes my hands and feet and makes them move completely independently of my awkward and ill at ease body.
I do believe, however, that this story and an examination of dance as a paradigm for worship will open new doors and new understandings as we seek to worship God in spirit and in truth.
The very first thing we need to talk about is whose dance is it. Well, let's put it this way. God owns the dance hall, the DJ, the music, the decorations, the food, the electricity and the air. Whose dance do you think it is?
In the Biblical story, the people don't dance because David won a military victory. They don't dance because they have a new king. They don't dance because they are reunited with their long lost brothers to the south. They dance for one reason and one reason only. The Ark of the Covenant. The Ark of God. The Throne of the almighty- and therefore the almighty Himself- has returned to its rightful place. God is present in the Ark and that is the only reason they need to celebrate. That is the only reason they need to dance. The chorus of God's almighty love and infinite grace begins to play and their hearts are filled with the music, and their toes begin to tap. And they can hardly contain themselves.
When you come to worship what is your attitude? Do you come with an anticipation that God is already here and you are ready to party with God? Do you come with your dancing shoes polished and ready to dance? Or do you come daring the preacher to say something that will make you smile? Do you come to a divine celebration or do you come determined to tolerate another hour of church. Do you come because your heart is overflowing with the need and desire to offer yourself to the almighty, or do you come to sit down and wait, hoping that a drop of joy will soak through your fancy clothes and your tough skin- or should I say sin?
I'll tell you, our attitude when we walk in the door makes all the difference in the world. You can see it in the face of the people sitting next to you. I can see it from up here. So I am absolutely sure that God is not fooled
Worship is a dance planned and offered by God. And we need to come to worship with an attitude of anticipation and joy- that our will hearts will beat and our toes will tap.
Second we need to talk about is who is our partner? On dancing with the stars, the stars are each paired with a professional dance partner. In worship we have to look at it two ways.
First, from an individual perspective, we are each paired with the only partner who knows our every step before we take it. We are paired with the only partner in the universe who can truly anticipate our each and every need and desire. In an individual sense God is our perfect dance partner. And God is always inviting us to dance the dance of faith. There is an individual aspect to worship. You come with your own needs and hurts and feelings. You come with the rhythm of your own heart to add to the rhythm of God's music. Individually we can worship God at any time, in any context, at home, in the hospital, in school or work, in jail, under the stars or beside a babbling brook. That is certainly worship. But that is different from corporate worship.
Corporate worship is more than that. So second, in addition to your one on one dance with God, on Sunday morning or Wednesday night we are also engaged in . . . well you might imagine a line dance or a circle dance. I hesitate to say the "hokey pokey" because someone might think I am making fun of corporate worship.
I can't say hokey pokey without taking a minute to remember the creator of the hokey pokey whom they tried to burry recently. I say tried because they had a terrible time at his funeral. It was really a problem with the casket. You see they'd put his right hand in, he'd put his right hand out, they'd put his right hand in and . . . well never mind.
But I use the hokey pokey because everyone has done it and knows what I am talking about. Everyone is doing the same thing whether it is the hokey pokey, the Macarena, or the chicken dance- everyone dancing to the same music--- everyone doing the same dance steps creates community and unity both with each other and with God.
Technically, we might say that God invites each of to the dance, but asks us all to dance together. We sit together, stand together, sing together and pray together. We laugh together and cry together, and we grow closer to God together. Although in our individualistic society many people think of worship in terms of what I get out of it. In terms of how it makes ME feel. The truth is that corporate worship is far from an individual event. It is a WE event. Us and God. God and us.
When you come to worship what is your focus. Is your focus on yourself, or is it on the one who asks us to dance together as the people of God.
SO, First, we know it is God's dance, God owns everything from the dance hall to the DJ.
Second we know that God is the one who asks us to dance- not just individually, but corporately.
Third we need to be very clear about who is leading. You know what happens if both people on the dance floor try to lead. Picture 3 stooges, stepping on each other's feet, slapping each other up side the head and pulling on each other's noses. That's what it looks like when both partners try to lead.
If I were to ask you who leads worship, most of you would probably look at me cross-eyed and say "You do silly." But as the preacher I am keenly aware that I am not really in charge. I am a lowly choreographer; and if we aren't all stepping together; if our steps don't fit God's rhythm including mine we look more like the three stooges than the body of Christ.
There are times when as a preacher I come over to practice on Saturday night what I wrote on Friday, and I just know it isn't right. It is either out of step with you or out of step with God. That isn't as frightening as finding out on Sunday morning that I am out of step. Those of you who follow the large print texts know when that happens don't you? Every good preacher will tell you that no how prepared they are when he/or she stands up to preach they don't want to be in control. They want to give the lead to God.
So I ask you today, whose lead are you following in worship? Who is leading you in the dance? I don't want it to be me. And I hope you don't want it to be you.
Finally, when we are clear who owns the ball room, who invites us to dance, and who is leading; we are finally ready to address the goal of the dance. The goal of the dance is to get the partners dancing as one. Absolutely synchronized, absolutely perfectly mirroring each other, absolutely perfectly in tune and moving as one.
And hearing that, do you see? That is what we are about in worship too? Synchronizing out lives with God. Matching our attitudes with God's. Making our movement one, our hearts one, our desires one, our hopes one, our decisions one with God. If I'm out of step, you help get me in line. If you're out of step I help get you in line. That's what we are about in the dance of worship.
God owns the hall
God invites us to the dance
God leads us in the dance
And finally God shapes us and moulds us in the dance of worship to live our lives choreographed by his love, his grace and his plan.
Isn't that cool? I'll tell you Dancing with the stars is nothing compared to dancing with the divine! It is nothing compared to the dance of worship
God has provide the hall
The invitation is extended
God 's hand is out ready to lead- and shape our lives. . . if only we will let him.
Every song we sing- ever word we say- every move we make is part of the great dance of Worship. Let's stand and sing Every move we make.
--
Terry Plocher
Reinbeck UMC
