Advent Day 6 – 2 Samuel 5 verses 14 – 22 (Song – Will you Dance?)
Bible Reading 2 Samuel 5 verses 14 – 22
14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets.
16 As the ark of the Lord was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart.
17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.
20 When David returned home to bless his household, Michal daughter of Saul came out to meet him and said, “How the king of Israel has distinguished himself today, going around half-naked in full view of the slave girls of his servants as any vulgar fellow would!”
21 David said to Michal, “It was before the Lord, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the Lord’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the Lord. 22 I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes. But by these slave girls you spoke of, I will be held in honor.”
Opening Prayer
Loving God, may this time of Advent and Christmas be a time of celebration. A time when we set aside all of the things which keep us from truly worshiping you. Help us to leap and dance, in our hearts if not with our legs and arms. Let our hearts overflow and our voices burst forth with dances and songs giving praise to you. Immanuel come to us. Amen.
Reflection
Whilst away on a recent holiday I was lucky enough to get the last ticket to go and see Wishbone Ash in concert. A band I last saw in the 1970’s. To be fair there was only one original member in the band but it was terrific. The only downside was that we were all in theatre seats and although I was able to “jiggle” about I couldn’t get down and boogie along to the tunes of my youth. I was introduced to Wishbone Ash by a schoolmate and we used to go to each others houses and play cards (cribbage and bridge as we were Grammar School boys!) but we would listen to our newest or favourite records while we did so. Argus by Wishbone Ash was a regular favourite alongside many more which I still listen to.
The song today was written the morning after the concert.
As I read this passage, I was tempted to think of our worship services. We are reluctant to even sway in our seats never mind leaping out to the front and dancing with abandon. Like my concert visit we are chained to our chairs and allowed or probably more accurately only want minimal movement.
You will find a few rocky songs in this series which I regularly bop around the house to. God wants us to worship him with all of our senses and abilities. As the song says will we let our insecurities and embarresment go and just dance before the Lord as David did? I hope we are able to be so filled with love for God that we will on a regular basis come before him singing and dancing.
Ros and I are leading worship on Christmas Day and maybe I should play this and make everyone dance along! I promise I won’t so don’t be put off from coming….
A time for your own reflection
Read the passage again and spend a little time thinking of how the passage speaks to you. The wonder of scripture is that there is always something new to discover and each passage speaks to us in our own need and circumstances.
Only if you feel you want to – share your thoughts with someone. God inspires our thoughts and you never know, the person you share with may be waiting to hear what you have to say.
Song
Here is the next song –
“Will you dance?”
A simple song today. One you can dance to. David danced with abandon before the ark of the covenant and some thought him foolish. David was unrepentant as what else could he do!
I had the idea that the verses would follow the visitors to the stable and wrote some words for that but they did not really work. Then I thought really this is about our reaction to the presence of God. Will we abandon our dignity and show our passion for God by dancing. So the song became a challenge to us and a response that we will!
I apologise that I could not make the singer sing overflows in the third and fourth verse. The machine insisted it would be overflowed (aaargh).
Title: Will you Dance?
Words: Chris Hancock
Music: Generated on Sumo.com
[Verse 1]
David danced before the Lord,
So many years ago,
Some people thought him foolish,
But his love for God overflowed.
[Chorus]
Dance, dance, dance with David.
As you dance before the Lord.
Filled with awe and wonder,
Your heart filled with his love.
[Verse 2]
Shepherds danced before the Lord,
So many years ago,
Some people thought them foolish,
But their love for God overflowed.
[Chorus]
Dance, dance, dance with David.
As you dance before the Lord.
Filled with awe and wonder,
Your heart filled with his love.
[Verse 3]
Will you dance before the Lord?
Will you just let it go?
Some people think us foolish,
But our love for God overflows.
[Chorus]
Dance, dance, dance with David.
As you dance before the Lord.
Filled with awe and wonder,
Your heart filled with his love.
[Verse 4]
We will dance before the Lord.
We will let it go.
Some people think us foolish,
But our love for God overflows
[Chorus]
Dance, dance, dance with David.
As you dance before the Lord.
Filled with awe and wonder,
Your heart filled with his love.
Prayer
Lord, we are so often constrained by what we think is acceptable in church.
What will others think of us, if we express our worship in any way other than what is expected. Staid and respectful singing tried and trusted, theologically correct hymns from three centuries ago.
Help us to see that worship is a time when we come before you and when our love for you burst out from us. In our hearts and souls and in music and dancing.
Help us to set aside those things which prevent us from “letting go”. Let us join with David in leaping and dancing as we hear David’s declaration once again “I will celebrate before the Lord”. Let our music new and old lift us into your presence so that we can know your love for us in every molecule of our being. Amen.
Copyrights
Reflections and Prayers
By Chris Hancock
Songs
Words of the songs are by Chris Hancock
Music generated on Suno.com
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Bible Readings
Bible readings are from the New International Version (NIV)
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Images
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