Come and celebrate
Commentary
Object:
I recently saw on a church sign the times listed there for their worship services. But at the top in large white letters was this message: "Come and Celebrate!" That should be on the sign in front of every church!
This is why we gather each Sunday -- to celebrate. That's what worship is. "Worship is the interruption of work to celebrate" (Von Ogden Vogt).
This is what David was doing in our Old Testament lesson for today. He was leading the people in a celebration. Just look how he did it: dancing before the Lord with all his might! All the people joined him, singing, shouting, and dancing for joy. Why shouldn't they celebrate? In the previous chapter we see how God had given them victories over the Philistines, their hated enemies; how God had the twelve tribes and chosen David as their shepherd. Now, on this day, the ark of the covenant, the very symbol of the presence of God was being brought into the holy city. If ever there was a time for celebration, it was this day.
When I read this story, this image of David dancing with all his might before the Lord spoke to me as the kind of joy and spirit of celebration that characterizes our worship and the whole Christian community for that matter, for we, of all people, have so much to be thankful for. Of all people, we have the most to celebrate.
The issue is not how we express our joy, or how we actually celebrate in worship. What matters most is that we have this joy inside that we want to celebrate. It doesn't really matter how we express it or show it, only that we have it and find ways to express it.
"O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, The glories of my God and king, the triumphs of his grace!" That's one of the first hymns in most hymnals because it is the first and foremost order of business each time we gather.
There is so much to celebrate, if we will look for it.
Remember this above all else was what Paul was saying in the passage from Ephesians. God has not withheld one single spiritual blessing from you, because God loves you. It doesn't matter what you've done or how far away you feel you have strayed. God still loves you. You are God's child. You have been adopted into God's family. You have been forgiven. The slate is clean. So, come and celebrate.
2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
A couple of movies kept coming to mind as I read about David moving the ark of the covenant. One is Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark. Indy goes after the ark, trying to get it before the Nazi's do. He finds it in the Well of Souls buried in the sands of Egypt. If you wish to get a pretty good idea of what it must have looked like (for they did a tolerable version) then watch the relevant parts of that movie. The other movie was titled King David, starring, of all people, a young Richard Gere. The scene I remember most is the young king clad only in a loincloth dancing for all his might before the ark. It must have been very much like the day described in today's text.
The ark, also called the "ark of the covenant" was a chest or box. It was thought to contain at least pieces of the original Ten Commandments written in stone and given to Moses (as well as a piece of manna and Aaron's budding rod). It was carried by the Israelites through the wilderness and often at the head of their armies in battle. It was seen as the portable throne of God, that is, God's invisible presence was thought to be enthroned upon it. It was the most sacred artifact they possessed. It was their Holy Grail. And so sacred was it that to touch it could well mean death and did for one poor soul who thought it was going to topple over and went to steady it (see vv. 6-7 not included in today's reading). It represented the presence of God with the people. Moving it to his capital was both a religious and political move. I do not wish to understate the religious convictions of David. No doubt he does this out of his desire to please and worship God. It would also be helpful politically to have the ark in his possession and control in his capital.
Actually, David makes two attempts to bring the ark to Jerusalem. The first one fails when Uzzah dies when touching it. That would put a damper on the festivities, would it not? So David waits three months later for another attempt (v. 15). Perhaps this is a warning that one does not try to manipulate God, especially for personal or political reasons. Candidates for office might well remember this.
David saw that the presence of the ark with Obed-edom (where it had been temporarily stored) had blessed him and his family, so then he decides to try again to take it to Jerusalem (v. 12a). If it blessed Obed-edom, then it would bless David as well.
But David is cautious. He has them move it only six steps and then offers a sacrifice, clearly as a way of seeking God's favor on this venture.
David, unable to control his joy, strips almost to his birthday suit and leads the procession with a dance, while priests and those playing instruments followed. The Hebrew word here translated as "dance" seems to imply more a whirling motion (something the movie on David I mentioned above depicts). It is unrestrained joy before the Lord.
As far as we know, God was worshiped through the dance (see Psalm 87:7). Psalm 150 even tells us to worship God through the "dance." One of the most moving things I have witnessed in a worship service (no pun intended) was a liturgical dance that acted out the story of creation as read from Genesis. Besides, dancing is a natural way to express joy and celebration. Have you ever noticed what little children do quite naturally when they are happy? They dance about. And most cultures have dance as a part of their cultural and religious lives. So it was only natural that dance would be used even in worship.
But Michal, wife of David and daughter of Saul, looks out her window at this commotion and finds what David is doing despicable. She, in essence, calls him a "dirty old man." Her objection seems to be his public display in such skimpy clothing. She is, for whatever reason, not able to feel the joy David feels this day. As a result, she is demoted in David's harem (see vv. 20-23).
The ark at last comes to Jerusalem and is placed in a special tent David prepared for it. David, acting as king and priest, then offers sacrifices, blesses the people, and bestows food on them. This act of bringing the ark to Jerusalem would help centralize his own power and help make Jerusalem the holy city, the city of David and now the city of God.
Ephesians 1:3-14
It's interesting to look at this passage in the light of the ones above dealing with what makes for joyous worship. If we were to do so, we would see that Paul gives us many reasons for engaging in joyous worship.
For in Christ God has given us every spiritual blessing we can possess.
We are adopted, chosen as God's own children… we belong to God, which is what we just read in Psalm 24:1.
We are redeemed, saved, won back from sin by the sacrifice of Christ.
We are enriched by the wonders of God's grace in Christ.
Blessed us with the wisdom and knowledge of the good news and of God's desire to bring all of creation under the rule of Christ… we have a wonderful part to play in that….
If that's not enough, we have been blessed with the gift of the Spirit. It is as if we have become little arks of God's new covenant with God coming to live within us!
Is this not reason enough to celebrate, to praise God in joy?
Paul, as he often does, begins with a word of praise and thanksgiving to God. "Praise be to God" was a normal Jewish way to testify to God's greatness. But Paul adds the important Christian designation: "Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." It's this greatest of all gifts that Paul is most thankful for and from whom all other "spiritual blessings" flow. The greatest blessing is being made right with God again through Christ, that is, reconciliation.
Also in these verses is the acknowledgment that, just as Christ had been chosen to bring this all about, now they, too, had been chosen to have a role in God's reconciling work. God blesses always with a purpose in mind -- not just to bless us but so that we can also be bearers of God's blessings into the world. Or, as the Salvation Army motto says, "Saved to serve."
Paul uses so many different images here to talk about what God has done for us through Christ: chosen us, redeemed us, adopted us. The last one is most meaningful to me. It expresses so well the grace of God. It was as if we were orphans. We had nothing, no rights, no power, nothing that would make God accept us. Only God's grace and love adopted us as God's own children. We then are heirs to a wondrous inheritance. Best of all, just as something of the parent is within each child, so something of God is within each of us -- God's own Spirit.
Mark 6:14-29
What we have in today's reading is like a flashback in a novel or movie. It's come to the attention of Herod Antipas that another one like John, maybe even John's ghost, has risen and is causing more problems. Of course, it's Jesus. This leads to verses 17ff which then tells the fate of John the Baptist.
But at the heart of this passage is not so much John as Jesus. Just who is this Jesus? This is the question asked throughout this passage.
The political powers were clueless. So were the religious powers. Even his own disciples were not really sure who he was. No one fully understood him. Are we any different? Do we not tend to put him in pre-fab concepts, trying to mold him into being what we want him to be? But Jesus breaks every mold. Jesus is larger than any theological concept or box in which we try to place him. He's not just a prophet. He's not the messiah as they understood that role. He is someone far greater.
The story of the death of John the Baptist is interesting here. Not only does it deserve attention in its own right as being the death of a faithful servant of God, it also serves as a dark preview of a similar fate for Jesus. Indeed, if you compare how both were arrested, tried, and finally killed, there are many parallels.
The gist of the story in one sense is that being a real servant of God is not an easy calling. Servants, prophets are seldom welcomed with loving arms; but usually with stones, axes, and crosses.
One wonders if one of the tests of faithfulness for the church today to Christ is just how much we are confronted and even persecuted. We have grown quite comfortable and accommodating with the world and the status quo. One of my professors at Duke, used to say, "The greatest challenge the church has faced in each generation is to be the church." That will often mean not being all that popular. After all, the one after whom we call our name was crucified. How can we expect a bed of roses? Or, as someone else has said, God does not look for our plaques and rewards, for our success as the world understands that. God looks for our scars. Faithful following of Jesus often finds us confronted by the evil of both political and religious powers. They would have us dance to their music, to their tunes, to their values, for that's the way to power, to success. But Christ calls us to a new dance, a one of joy, like David's, one that the world often does not understand or appreciate and rejects like that of Jesus. It's a dance of grace. It's dance of love. It's a dance that some don't appreciate, like Michal, and some will hate or fear, like Herod. It is a dance before the throne of a holy God who asks us to live with clean hands and pure hearts. Who really wants to come to that kind of dance? We're gonna dance to someone's tune. Whose will it be?
Alternative Applications
The epistle readings for the next few weeks all come from Ephesians. This is an excellent opportunity to do an in-depth sermon series from this letter. Here are those passages and suggested themes:
1:3-14 All Spiritual Blessings in Christ
2:11-22 God's Building Project
3:14-21 Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians and Us
4:1-16 A Life Worthy of the Calling
4:25-5:2 How to Treat One Another
5:15-20 Redeem the Time
6:10-20 The Whole Armor of God
Someone has said that we are quickly becoming a nation of spectators. Think about that. Rather than going out and playing sports, many of us today choose to sit and watch them. In fact, we are encouraged to be spectators. It's profitable for some. But how much more meaningful when you can get out there and get involved yourself! I love to watch baseball. It's enjoyable. But it's a lot more meaningful when I actually get out there and play myself. (Of course, some sports, like football, I had just as soon sit and watch, for I know it would kill me!)
Worship is not a spectator sport. It requires us to be participants. We cannot be like Michal in today's reading, just looking on and refusing to get involved. David is our role model for active participation in worship.
We do not come here to be entertained. This is not a theater, though the seating sometimes suggests that. The preacher is not the master of ceremonies and the choir is not meant to entertain us with music. We all are, you are, the choir!
Let's talk this morning about what worship is and how we can move from being mere spectators to active participants….
(Here share your understanding of worship. Even go over each order of worship, explaining it and how they can use it to become participants. Ever notice how some people never sing at all? Maybe they have a good reason, but I doubt it. To get something out of worship we have to put more of ourselves into it).
Alternative Application
I really like what Paul said today in the Bible reading. He tells us that we are sealed or marked by the Holy Spirit. What he means is that it's as if God's signature is on us.
Tell me, I found this book lying on the ground one day. I opened it and there was a name inside the cover. Why was that name there?
It means that the book belongs to that person, doesn't it?
Do you have something at home with your name on it? Lots of things I would imagine.
Why do you have your name on it? Because you want everyone to know that it belongs to you. It's important, valued by you, and you wish to keep it, right?
Well, that's kind of what Paul is telling us. When we are baptized, often the sign of the cross is made in water on our forehead. It's kind of like saying, "Now we belong to God." It's really saying, "I'm God's child."
It's a good way to begin each day by looking in the mirror. Even though it might be invisible, if we look enough and in faith, we will see God's signature on us. How it might change our whole day if we remember that we belong to God -- no matter what the day may bring.
This is why we gather each Sunday -- to celebrate. That's what worship is. "Worship is the interruption of work to celebrate" (Von Ogden Vogt).
This is what David was doing in our Old Testament lesson for today. He was leading the people in a celebration. Just look how he did it: dancing before the Lord with all his might! All the people joined him, singing, shouting, and dancing for joy. Why shouldn't they celebrate? In the previous chapter we see how God had given them victories over the Philistines, their hated enemies; how God had the twelve tribes and chosen David as their shepherd. Now, on this day, the ark of the covenant, the very symbol of the presence of God was being brought into the holy city. If ever there was a time for celebration, it was this day.
When I read this story, this image of David dancing with all his might before the Lord spoke to me as the kind of joy and spirit of celebration that characterizes our worship and the whole Christian community for that matter, for we, of all people, have so much to be thankful for. Of all people, we have the most to celebrate.
The issue is not how we express our joy, or how we actually celebrate in worship. What matters most is that we have this joy inside that we want to celebrate. It doesn't really matter how we express it or show it, only that we have it and find ways to express it.
"O for a thousand tongues to sing my great Redeemer's praise, The glories of my God and king, the triumphs of his grace!" That's one of the first hymns in most hymnals because it is the first and foremost order of business each time we gather.
There is so much to celebrate, if we will look for it.
Remember this above all else was what Paul was saying in the passage from Ephesians. God has not withheld one single spiritual blessing from you, because God loves you. It doesn't matter what you've done or how far away you feel you have strayed. God still loves you. You are God's child. You have been adopted into God's family. You have been forgiven. The slate is clean. So, come and celebrate.
2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19
A couple of movies kept coming to mind as I read about David moving the ark of the covenant. One is Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark. Indy goes after the ark, trying to get it before the Nazi's do. He finds it in the Well of Souls buried in the sands of Egypt. If you wish to get a pretty good idea of what it must have looked like (for they did a tolerable version) then watch the relevant parts of that movie. The other movie was titled King David, starring, of all people, a young Richard Gere. The scene I remember most is the young king clad only in a loincloth dancing for all his might before the ark. It must have been very much like the day described in today's text.
The ark, also called the "ark of the covenant" was a chest or box. It was thought to contain at least pieces of the original Ten Commandments written in stone and given to Moses (as well as a piece of manna and Aaron's budding rod). It was carried by the Israelites through the wilderness and often at the head of their armies in battle. It was seen as the portable throne of God, that is, God's invisible presence was thought to be enthroned upon it. It was the most sacred artifact they possessed. It was their Holy Grail. And so sacred was it that to touch it could well mean death and did for one poor soul who thought it was going to topple over and went to steady it (see vv. 6-7 not included in today's reading). It represented the presence of God with the people. Moving it to his capital was both a religious and political move. I do not wish to understate the religious convictions of David. No doubt he does this out of his desire to please and worship God. It would also be helpful politically to have the ark in his possession and control in his capital.
Actually, David makes two attempts to bring the ark to Jerusalem. The first one fails when Uzzah dies when touching it. That would put a damper on the festivities, would it not? So David waits three months later for another attempt (v. 15). Perhaps this is a warning that one does not try to manipulate God, especially for personal or political reasons. Candidates for office might well remember this.
David saw that the presence of the ark with Obed-edom (where it had been temporarily stored) had blessed him and his family, so then he decides to try again to take it to Jerusalem (v. 12a). If it blessed Obed-edom, then it would bless David as well.
But David is cautious. He has them move it only six steps and then offers a sacrifice, clearly as a way of seeking God's favor on this venture.
David, unable to control his joy, strips almost to his birthday suit and leads the procession with a dance, while priests and those playing instruments followed. The Hebrew word here translated as "dance" seems to imply more a whirling motion (something the movie on David I mentioned above depicts). It is unrestrained joy before the Lord.
As far as we know, God was worshiped through the dance (see Psalm 87:7). Psalm 150 even tells us to worship God through the "dance." One of the most moving things I have witnessed in a worship service (no pun intended) was a liturgical dance that acted out the story of creation as read from Genesis. Besides, dancing is a natural way to express joy and celebration. Have you ever noticed what little children do quite naturally when they are happy? They dance about. And most cultures have dance as a part of their cultural and religious lives. So it was only natural that dance would be used even in worship.
But Michal, wife of David and daughter of Saul, looks out her window at this commotion and finds what David is doing despicable. She, in essence, calls him a "dirty old man." Her objection seems to be his public display in such skimpy clothing. She is, for whatever reason, not able to feel the joy David feels this day. As a result, she is demoted in David's harem (see vv. 20-23).
The ark at last comes to Jerusalem and is placed in a special tent David prepared for it. David, acting as king and priest, then offers sacrifices, blesses the people, and bestows food on them. This act of bringing the ark to Jerusalem would help centralize his own power and help make Jerusalem the holy city, the city of David and now the city of God.
Ephesians 1:3-14
It's interesting to look at this passage in the light of the ones above dealing with what makes for joyous worship. If we were to do so, we would see that Paul gives us many reasons for engaging in joyous worship.
For in Christ God has given us every spiritual blessing we can possess.
We are adopted, chosen as God's own children… we belong to God, which is what we just read in Psalm 24:1.
We are redeemed, saved, won back from sin by the sacrifice of Christ.
We are enriched by the wonders of God's grace in Christ.
Blessed us with the wisdom and knowledge of the good news and of God's desire to bring all of creation under the rule of Christ… we have a wonderful part to play in that….
If that's not enough, we have been blessed with the gift of the Spirit. It is as if we have become little arks of God's new covenant with God coming to live within us!
Is this not reason enough to celebrate, to praise God in joy?
Paul, as he often does, begins with a word of praise and thanksgiving to God. "Praise be to God" was a normal Jewish way to testify to God's greatness. But Paul adds the important Christian designation: "Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." It's this greatest of all gifts that Paul is most thankful for and from whom all other "spiritual blessings" flow. The greatest blessing is being made right with God again through Christ, that is, reconciliation.
Also in these verses is the acknowledgment that, just as Christ had been chosen to bring this all about, now they, too, had been chosen to have a role in God's reconciling work. God blesses always with a purpose in mind -- not just to bless us but so that we can also be bearers of God's blessings into the world. Or, as the Salvation Army motto says, "Saved to serve."
Paul uses so many different images here to talk about what God has done for us through Christ: chosen us, redeemed us, adopted us. The last one is most meaningful to me. It expresses so well the grace of God. It was as if we were orphans. We had nothing, no rights, no power, nothing that would make God accept us. Only God's grace and love adopted us as God's own children. We then are heirs to a wondrous inheritance. Best of all, just as something of the parent is within each child, so something of God is within each of us -- God's own Spirit.
Mark 6:14-29
What we have in today's reading is like a flashback in a novel or movie. It's come to the attention of Herod Antipas that another one like John, maybe even John's ghost, has risen and is causing more problems. Of course, it's Jesus. This leads to verses 17ff which then tells the fate of John the Baptist.
But at the heart of this passage is not so much John as Jesus. Just who is this Jesus? This is the question asked throughout this passage.
The political powers were clueless. So were the religious powers. Even his own disciples were not really sure who he was. No one fully understood him. Are we any different? Do we not tend to put him in pre-fab concepts, trying to mold him into being what we want him to be? But Jesus breaks every mold. Jesus is larger than any theological concept or box in which we try to place him. He's not just a prophet. He's not the messiah as they understood that role. He is someone far greater.
The story of the death of John the Baptist is interesting here. Not only does it deserve attention in its own right as being the death of a faithful servant of God, it also serves as a dark preview of a similar fate for Jesus. Indeed, if you compare how both were arrested, tried, and finally killed, there are many parallels.
The gist of the story in one sense is that being a real servant of God is not an easy calling. Servants, prophets are seldom welcomed with loving arms; but usually with stones, axes, and crosses.
One wonders if one of the tests of faithfulness for the church today to Christ is just how much we are confronted and even persecuted. We have grown quite comfortable and accommodating with the world and the status quo. One of my professors at Duke, used to say, "The greatest challenge the church has faced in each generation is to be the church." That will often mean not being all that popular. After all, the one after whom we call our name was crucified. How can we expect a bed of roses? Or, as someone else has said, God does not look for our plaques and rewards, for our success as the world understands that. God looks for our scars. Faithful following of Jesus often finds us confronted by the evil of both political and religious powers. They would have us dance to their music, to their tunes, to their values, for that's the way to power, to success. But Christ calls us to a new dance, a one of joy, like David's, one that the world often does not understand or appreciate and rejects like that of Jesus. It's a dance of grace. It's dance of love. It's a dance that some don't appreciate, like Michal, and some will hate or fear, like Herod. It is a dance before the throne of a holy God who asks us to live with clean hands and pure hearts. Who really wants to come to that kind of dance? We're gonna dance to someone's tune. Whose will it be?
Alternative Applications
The epistle readings for the next few weeks all come from Ephesians. This is an excellent opportunity to do an in-depth sermon series from this letter. Here are those passages and suggested themes:
1:3-14 All Spiritual Blessings in Christ
2:11-22 God's Building Project
3:14-21 Paul's Prayer for the Ephesians and Us
4:1-16 A Life Worthy of the Calling
4:25-5:2 How to Treat One Another
5:15-20 Redeem the Time
6:10-20 The Whole Armor of God
Someone has said that we are quickly becoming a nation of spectators. Think about that. Rather than going out and playing sports, many of us today choose to sit and watch them. In fact, we are encouraged to be spectators. It's profitable for some. But how much more meaningful when you can get out there and get involved yourself! I love to watch baseball. It's enjoyable. But it's a lot more meaningful when I actually get out there and play myself. (Of course, some sports, like football, I had just as soon sit and watch, for I know it would kill me!)
Worship is not a spectator sport. It requires us to be participants. We cannot be like Michal in today's reading, just looking on and refusing to get involved. David is our role model for active participation in worship.
We do not come here to be entertained. This is not a theater, though the seating sometimes suggests that. The preacher is not the master of ceremonies and the choir is not meant to entertain us with music. We all are, you are, the choir!
Let's talk this morning about what worship is and how we can move from being mere spectators to active participants….
(Here share your understanding of worship. Even go over each order of worship, explaining it and how they can use it to become participants. Ever notice how some people never sing at all? Maybe they have a good reason, but I doubt it. To get something out of worship we have to put more of ourselves into it).
Alternative Application
I really like what Paul said today in the Bible reading. He tells us that we are sealed or marked by the Holy Spirit. What he means is that it's as if God's signature is on us.
Tell me, I found this book lying on the ground one day. I opened it and there was a name inside the cover. Why was that name there?
It means that the book belongs to that person, doesn't it?
Do you have something at home with your name on it? Lots of things I would imagine.
Why do you have your name on it? Because you want everyone to know that it belongs to you. It's important, valued by you, and you wish to keep it, right?
Well, that's kind of what Paul is telling us. When we are baptized, often the sign of the cross is made in water on our forehead. It's kind of like saying, "Now we belong to God." It's really saying, "I'm God's child."
It's a good way to begin each day by looking in the mirror. Even though it might be invisible, if we look enough and in faith, we will see God's signature on us. How it might change our whole day if we remember that we belong to God -- no matter what the day may bring.
