Some behold God where countless others look and don't see God at all. David was that kind of man. Where his presumptuous priest and his scornful wife could only see a gilded box and frenzied crowd, he could see God. This has to be deepest reality, to see God, glimpsing what remains after all else is shaken out and burned. We tend to respond to the breaking in of “deepest reality” in many ways, resorting to bureaucracy, policing, aloofness, scorn, pride, false humility, ridicule… Or we may just dance!
I know a lady who dances in church. No matter how bad the music, no matter what song, no matter how much those around her disapprove, no matter how hard her life -- scorned or loved, entertaining or envied -- she worships with all her might, her face upturned and radiant, her arms spread angelic, cruciform, an instinctive gesture of relinquishment and acceptance, her body alive with God hunger. She dances because she sees God. Right there in the midst of a multitude of people preoccupied with self life, anxious to get through the service so they can go home feeling good about themselves, this lady finds the table God has prepared for her in His presence, and surrounded by the enemy, she dances.
Between death and barrenness, in a steep narrow place, David found God’s table and David danced, a little bit of Shimmy, a little bit of Twist and a whole lot of Locomotion, David leaped and twirled in wild limbed abandonment. There’s something about seeing God during worship that can drive even a king to “get down.” Undignified? Well yes. Repulsive? To some: The ones who only see God on walls under glass, framed and hung. But isn’t this the point?
Worship is all about seeing God -- His Presence, His Face – Seeing God. Christ rent the veil of separation on the cross, creating a doorway of opportunity into God’s holiest place, His presence. Sometimes we never find the veil, other times we find the rend and peek through. But there are times when we pry the rend apart stepping through the veil into Him, and we dance or pogo or prostrate or wave or vibrate or sob or run or shout…The exuberance within will demonstrate when we see God, producing energetic and prolific manifestations flowing out of bodies not yet fully equipped for divine engagement.
Worship still resides in that steep narrow place between the presumptuous, those who want to protect God from mishap or embarrassment, and the scornful, those who want to protect the dignity, sanctity and propriety of worship, with watchwords like modesty and moderation, who in reality are protecting themselves. Both want to legislate worship, but worship is a dicey thing, always wanting to push beyond man’s opinions and is by its very nature, freestyle. As long as scriptural propriety is maintained, whether one backstrokes, breaststrokes, dog-paddles or just floats is between them and God. The living water of God’s corporate worship-pool should provide the freedom to splash around without legislating how to swim; even a half-naked king should feel welcome. And somehow, in the unfathomable mysteries of God, our flailing about in His pool ascribes and declares His worth – the true meaning of the old English “weorthscipe” -- and brings delight to the Father’s heart. Go figure that one out!
I know a lady who dances in church. No matter how bad the music, no matter what song, no matter how much those around her disapprove, no matter how hard her life -- scorned or loved, entertaining or envied -- she worships with all her might, her face upturned and radiant, her arms spread angelic, cruciform, an instinctive gesture of relinquishment and acceptance, her body alive with God hunger. She dances because she sees God. Right there in the midst of a multitude of people preoccupied with self life, anxious to get through the service so they can go home feeling good about themselves, this lady finds the table God has prepared for her in His presence, and surrounded by the enemy, she dances.
Between death and barrenness, in a steep narrow place, David found God’s table and David danced, a little bit of Shimmy, a little bit of Twist and a whole lot of Locomotion, David leaped and twirled in wild limbed abandonment. There’s something about seeing God during worship that can drive even a king to “get down.” Undignified? Well yes. Repulsive? To some: The ones who only see God on walls under glass, framed and hung. But isn’t this the point?
Worship is all about seeing God -- His Presence, His Face – Seeing God. Christ rent the veil of separation on the cross, creating a doorway of opportunity into God’s holiest place, His presence. Sometimes we never find the veil, other times we find the rend and peek through. But there are times when we pry the rend apart stepping through the veil into Him, and we dance or pogo or prostrate or wave or vibrate or sob or run or shout…The exuberance within will demonstrate when we see God, producing energetic and prolific manifestations flowing out of bodies not yet fully equipped for divine engagement.
Worship still resides in that steep narrow place between the presumptuous, those who want to protect God from mishap or embarrassment, and the scornful, those who want to protect the dignity, sanctity and propriety of worship, with watchwords like modesty and moderation, who in reality are protecting themselves. Both want to legislate worship, but worship is a dicey thing, always wanting to push beyond man’s opinions and is by its very nature, freestyle. As long as scriptural propriety is maintained, whether one backstrokes, breaststrokes, dog-paddles or just floats is between them and God. The living water of God’s corporate worship-pool should provide the freedom to splash around without legislating how to swim; even a half-naked king should feel welcome. And somehow, in the unfathomable mysteries of God, our flailing about in His pool ascribes and declares His worth – the true meaning of the old English “weorthscipe” -- and brings delight to the Father’s heart. Go figure that one out!
SEE (Greek, Eido): MEANS TO PERCEIVE, EXPERIENCE, KNOW
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