This week we are officially resuming in-person worship. In part to mark that event, and because it is the first Sunday of the month, we will be celebrating Communion during worship.
The Scripture Reading this week is 2 Samuel 6
The Sermon title is Dance! Celebrate! Wait?
Early Thoughts: Where are we in the story? Are we at the end when the Ark of the Covenant has finally been brought into David's capital city? Are we at the beginning when the Ark is still hidden away? Are we in the middle, where the Ark is coming "home" but has to take a break part way, so the celebration is not yet complete? [Or maybe we are years later after it has been lost and we are traveling with Indiana Jones to save it from the Nazi's??? 😎]
The Ark of the Covenant has a storied history in Scripture and in myth/legend. Here is the Wikipedia entry on it. Suffice to say that during the wars with the Philistines the Ark had been captured and then got moved around to a few different dwelling places. Now that David has captured Jerusalem/Zion and is making it into his capital city he decides it is time that the Ark be brought into the city. It would be a sign that God was with David, and by extension the nation of Israel.
This is a cause for celebration. God has granted David and Israel victory over the Philistines. In the future Jerusalem/Zion would be known as they place where God dwelt because the Ark was there. David's son, Solomon, would build a grand temple and the Ark would have a place of honour at the core of the Temple.
But things don't quite go to plan. The Ark is about to fall so one of the attendants touches it to steady it and is struck dead. David is afraid and cancels the parade for three months. Then the journey is concluded with much dancing and sacrifice and celebration. David himself, it is said, dances so enthusiastically (and so scantily clad) that he exposes himself to the crowd.
This week marks a time of return for us. Back in March we had our regular church service on March 15th and then everything changed. Our chances to gather together have been limited for almost 6 months now. But now we are resuming in-person worship. A time to celebrate! A time to dance!
And yet it is still not the same. There will still be some people who will not feel comfortable/safe in group gatherings and so will continue to join us virtually. Our worship will look and feel different with distancing measures and masks in place. It is still a time of waiting and adapting.
I think the closest approximation is that we are in the middle of the story. Celebrating and returning but not quite all the way home. But still it is a time for celebrating. Maybe even dancing a little -- although that ma happen more in our hearts and souls than actually moving our feet. I guess you could dance your way up to receive communion?
--Gord
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