The linen dance

"Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 

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. 

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!” 

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. 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.” 

And Michal daughter of Saul had no children to the day of her death." 

(2 Samuel 6:14-16, 20-23 NIV)

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It was a joyous celebration again, after a fatal incident when Uzzah tried to save the ark from falling to ground, the ark was placed in Obed-Edom, David was angry & afraid of God, and in the 3 months God blessed Obed-Edom, till David was convinced and finally brought it back to the City of David.

And he danced with such celebration by wearing the ephod, a simple piece of vest-like clothing usually wore by the priest over their robes. A powerful king stooped down, wearing a symbol of ministry & servanthood, half-naked, dancing with the crowds. He could be leaping from side to side following the rhythms of the trumpets, or to the shouts & cheers from the crowd. The boy who probably once danced & sang to the Lord alone in the wilderness/pastures with the flock is now expressing himself fully with the people.

How many times have I despised those who seem to be so weird at worship during service. The ones whose hands never stop trembling, the extremely jubilant, the avid dancer, the super concentrated, and the clubbing moves.

God never delights just in my style of worship, or just my style of reverence to Him. If He would mind, probably we will have a dispute in heaven someday, and segregate into zones of varying level of preferences.

But He delights in the praises that comes from a pure heart, whether coming from singing reserved to the choir on stage, or the hipsters that turn the pulpit into a dance floor.