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Stepping Outside Decorum

“A man after God’s own heart” was David, Israel’s king.
Relocating the ark of the covenant made him dance with joy and sing.
Wife Michal was embarrassed at this undignified celebration,
inappropriate for his regal position as head of God’s chosen nation.
King David’s response to Michal? “I celebrate here with God
and will do even more ridiculous things than dance in a priest’s ephod.”

“But everything shall be done in a fitting and orderly way.”
Do we sometimes take this scripture beyond its intent today?
Worship can become like a funeral when spontaneity dies,
choking out vitality and joy, enthusiasm, surprise.
We can’t stand any type of change, must stay in our old rut
that soon becomes much like a grave, our minds and hearts long shut.

Christ stepped outside decorum in his ministry on earth,
gave a whole new view of compassion, exploding into rebirth.
He shocked the scribes and Pharisees by touching a loathsome leper.
The paralytic healed on the Sabbath became an instant high stepper.
Levi, a hated tax collector, extorter, Jewish traitor
was chosen as a disciple and became an apostle later.

Forerunner of the coming Christ was his country cousin, John,
who lived out in the wilderness, no normal clothes to don.
Eating locusts and wild honey, and never drinking wine,
he served in his own peculiar way, which seemed quite out of line.
He oft was called a nut and maybe crazy as a loon,
but he believed God’s promise that the Christ was coming soon.

We should enjoy the Christian walk, not stifle our spark of life
in dignified stoicism with no happy trumpet or fife.
New converts’ enthusiasm often is put to death
by the old and staid and cynical before it can hardly draw breath.
We must examine ourselves each day, our motives to discern,
looking for ways to grow and change, never too tired to learn.

Do we encourage, like Barnabas? Gladly suffer like Paul?
Give aid to the poor and downtrodden with their backs against the wall?
Can we dance with joy like David, or act like his hateful wife?
Rededicate, rejoice, re-spark, reclaim a redeemed new life.
God gave us a song; we should dare to sing and praise the sacrifice
he gave for our salvation–victorious Jesus Christ!

Cora Gail Trent
From a sermon by Neil Swain