This Week

This week at praxis...Shake Your Groove Thing

David again gathered all the chosen men of Israel, 
thirty thousand. David and all the people with 
him set out and went from Baale-judah, 
to bring up from there the ark of God, 
which is called by the name of the LORD of hosts
 who is enthroned on the cherubim.  
They carried the ark of God on a new cart, 
and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, 
which was on the hill. Uzzah and Ahio, 
the sons of Abinadab, were driving the new 
cart with the ark of God; and Ahio went in 
front of the ark.  David and all the house 
of Israel were dancing before the LORD with 
all their might, with songs and lyres and 
harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals.

So David went and brought up the ark of God 
from the house of Obed-edom to the city of 
David with rejoicing; and when those who bore 
the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, 
he sacrificed an ox and a fatling.  
David danced before the LORD with all his might; 
David was girded with a linen ephod.
So David and all the house of Israel 
brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting, 
and with the sound of the trumpet.
 As the ark of the LORD came into the 
city of David, Michal daughter of Saul 
looked out of the window, and saw 
King David leaping and dancing before 
the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.  T
hey brought in the ark of the LORD, 
and set it in its place, 
inside the tent that David had 
pitched for it; and David offered 
burnt offerings and offerings of 
well-being before the LORD.  
When David had finished offering the 
burnt offerings and the offerings of well-being, 
he blessed the people in the name of 
the LORD of hosts, and distributed food 
among all the people, the whole multitude 
of Israel, both men and women, 
to each a cake of bread, a portion of meat, 
and a cake of raisins. Then all the people went back to their homes. 
- II Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19

From the oldest of times people danced 
for a number of reasons. They danced in prayer, 
or so the harvest to be plentiful or so 
the hunt would be good.  And they danced 
to stay physically fit and to show community 
spirit and they danced to celebrate.   
That is the kind of dancing we are talking about. 
In Psalm 149 it says, Pray to the Lord and 
sing a new song. Praise him in dance.  
It was King David, and what did David do? 
Danced before them leaping and dancing.  
Ecclesiastes assures us there is a time 
to every purpose. This is a time to dance.  
There was a time for this law but not any more. 
See, this is our time. Our way of celebrating life. 
Like it was in the beginning, always has been, should be now. 
- Kevin Bacon,  "Footloose"

God respects us 
when we work but loves us 
when we dance. 
--- Sufi saying 

One hot, full moon night an irresistible 
rhythm struck me to the core. 
I could not resist its call. 
For the first time in months I got up 
and started moving. ...I forgot everything 
but the beat. Under its spell, I surrendered, 
holding back nothing, nothing at all.
Lost in the spirit of the dance I found a path, 
a dancing path, that took me to the deepest 
most alive place I had ever been. ...this is what I had been searching for. 
God had spoken to me without saying a word. 
--- Gabrielle Roth "Sweat Your Prayers
 
Throngs of people overwhelm the club,
only the constant movement 
allows more bodies to fit.

In her own private space,
amid the swarm, one 
woman dances alone.

Mahogany hair arcs out round her, 
defining the border of
her private world.

Eyes half closed,
she sees only the images,
formed by the music in her mind.

Not only her ears 
hear the music, every 
pore of her skin is drinking it. 

Beating the constant rhythm,
her heart became 
the bass line hours ago.

Her body undulates, 
sways and pulsates, 
emphasizing subtle notes. 

Others desire to 
attract, entice 
with the music.

She wishes to fuse herself,
to lose herself,
in the music.
-"Dancer," Jan M Russell 



Questions:


	Is dancing sacred to you or not?
	Is movement in general sacred to you?
	Was it good for David to dance, or not?  Why did Michal get angry?
	Why would God love us when we dance?  (Sufi quote)
	How does God speak to you without words?