Friday, April 30, 2010

Rejoice in God's Presence

"And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the Lord, she despised him in her heart." -- 2 Samuel 6:16b

I have to chuckle when I read this Bible verse. Saul's daughter Michal, who also was David's wife, would have fit right in with some of our conservative Southern churches.

People who attend these churches face a rigid set of unwritten, manmade rules. Failure to follow said rules will result in heavy frowns, ostracism and, in some cases, "advice" from the preacher, deacons or other church leaders. It is so ridiculous that it would be comical if it wasn't so sad.

I can assure you that dancing in one of these conservative churches is not allowed. Neither is clapping along with the music. Attendees are to remain solemn though an occasional chuckle is allowed if the preacher tells a joke. That is rare.

Some don't see this as a bad thing. Quite a few naps are taken during the service. This works fine as long as one spouse stays awake to keep the other from snoring and disrupting services. This person is also in charge of waking the other person when it's time to stand at the end of the sermon.

The dress code is fairly rigid. Men should wear coats and ties. Women should wear conservative dresses, complete with hose and heels. Older women tend to scandalize the preacher with their pantsuits. Personally, I think anyone who is critical -- and this person is almost always a man -- should be forced to put on and wear panty hose when he is 80.

To my knowledge, God never told His children to dress a specific way before they worshipped Him. He did instruct the priests who attended Him in the Tabernacle how to dress but not the rest of us. I've often said that God cares more about our hearts than about whether we're wearing jeans or a fancy dress.

I also find it fascinating that David -- a man God chose to be king over His people -- danced and celebrated God. Who in the world ever decided that we could only worship God with a certain, conservative style? I love to see children dancing along with the music. When people clap or lift their hands in praise, I believe God smiles as He watches His children rejoice at His presence.

God expects us to honor Him and show Him respect. How much more can we do so when we celebrate God with love that comes from the heart rather than restrictions that come from man.