Third Friday of Advent
Scripture Reading for Today:
Psalm 89:1-4, 19-26
A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite.I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. 2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. 3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to David my servant, 4 ‘I will establish your line forever and make your throne firm through all generations.’”
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19 Once you spoke in a vision, to your faithful people you said: “I have bestowed strength on a warrior; I have raised up a young man from among the people. 20 I have found David my servant; with my sacred oil I have anointed him. 21 My hand will sustain him; surely my arm will strengthen him. 22 The enemy will not get the better of him; the wicked will not oppress him. 23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down his adversaries. 24 My faithful love will be with him, and through my name his horn will be exalted. 25 I will set his hand over the sea, his right hand over the rivers. 26 He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, the Rock my Savior.’
2 Samuel 6:12-19
12 Now King David was told, “The Lord has blessed the household of Obed-Edom and everything he has, because of the ark of God.” So David went to bring up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom to the City of David with rejoicing. 13 When those who were carrying the ark of the Lord had taken six steps, he sacrificed a bull and a fattened calf. 14 Wearing a linen ephod, David was dancing before the Lord with all his might, 15 while he and all Israel were bringing up the ark of the Lord with shouts and the sound of trumpets. 16 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. 17 They brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place inside the tent that David had pitched for it, and David sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings before the Lord. 18 After he had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the Lord Almighty. 19 Then he gave a loaf of bread, a cake of dates and a cake of raisins to each person in the whole crowd of Israelites, both men and women. And all the people went to their homes.
Hebrews 1:5-14
The Son Superior to Angels5 For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father”? Or again, “I will be his Father, and he will be my Son”? 6 And again, when God brings his firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” 7 In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.” 8 But about the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.” 10 He also says, “In the beginning, Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. 11 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. 12 You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end.” 13 To which of the angels did God ever say, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? 14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Dancing in the Darkness
by Matt Arguin
Matt Arguin is an Anglican priest in the Diocese of Huron. He currently serves on a part-time basis providing coverage for sabbaticals and long-term leaves. Rev'd Argun has always had a passion for outreach and support to the unhoused and works with several volunteer groups in London, Ontario.
As we reach the end of the Advent season, it’s not lost on me that the reflection I’ve been asked to write falls on December 22nd; the arrival of the winter solstice and the longest night of the year.
The reality of encroaching darkness has been with us for some time, and perhaps – like me – you’ve had to fight the urge to crawl into bed by 5:00 pm as your body tries to tell you it’s time for sleep, and the daylight seems to last only for an instant.
This time of year also tends to trigger seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D.) which can range anywhere from simply feeling “off” for a few weeks to major depressive episodes. It doesn’t seem like there is much on this day to celebrate, let alone be surprised by.
The first time I went through the lectionary readings, nothing stood out to me. Sure, there is a general sense of praise for God’s faithfulness in Psalm 89, but that’s kinda what I expected. Same thing with Hebrews, where the themes of adoption and covenant are plentiful throughout the entire letter.
David dancing in front of the Ark felt like it was pretty straightforward until I delved a little bit deeper into the story.
Back up just a few chapters, and we learn that David has been put through the emotional ringer. Forced to flee from his home, David is reluctantly thrown into battle to defend himself and save the people of Israel. At the end of it all, he loses both King Saul and Jonathan, both of whom he loved dearly. (2 Sam 1:17-27)
Add to this the fact that Uzzah is struck dead for touching the Ark (2 Sam 6:6-7) and it makes complete sense that David feels lost and afraid in the darkness that surrounds him (v. 9).
Yet it is precisely here that things change. It is precisely here that David decides to dance to Jerusalem with all his might; to the shock of many a courtier and even his own wife.
Dancing was not something a king was expected to do. After all, the monarchs of ancient Israel also served as high priest for the people. To dance was at best a breach of decorum, and at worst the influence of pagan worship rituals.
But David is willing to look foolish, not to influence the crowd, but simply to celebrate God’s presence (2 Sam 6:21).
I can’t help but think that this story in Scripture may hold something for us on the longest night of the year. A reminder that dancing and times of celebration like Christmastide don’t appear out of nowhere.
Christmas is a holy time that emerges from struggle and pain. It stands on the horizon of a world that is still scarred by war and violence. We light Advent wreathes in recognition that although there is darkness in the world, it will not overcome the Light of hope, peace, joy and love.
Lord Jesus, come soon! Come and be born in our hearts!
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