Reading and praying with these scriptures - in the context of events this week in our diocese, in our church and in the larger world AND in the sweltering heat - it was with some surprise that what leaped out at me was -Dancing and prophecy. Dancing and prophecy. Now don't worry, I will not give any dancing or prophetic demonstrations - in the heat in this alb I am likely to pass out and then you would miss the rest of the homily!!

On the surface it is obvious that there is dancing in both the OT reading and the NT gospel.

David and the house of Israel dance with all their might as the ark, the presence of God, is brought home to the city of David, Jerusalem.

In the gospel, Herodias dances with all her skill and so moves Herod and his court that he grants an open ended wish, much to his later regret.

Considering these instances of dance, and reading Jay Johnson's book Dancing with God, helped open up a deeper meaning in these readings and intertwines with the issue of prophecy that were evident in earlier readings this month and which have been a hot topic of debate on the diocesan list -( an internet site where people from across the diocese can discuss a variety of topics). In the gospel Mark is asking who is Jesus - Is he simply a prophet raised from the dead? Those on the list debate the difference between a prophet and a heretic.

When we as human beings consider God - think about God, seek to know more about our experiences of God, we seek a closer and deeper relationship with God - we know that it is impossible for any mortal to know God fully - it is even impossible to adequate express our experiences of God with our spoken language - Let us step aside from 'God Talk' for a moment - Just try explaining to someone how you know that you are in love - what is "in love"? Try describing the deep joy we find in the natural beauty of the earth that can move us to tears - or the wonder of the tiny, perfect fingers of a new born child. Often we express such experiences through art - using a variety of media, paints, pencils, photography, music, poetry, writings, song and dance. We express what is, for us, beyond the actual words - We express deep joy and sorrow, and in this fashion, too, we express the achingly beautiful mystery that is our relationship with God .

This relationship is not cold, removed and static but infused with Spirit, exuberant, alive - growing and changing as we deepen our understanding. We respond to our experience of God - to God's invitation to the dance of faith. We express our hopes and our fears - seeing through a glass darkly at this time but stepping out courageously, dancing our trepidation and our love. David danced with all his might - no love without courage, no courage without fear

You note that there is a section left out of the middle of this reading - I wish it had been left in. David is transporting the ark of the covenant into the city which marks his assumption of the mantle of leadership of the people of Israel. He is the new king, replacing Saul in ruling Israel for God. As the ark is transported the oxen stumble and a man named Uzzah reaches out to steady the ark - he is killed instantly. David is afraid. God is not tame or controlled. The ark is the presence of God which is awesome and dangerous. David leaves the ark in Obed's house. Then good things happen in this house, so David gathers his courage; his faith in God and trust in God and tries again; dancing with all his might, abandoning, abasing himself before God. Making himself vulnerable in service to God.

In his dancing - in fear and hope, faith and love - David elicits great celebrations and great disgust. Michal, daughter of Saul, seems to feel David should not be so abandoned and submissive to God -he is king after all -and should not be prancing about practically naked - it is shameful, not powerful or lordly - But David stands his ground.

In the gospel, Herodias dances for Herod - and in spite of some depictions to the contrary - it is not an erotic dance - the Greek is very specific. This dance was one of skill the beauty of which overtook Herod and his court. The rash promise and subsequent request are made and met by a much weaker man than David. Herod fears too, but does not overcome that fear though prayer and love - trust in God as did David. Instead, even knowing John was righteous, and drawn to listen to him though it pained him - Herod gave in and had the Baptizer killed.

The reason this story appears in the gospel at this point is because Mark is asking again - who is Jesus? Is he simply a prophet - Elijah or John the Baptizer come alive again? This story is very specifically placed - Jesus has just done some wondrous healings and then sent the twelve out to proclaim the reign of God and to heal. But this is not an easy task. It is dangerous to be a proclaimer as the story of John attests. Authority does not like to be questioned and asked to examine itself - the consequences can be fatal. John's death is a foreshadowing of Jesus' own. Jesus calls people to turn to God to live in the reign of God which is abundant love. Jesus, like John, was threatening to the established order whose power is built on their strict adherence to the laws and this deeper examination of Jesus into the fulfillment of the law - the heart of the law rather than its letter- causes them to seize him. It is a weak Pilate who - though knowing Jesus is innocent - condemns him death for fear of the reaction of the crowds.

The twelve, when they return known as the apostles, will face much opposition and great courage, faith will be required of them. It is hard to be sure when you fly in face of the surface observance of the rules you have known all your life. It can pit family against family - church against church. Some call it being prophetic - other call it being heretical - on the diocesan list discussion ranged from prophet being one who calls you back to orthodoxy ( meaning literal interpretation of the Bible) It should be remembered as there was no New Testament at the time prophets were calling Israel back to to the law - to the Torah

A heretic, claim some on the list, calls you away from the scriptures to something new. The implication being that you have totally rejected tradition and scriptures. In fact, most of the prophets shed new light, new perspective on the Torah and many were condemned in their own time.

Surely the call of the prophet is examine ourselves and our assumptions individual and collective. After all, one person's prophet can be another's heretic - Jesus was heretical to the Jews - He caused an upheaval in the interpretation of the law - summarizing the commandments and juxtaposing two ideas from different parts of the law - breaking open new meaning. Jesus' was not a static interpretation but a dynamic one -in this he followed in the prophetic tradition. The Torah is not static and never has been. There have always been interpretations and there are many instances of change in understanding: marriage laws, polygamy to monogamy; eating laws vegetarian to omnivorous; worship laws which barred eunuch from worship to exclusivity - just to name a few. Jesus, when challenged about breaking the Sabbath laws, says: The Sabbath was made for Humanity - not humanity for the Sabbath. He affirms that God reaches out to all of humanity - as the Epistle says today - all are chosen, inheritors of the grace, the merciful love of God.

God is inviting us to dance - we need to respond - and be open to learning new steps based upon the old. But how do we know we are progressing in God's direction? Anglicans love to say they have a three-legged stool - scripture, tradition and reason/experience. But that metaphor implies three separate legs. The reality is that these are not separate:

Scripture is made up of inspiration, perspective of authors in their time: we have four different gospels each with its unique perspective.

Tradition is based on the gospels, experiences and context, trial and error.

Reason and experience are anchored in time and also based on scripture, interpretation and learned tradition.

Johnson (in Dancing with God) argues that we should not not imagine aa stool to sit on but God inviting us to a dance of faith: with legs moving together and apart, fluid and dynamic with recognized steps (order and tradition) as well. Balanced -Jesus said he came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. As Johnson puts it: "As we continue to journey we stumble, dance and trip our way into relationship with God." We do this stepping together.

We are a People of hope. We face trials with hope not despair. Our hope is not naive - we are strong in the Spirit and must discern together in common prayer - that is why it is called the Book of Common Prayer. We take communion together even in the midst of our divisions. Taking the body and blood together reminds us what binds us together - the love that is God, the Word that is Christ and the Spirit in each of us. We are all called to be Christ to each other - manifesting the threefold ministry of Jesus Christ: prophet, priest and king. The Prophetic among us call us to examine our assumptions - they do not give blueprints but serve as guideposts - or dancing instructors -for certain steps of our dance of faith. They help shed the light of Christ into our lives, examining our assumptions in the revealing light of the Spirit, to point into the next movement in this dance.

We toss off too glibly the phrase at the end of each reading - Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church. We should tremble when we say that - as David did in the presence of the ark . We are invoking the Spirit and saying that we are open : are we really listening? Are we really open or do we come with preconceptions and look to plug them into what we hear? Hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches? That is Scary: We are vulnerable as we examine our selves and our assumptions. Because as we dance, lives will be changed and it takes courage to stay the course and not to walk apart - the courage and strength that comes from the Spirit: there is no love without courage, no courage without fear. Self examination of individual and of church is frightening- prophets call us to examine our assumptions, we all have them, and to be open to others and to know that when choose, we exclude another way, and moving forward in trust, in faith, in hope and in love. Johnson says we are: "living creatively on the edge of ambiguity":

• led by the spirit in common prayer
• Seeking the fruits of the Spirit to confirm our progress: the fruits which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity and faithfulness.

We dance the steps on the journey of faith - hesitant, clumsy at times, united perfectly in step at other times.

If we are together, however awkward, the dance will be beautiful, a powerful and moving celebration of our relationship with God who is Love.