Does not a sphere have three dimensions? Starting from the center and imagining straight lines proceeding therefrom to the surface of the sphere, lines drawn in the three spatial directions that cross the center of the sphere can characterize the sphere in Cartesian coordinates. The arc of the surface of the sphere is easily described between these points by geometrical formulae.

There is no conflict between circular physical phenomena and Cartesian coordinates. The issue is that the moon does not circle the Earth in it's orbit, because the Earth is not stationary, but is traveling in it's orbit around the sun, which is traveling it it's orbit around the Milky Way galaxy. The actual path traveled by the moon is a reason defying wriggle in terms of absolute Cartesian coordinates.

Of course, there are no absolute Cartesian coordinates, because everything only exists in relationship to everything else, and the closer something is the more relationship between them is influential. Neat thing about gravity is that it isn't a force. It doesn't take any time to reach out between massive bodies and affect them, like light or electricity does. Gravity is simply the shape of spacetime, and the effect of mass distorting spacetime doesn't travel, because the shape of something doesn't travel.

If you hit a rock with a hammer and break it, how long does it take the shape of the rock to reach the rock? It takes no time at all, because the shape of the rock is the rock. Gravity is the same way. The shape of spacetime doesn't have to reach anything, so it doesn't take any time to affect mass that is embedded in it.

Hope that helps.