Worship Retreat extended notes
A gathering of extravagant worshippers to honor the King.
Why?
The thought: my heart tells me we ought to be able to have a meeting where
God, by His Spirit, is allowed to lead and guide fully.What does that look like? Well, whatever He wants it to look like. That could be a scary unknown, considering the following three outcomes are possible:
- Nothing will happen. We look stupid, and everyone is disappointed.
I believe He is faithful to answer our willingness and desire for Him to guide us, and do so. Even if He doesn't cause any earthshaking things to happen, I believe in faith that the "nothing" was in fact His something, and something more important than our sight could tell us. Also, our purpose in coming together is to worship the King of Kings, and not to necessarily receive. It seems to me our obedience in trying is as important as anything else that could happen.
- Something bad will happen. Things will get out of hand. Somebody will get hurt. Satan will deceive us.
I believe God is more powerful and able to lead than our fallen enemy is able to mislead. In my experimentation, when I have seen something that was not quite right but chose to defer it to God, I never had to step in. Rather than have lots of rules and guidelines or redirecting the meeting when things look scary, I believe it's sufficient to trust in the Spirit's ability to alert the leadership to anything that they need to directly deal with.
- Something good will happen.
What's "something good"? Well, any of the things we see happen in the original New Testament revival could happen. Maybe someone will get healed- emotionally, physically, mentally. Maybe someone will experience a breakthrough and connect with God on a new level. Maybe we'll see the power of God break out and we'll be overwhelmed, filled in the Spirit and preaching in tongues to all who will hear. Maybe we'll get to see revival.
What is revival?
I think it's when we, as individuals are able to cast aside every thing that besets us. It's when we, by the wooing of the Spirit, are able to hack through the weeds that grow up and choke out the truth in our hearts. He said "out of your bellies will flow rivers of living water". It's when He show up and shines His light of truth into the back corners of thought and evaporates the subconscious walls that are keeping us from seeing Him fully. It's when He speaks truth and light into our spirits that results in a lasting change in the core of our being. I'm tired of being the same. I want to change, to be made into His image. To see things as He sees, to have compassion as He has, to know peace and light as He knows it.
So how do we know when He is leading, and where He is taking us?
Jesus said "my sheep know my voice, and another they will not follow". You all know the Lord's voice. Some of you don't realize who it is that you're hearing, though. All I can say is, it's easy. Everyone I've met that is hungering and seeking after God has had the uncanny ability to know when the Lord is about to do something cool, and when we've blown it and continued in the flesh what was begun in the Spirit. I'm going, as the initiator of this meeting, to follow what I believe the Lord is saying because, well, I finally can! It's my meeting, I get to let the Lord run wild.
Yeah! Let's have a meeting!
All right. It's going to be a Friday night - Sunday morning affair. October 12 - 14 at the Holiday Inn in York, NE. You book and pay for your rooms and food, and I'll charge a mere pittance for registration. I suggest $25, or whatever you can do.
You're free to show up and intercede for the weekend anytime after noon on Friday. We'll be setting up and testing equipment. Check in will start around 5pm, and the meeting will start at 7pm. Please be there on time, as I don't plan on fiddling around. We'll be off like a rocket, and you'll be choking on smoke.
We'll probably break up around noon on Sunday.
What to expect
Lots of music. Guitar orientated music. My gift is that of a minstrel. I play, and the Spirit of the Lord starts moving on people. I want to create an atmosphere where you can connect with the Lord and let Him minister to you and avoid interjecting myself into the process too much considering there is now no mediator between God and man.
Absolutely no plan. We'll start off and see where it goes.
Spontaneous prophecy, prayer, exhortation, laying on of hands, blowing of shofars, and of course, the new song.
A relaxed pace and atmosphere. I want this to be a retreat, not a hamster-wheel conference. I want you revitalized and refreshed at the end, not staggering off dizzily with your tongue hanging out.
A continual atmosphere of prayer and reverence in the main meeting room at all times. I plan on keeping it open every minute that we're not officially meeting(that's all night both nights as well). We'll have some quiet music playing, and hopefully someone to keep the watch. You are welcome at any hour, if you want to pray, study or commune with the Lord. I need my sleep, but I fully expect to wake up in the morning to hear about the awesome things that happened at 3am.
What not to expect
Entertainment. We must seek first the kingdom of God. I believe the whole key to success in this is when we come to bless the Lord because of our love and devotion to Him. If you desire an environment in which to worship and not be distracted, you've come to the right place. I can't minister to you. Only the Lord can.
How do I get in on this?
I wanted to have a system where I pray over every registration, but it's getting close enough I'll figure if you just show up then God sent you. So just show up. Suggested fee is $25 or whatever you can afford.
If you're planning on coming, please drop me an email and let me know how much registration money you're bringing so I can plan accordingly. I'm hoping to be able to pay for the room and board of the people who will be ministering with me, in addition to room/equipment/other fees. I'd also like an idea of how many chairs I need, etc.