Ok people... all week a dream has been on my mind. So I asked God to help me find it in my old journals. And, wouldn't you know it, I went right back to it. It's from July 1, 2007. I think He's suggesting that it's related to my new school endeavor.
If there's one thing I'm cautious about going into these classes, it's "Religion." I don't want to become some judgmental, woman who wears denim-jumpers and scrunchies and annoys all her friends with Bible verses. I definitely have a warning in my spirit to be on-the-lookout for Religion hanging around this seminary setting. I'm well aware it's there. But I don't feel that God has told me to avoid it or to be afraid of it...just to be aware.
So, here's the dream;
I'm at the International House of Prayer (quick note: this is the one in Kansas City - which for those who don't know - is notorious for being very into the charismatic gifts of the Holy Spirit...tongues, prophesy, healings, miracles, etc. I have actually been there and it's pretty cool. It's kind of the opposite of a stuffy, traditionally "religious" environment).
Anyway - I'm there taking a class. I'm coming in a little late. I slide into my seat. A man at the front of the lecture hall (3 tiers of a semi-circle...probably 100-200 people) shares something very difficult about his life with the group. He says that we are going to now have a time for the Lord to speak to this...and my assumption is that we will wait a few minutes and hear the Holy Spirit and then say to everyone what we hear God saying. Immediately, though, most of the room instantly breaks out into a loud, unison recitation of the Lord's Prayer. This is supposedly the way God is speaking. My head snaps up. I, and the young guy next to me, say "wow - talk about the religious spirit!" I'm shocked at what's happening and immediately feel God impressing upon me that I am getting a glimpse of how much the religious spirit is present even in places that I don't think it will be. Somehow I'm surprised that I'm one of the few people in the room not falling prey to it. I glance around knowing that there are some other people (friends) that I know in the class. I can't see any of their faces but I know one is Steven...he is sitting on the opposite side of the room from me, way up in the back row. I try to make eye contact to communicate but can't.
Ok friends - that's the end of the dream. Here are my observation THREE years later!
- First of all, can we just say "WOW." This was 3 years ago! God lays plans for our lives, people! He does!
- This feels a lot like my current situation with school! I am coming in less than a week before the start of the semester...they're accepting a late application from me...I'm definitely "sliding into my chair late."
- I take encouragement that God has prepared me with understanding of a religious spirit and that I can be confident that I will have the discernment I need to see it.
- I need to hold fast to the Holy Spirit. God speaks moment by moment THROUGH HIM!
Overall I receive this dream as a warning and as an encouragement. What do you see?! I know God has been bringing this dream back to my mind this week ,and He helped me find it again. So --- if you have any observations, please share!
2 comments:
What I see here is a warning against forms.
Forms are when we take an authentic move of God then build a fence around it and assume that if we repeat those same steps again, the Spirit will still be in it. But those led by the Spirit end up looking like wind-tossed leaves, not files in a cabinet. We can never premeditate what God will say in any given situation.
Jason Upton talks about being asked to sing at a conference named after one of his songs, then the organizers expected him, at the big crescendo to the conference to bang out his big Worship Hit Song. He said it felt like death to sing by rote a worship song that was originally inspired by the Spirit. He said no and offended several of the leaders who invited him to be their Celebrity Musician Monkey. Yikes! But the lesson is a good one.
Anyhow, the real question here is... WAS I RECITING THE LORD'S PRAYER!?!?! (sheesh I hope not...)
Although it wasn't clear in the dream, I was definitely looking for you because I believed that you, too, would think that what was happening was crazy. I seriously doubt that you were!
Forms...interesting concept for any ongoing community/group to beware.
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