Raymond texted me the name and artist of this song yesterday, and I've finally gotten around to listening to it today. (It's really good!) I'm not sure if it was done during a worship session, recommended to him, or talked about onstage. But I've embedded it here: (If you are reading in an RSS feed or via email, you'll have to see the post online to view the video.)
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 28, 2010
Day 13 Summary
[as told to Melody]
Kim Walker spoke today. She was really, really good. Raymond got to sit front row. She led worship and then spoke until lunch, and after lunch he went to a workshop she was speaking for on leading worship. She told the story of meeting her husband, and he said she was a little frustrated because she actually didn't particularly get married. (There's more to this story, but I haven't been told it yet.)
Kim Walker spoke today. She was really, really good. Raymond got to sit front row. She led worship and then spoke until lunch, and after lunch he went to a workshop she was speaking for on leading worship. She told the story of meeting her husband, and he said she was a little frustrated because she actually didn't particularly get married. (There's more to this story, but I haven't been told it yet.)
Day 12
Raymond went to the evening service at Bethel.
Fire tunnel again. I could tell when I talked to him on the phone because he was in an unprecedented and unusual good mood. I asked, "Was there a fire tunnel?"
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
Fire tunnel again. I could tell when I talked to him on the phone because he was in an unprecedented and unusual good mood. I asked, "Was there a fire tunnel?"
"Yeah. How'd you know?"
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Day 11 Summary
[as told to and remembered by Melody]
On Friday, Raymond experienced his first fire tunnel (known by other names). There was a long line, and he found himself in front of a phlegmatic/melancholy man who asked if it was his first time.
"Yes," said Raymond. He was a little nervous.
"Well," said the man, "people who go through for their first time tend to be strongly affected." (Or something as educated.)
Raymond took his turn through. There were about 10-12 people on either side, and it was about 30-40 yards long (unknown how that was accomplished). The people forming the tunnel were all well-trained by Bethel in the supernatural etc... They laid their hands on shoulders/stomachs/etc... (depending on gender) and prayed for a filling of the Holy Spirit.
When he reached the end, he was smiling ridiculously wide. He said it was the happiest he's been in a very long time. His friends (assume: housemates) found him and were like, "Let's go again!"
So they went again. I talked to him that evening after they had returned, and he sounded very upbeat and happy. (He had been sounding rather down.)
He went to the Healing Rooms again yesterday. Either I haven't heard the stuff that occurred there, or nothing crazy happened.
More than once, Raymond has said, "If you ever get the chance to go through a fire tunnel, don't dismiss it." He's quite adamant about that. So take his advice and never overlook a fire tunnel.
On Friday, Raymond experienced his first fire tunnel (known by other names). There was a long line, and he found himself in front of a phlegmatic/melancholy man who asked if it was his first time.
"Yes," said Raymond. He was a little nervous.
"Well," said the man, "people who go through for their first time tend to be strongly affected." (Or something as educated.)
Raymond took his turn through. There were about 10-12 people on either side, and it was about 30-40 yards long (unknown how that was accomplished). The people forming the tunnel were all well-trained by Bethel in the supernatural etc... They laid their hands on shoulders/stomachs/etc... (depending on gender) and prayed for a filling of the Holy Spirit.
When he reached the end, he was smiling ridiculously wide. He said it was the happiest he's been in a very long time. His friends (assume: housemates) found him and were like, "Let's go again!"
So they went again. I talked to him that evening after they had returned, and he sounded very upbeat and happy. (He had been sounding rather down.)
He went to the Healing Rooms again yesterday. Either I haven't heard the stuff that occurred there, or nothing crazy happened.
More than once, Raymond has said, "If you ever get the chance to go through a fire tunnel, don't dismiss it." He's quite adamant about that. So take his advice and never overlook a fire tunnel.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Day 11 Picture 1
This was created in about 45 minutes during worship and is available for silent auction.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Day 10 Picture 2
(This is actually a video, but we are having some trouble getting it from Raymond's phone to the blog in one piece. Thought you might want the pic, though.)
Days 8/9/10
As I haven't talked extensively with Raymond concerning what's going on at Bethel, I don't have a lot to report.
I do know that there's another conference going on that is a part of the Worship School (but also independent of it). It's called Kingdom Culture, and people have come from all over the world. So he is having full days, with the school in the mornings, and the conference in the afternoons and evenings.
There are so many people (because of the conference?) that they have moved some of the worship school into another building. He assumed it would be a live feed, but they are having live speakers. We think they are giving the same talk twice in two different locales.
Tuesday night, he went to the heart/cell/home/life group of the man he met in the healing rooms. Very cool. They opened up the evening with a live blast of a shofar, and the Spirit of God just showed up. Thick. Right away. Just dropped. Thick. They proceeded to worship (they had an excellent guitarist and a djembe player) for an hour. Then they just sat and discussed what God had showed them during that hour.
A story was told on stage about a Japanese kamikaze pilot being shown honor during World War II. I have found it on the internet so I don't have to retype it. Read it here. I'm sure you could find out more about it if you cared to do so.
Domestically, there are 10 people currently staying in the house where he's at. I believe that 5 live there and 5 are there for the school. There is a writer/marketer and a chef, among other occupations. If you hear me mention Jeff, he is the owner and Dad's roomate.
All in all, it seems to be going well.
I do know that there's another conference going on that is a part of the Worship School (but also independent of it). It's called Kingdom Culture, and people have come from all over the world. So he is having full days, with the school in the mornings, and the conference in the afternoons and evenings.
There are so many people (because of the conference?) that they have moved some of the worship school into another building. He assumed it would be a live feed, but they are having live speakers. We think they are giving the same talk twice in two different locales.
Tuesday night, he went to the heart/cell/home/life group of the man he met in the healing rooms. Very cool. They opened up the evening with a live blast of a shofar, and the Spirit of God just showed up. Thick. Right away. Just dropped. Thick. They proceeded to worship (they had an excellent guitarist and a djembe player) for an hour. Then they just sat and discussed what God had showed them during that hour.
A story was told on stage about a Japanese kamikaze pilot being shown honor during World War II. I have found it on the internet so I don't have to retype it. Read it here. I'm sure you could find out more about it if you cared to do so.
Domestically, there are 10 people currently staying in the house where he's at. I believe that 5 live there and 5 are there for the school. There is a writer/marketer and a chef, among other occupations. If you hear me mention Jeff, he is the owner and Dad's roomate.
All in all, it seems to be going well.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Days 5/6
[as told to Melody]
Yesterday, Raymond went to the healing rooms at Bethel. He was assigned a group letter (A-Z) and sent to wait in the Encounter room, where a beatnik band (two djembes, a guitar, a female singer, and a keyboardist) did worship. There was no set direction there. People danced, people prayed, people waited on the Holy Spirit.
There were a couple of people (scheduled) walking around the room praying for people. One of these was a very animated lady that unnerved Raymond just a little. Finally, she came to him and asked, very politely, if she could put her hand on his shoulder. She was honoring him by asking, and he was very aware of it. He said yes, and she prayed for him calmly. I can't remember what she said or prayed, or what - if anything - happened after that. Ask Raymond.
After one and a half to two hours, Raymond was summoned to one of the healing rooms. A man there, about ten years older than Raymond, prayed for the physical ailments that Raymond had listed. There were no "physical manifestations of healing" yesterday, but the man and Raymond talked at length. In prayer, the man just waited and listened to the Holy Spirit. Finally, he said, "God wants you to know...that progress is being made."
Raymond and this man really hit it off, and Raymond is planning on going to the man's heart/life/home/church group Tuesday night. I'm not sure if only the healing rooms took 3-4 hours (making it 5-6 hours total) or if that was the total. Either way, it was a long time.
Today was church. Dad and some of the other roomates were going to walk, but Jeff woke up and let them take the car last minute. He took the truck to where he leads worship at another church. Brian Johnson led worship. Nothing incredible or out of the ordinary to report. Good day.
Yesterday, Raymond went to the healing rooms at Bethel. He was assigned a group letter (A-Z) and sent to wait in the Encounter room, where a beatnik band (two djembes, a guitar, a female singer, and a keyboardist) did worship. There was no set direction there. People danced, people prayed, people waited on the Holy Spirit.
There were a couple of people (scheduled) walking around the room praying for people. One of these was a very animated lady that unnerved Raymond just a little. Finally, she came to him and asked, very politely, if she could put her hand on his shoulder. She was honoring him by asking, and he was very aware of it. He said yes, and she prayed for him calmly. I can't remember what she said or prayed, or what - if anything - happened after that. Ask Raymond.
After one and a half to two hours, Raymond was summoned to one of the healing rooms. A man there, about ten years older than Raymond, prayed for the physical ailments that Raymond had listed. There were no "physical manifestations of healing" yesterday, but the man and Raymond talked at length. In prayer, the man just waited and listened to the Holy Spirit. Finally, he said, "God wants you to know...that progress is being made."
Raymond and this man really hit it off, and Raymond is planning on going to the man's heart/life/home/church group Tuesday night. I'm not sure if only the healing rooms took 3-4 hours (making it 5-6 hours total) or if that was the total. Either way, it was a long time.
Today was church. Dad and some of the other roomates were going to walk, but Jeff woke up and let them take the car last minute. He took the truck to where he leads worship at another church. Brian Johnson led worship. Nothing incredible or out of the ordinary to report. Good day.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Day 4
[Paraphrased by Melody]
Worship with Jeremy Riddle was this morning. It was incredible. It’s awesome when they say, “Sing out in the Spirit,” or, “Sing it out in your own words.” People begin to sing, and to harmonize. Just to listen is insane. With all the worship leaders there, it sounds like legitimate music, when the instruments fade away and it’s just singing. Harmonies are everywhere.
And when they pray, they don’t talk right away. They just…wait. On the Holy Spirit, they wait. And then, over on the right, someone will begin to sing. Several people. It moves throughout the room. It gets thick. Someone else will begin to shout. People are speaking in tongues, singing out. And it swirls around you, almost a tangible movement.
The “barbecue at Kathy’s house” was this afternoon. Everyone was there. Including, the one, the only, Chris Quilala.
He wasn’t expecting to get much time with Chris Quilala, just about thirty seconds. So when he walked up, he stumbled around for what to say. Thirty seconds isn’t a very long time.
“What’s it like?” Chris looked at him strangely, and he went on. “What’s it like to have all this popularity? Do you know…what you mean to people?”
“Well,” said Chris, “we started out as a youth band. And in my mind, that’s kind of all we are. We’re just the youth band. It keeps us grounded.”
Raymond went on to tell him just what Jesus Culture has meant to our family. How it was the instrument used by God to bring us to the Holy Spirit. How without it, we would never be where we are today. We never would have listened to that preacher or this one, or read this book or that one. Jesus Culture changed us.
Tears welled up in Raymond’s eyes as he talked. He didn’t mean to cry or get emotional. But his voice cracked as he spoke, and, to tell the truth, he felt rather dorky.
He had only expected thirty seconds. He got a long time. So long that people began to gather around them, just hovering and drinking in Chris’ words. Raymond said it almost felt as if he and Chris had a connection. As if they could talk for hours. “I almost asked him if I could be his friend, for his phone number or something,” said Raymond. “And I still might if I get the chance to talk to him later on.”
Worship with Jeremy Riddle was this morning. It was incredible. It’s awesome when they say, “Sing out in the Spirit,” or, “Sing it out in your own words.” People begin to sing, and to harmonize. Just to listen is insane. With all the worship leaders there, it sounds like legitimate music, when the instruments fade away and it’s just singing. Harmonies are everywhere.
And when they pray, they don’t talk right away. They just…wait. On the Holy Spirit, they wait. And then, over on the right, someone will begin to sing. Several people. It moves throughout the room. It gets thick. Someone else will begin to shout. People are speaking in tongues, singing out. And it swirls around you, almost a tangible movement.
The “barbecue at Kathy’s house” was this afternoon. Everyone was there. Including, the one, the only, Chris Quilala.
He wasn’t expecting to get much time with Chris Quilala, just about thirty seconds. So when he walked up, he stumbled around for what to say. Thirty seconds isn’t a very long time.
“What’s it like?” Chris looked at him strangely, and he went on. “What’s it like to have all this popularity? Do you know…what you mean to people?”
“Well,” said Chris, “we started out as a youth band. And in my mind, that’s kind of all we are. We’re just the youth band. It keeps us grounded.”
Raymond went on to tell him just what Jesus Culture has meant to our family. How it was the instrument used by God to bring us to the Holy Spirit. How without it, we would never be where we are today. We never would have listened to that preacher or this one, or read this book or that one. Jesus Culture changed us.
Tears welled up in Raymond’s eyes as he talked. He didn’t mean to cry or get emotional. But his voice cracked as he spoke, and, to tell the truth, he felt rather dorky.
He had only expected thirty seconds. He got a long time. So long that people began to gather around them, just hovering and drinking in Chris’ words. Raymond said it almost felt as if he and Chris had a connection. As if they could talk for hours. “I almost asked him if I could be his friend, for his phone number or something,” said Raymond. “And I still might if I get the chance to talk to him later on.”
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
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