{Day 14} School of Worship

It was cloudy and raining this morning when I woke up. It was great actually getting to sleep that long, considering that I got to bed halfway early and didn't wake up until the alarm went off. We called our new friend, Carol, and she gave us a ride so that we wouldn't have to walk in the rain.

Worship this morning was by Christa Black and the Jesus Culture band (Jeffrey, Ian, Brandon, and Luke). Really good. We started out with a wall of sound, which has no reason to have felt any different from a basic shout, but it did. It felt like a wall. Anyway, good worship. She's the first worship leader here that I've felt has a similar style to myself, not necessarily in the way she worships but definitely in the way she sings with 'angelic' 'aaah's'. No one else here has done that, so I suddenly don't feel weird anymore! :)




The teaching this morning was by Kris Vallotton. Oh, happy day! He said that he'd had 'the worship teaching' all planned out and hadn't felt right about teaching it. So he taught something else, Living From Eternity. Highlights:

• “The goal of the Book is not that you memorize the Book but that you get to know the Author.” - Kris Vallotton {who knows the Book better than many, for the record}
• “He didn't just die for you, He died as you.” - Kris Vallotton
• “Your heavenly seat gives you eternal perspective.” - Kris Vallotton
• Since He is the One who was, and is, and is to come, we are tri-dimensional.
• The “fact” that things begin and end is a new idea in God's world.
• Your spirit doesn't sleep. And you chalk it up to a dream, when your spirit was actually out doing things.
• God/angels come to people in dreams. People don't dream of God/angels.
• “God didn't make you choose Him, but He knew you would, so He chose you first.” - Kris Vallotton {on Romans 5:9}
• “When Jesus rose from the dead, you rose with Him.” - Kris Vallotton
• “You're not living for yourself, you're living for the people that went before you.” - Kris Vallotton
• “When we dream with God, we become co-creators of His imagination.” - Kris Vallotton
• The people before and after you are depending on you.
• Jesus said that 'the Kingdom of heaven is at hand,' not that 'the end of the world is coming.' We shouldn't join forces with the dark side (spirit of fear) to win people into the Kingdom.
• “The prophets are the ones, and the prophetic people are the ones, who create the future.” - Kris Vallotton
• “God is looking for a people who know that God has plans for us, {and} not plans of calamity.” - Kris Vallotton
• “God is calling us to be a people who live from eternity, not just for eternity. Heaven is your reward, but heaven on earth is your ministry.” - Kris Vallotton

There was actually a lot more good stuff on this sermon that I have notes for, really cool stuff concerning the era of fear that occurred during the later half of the twentieth century. It's just a little too complex for quick one-liners here, but ask me about it when I get home. {Oh, and this is totally unrelated to anything, but I sat by William Matthews for about seven minutes during Kris' sermon! He came and sat in the empty seat between Amber and I while he rifled through his laptop bag.}

Then lunch. Everybody ate inside today, because outside is wet and chilly. Even Texans would call it on the chilly side. I brought my hoodie, and I've been thankful for it all day.

Workshop Number One: Christa Black on Worshiping Without Saying the Name of Jesus. Epically long title, I know. Christa has a (recent and continuing) background in professional music, touring with Shane Bernard, Jennifer Knapp, Steve Green, Michael W. Smith, and, most recently, The Jonas Brothers. {She's also written for Jordin Sparks and Natasha Bedingfeld, among others.} She was talking about taking God into secular environments (*cough* Hollywood *cough*), something that has been on my heart for a long, long time, as those closest to me know. I'll give you the highlights, but she shared some pretty epic stories that deserve retelling if you feel like asking. :)

• If God inhabits the praises of His people, we should be worshiping 24/7.
• We think that if we worship enough and the glory comes, then the lost will come. But that's not true. You don't see the Amalekites flocking to the Israelite's cloud/fire-covered tabernacle.
• “Worship on the platform is simply an overflow of a life lived in worship.” - Christa Black
• “Dare to suck!” - Christa Black {on songwriting}
• “Everything that you do is worship. So everything that you say is actually worshiping the Lord or advancing the kingdom of the enemy.” - Christa Black
• “You're either in agreement with the Father or in agreement with the father of lies.” - Christa Black
• “Only wait on Him if you have a yield sign...The answer is yes and amen. Green light until He either says yes or yield.” - Christa Black
• “The enemy has intimidated us into believing that he's massive.” - Christa Black
• “The weird of the weird come out...and that's probably us, so, we should be there.” - Christa Black {on a hard-core pagan festival in Shasta}
• “God's gonna use whoever has a vision to release His Kingdom.” - Christa Black
• What if we looked at our gifts as skills instead of just gifts?
• “I'm the lightening rod that funnels the Kingdom through.” - Christa Black
• “It's not my job to change anyone. It's my job to introduce them to love.” - Christa Black

A quick break. I was having a terrible time deciding between Dan McCollum's class on “Finding Your Song,” and Christa's class, Writing From Revelation. I decided on Dan's, but I was still pinging around in my head. Dan or Christa. Dan or Christa. They're both amazing. But Dan's class, while good, wasn't what I had wanted it to be, and so five minutes in, I turned to AC and said, “I'm going to Christa's class. But I'm leaving my stuff here.” Slipped into Christa's, and I'm so glad I did. It was magnificent. {And she was pretty serious about the impartation at the end, too.} Highlights:

• When I release an anointed song, I release the congregation into that anointing.
• “Revelation is a surprising and previously unknown fact, especially one that is made known in a dramatic way.” - Christa Black
• “God's not on a budget.” - Christa Black
• Revelation is for you.
• You have access to the revelations and the mysteries of God. Why? Because you're hidden in Christ.
• Revelation is for all.
• Keys to revelation: intimacy, discipline, hunger, and positioning yourself in Christ. But don't sake these things for the sake of revelation.
• “'Should' brings shame.” - Christa Black
• “What do you want the church to look like in five years? Write about it now.” - Bill Johnson

There was more to it than my small amount of notes, but yeah, it was good. Christa is kind of amazing. She has main session tomorrow, so that will be fun.

I still hadn't decided whether or not I was going to the evening class tonight. Sleep has definitely done wonders for me, and I was feeling up to it. Carol, Dani, and Amber had decided to go to KFC/A&W for supper, and Anja and I decided to join them. Fries! I'm becoming quite the fry addict since I've been here, which is rather pathetic. I just have such limited bad food in my diet! But everyone is making fun of me, the 'healthy one,' now because I eat fries, and I order burgers. *deep breath*Anyway, I opted to go home instead of back to church for night classes like everyone else was doing.

There was no one at home. I was restless. Tried playing the piano. Remembered that there was more to evening classes than Dan McCollum's songwriting class {I just couldn't stand the thought of another class of any kind, even if Dan is awesome} and decided to head up to the church. It was kinda ridiculous, since I could have just stayed in the car in the first place. But yeah, I headed out into the drizzle, ready to walk off some steam up the hill.

But some nice BSW people picked me up at the intersection, and I didn't have to. :) I went to the band session, which is where Chris Quilala himself critiques a group of people playing a song, i.e., a band. I was just planning to sit and chill, but then the band started asking for a keyboardist. I finally went up, and the lead guy was asking Chris Q if they were going to have a keyboardist, and I'm like, "I play keys." And Chris is like, "There you go."

~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~

I get up there, and get to fiddle around on the keyboard (!). We were going to have to go without any music to look at, but then Chris Q himself went and made us copies (Chris is awesome). We did "Oh, Praise Him." I would have chosen an easier song, honestly, but, yeah, no one asked me. The leader asked if I could do a piano riff intro, and I'm like, "Sure." It was strange, I had a healthy nervousness, but I wasn't terrified or stunned. There's something about Bethel that eliminates terror. And Chris is just so awesome and makes you so comfortable. Chris Quilala is awesome. If nothing else, he's the perfect guy to administrate a critique session like that.

So I started out the song. A bit much for me any day. I didn't start out with the exact riff that Andrew, the leader, was wanting, but it was a riff that fit the style he wanted. We didn't have a click-track because the drummer had never used one, and he was a really quiet drummer for using in-ear monitors, and the whole first verse was really slow and flowy and I'm carrying the rhythm (pity the keyboardist who is carrying rhythm). But I managed.

And the first thing out of Chris' mouth when we finish our first draft is, "I really like that intro thing."

Bam! Granted, he asks Andrew if it was his idea, which it was, kind of, and Andrew admits that it's not exactly what he wanted, but he can't exactly try to correct it now, can he? :) I say all this in fun. It was a great experience. AND I WAS ON THE BETHEL STAGE! PLAYING KEYBOARD! I cannot say how amazing this was! :) Just thrilling. Absolutely thrilling.

Then we came home, and I had the brilliant idea to post to the Facebook group if we should do something for Kathy Vallotton because she's been so awesome. Talk about being barraged by ideas. That's what's kept me occupied for an hour and delayed the posting of this blog post. I'm keeping it simple, Mom, don't worry. :)

Yah, so here I be! :) Jeremy Riddle and Hunter are leading worship tomorrow, and Christa Black is speaking at Main Session. And the adventure continues...

{PS. Is anyone having trouble with the videos? I've heard one mention of it...what about anyone else? Because I could start using Blogger video or even YouTube...}

{Day 12}

Today was the second day my whole time here that the alarm clock was actually awake before me. And, truth be told, I didn't actually wake up. I ate breakfast, took a shower, went to church. Jeremy Riddle &; Melissa Wise-How led, and Eric & Candace Johnson spoke. Highlights:

• The higher that we build, the more important it is what we build on.
• The reason you're free is so that you can love someone beyond what the law allows.

Walked home and went back to bed for three more hours.

And still felt tired when I woke up.

worship

Made some good phone calls, chilled in the hammock. And then it was time for evening church. Chris Quilala and Jenn Johnson led.

Then it was time for the teaching. Kris Vallotton. {Someone at my house was saying how they saw a t-shirt that said, "'That's a good word right there.'" - KV" ... If you ever see one of those shirts - I want one.} Highlights:

• Your weapon is between your teeth. {The weapon being your tongue and its ability to make prophetic declarations.}
• Molehills often become mountains by your words, when your words should be making molehills of mountains.
• "When you believe something that isn't true, it becomes true in your life." - Kris Vallotton
• When you're supposed to be telling mountains to move and you tell yourself that you're stupid... {you finish that thought}
• {When you hear encouragement or prophetic declarations over your life and dismiss them because they don't feel true}, they don't feel true because you're believing a lie.
• "I'm always in a valley because I keep talking to my molehills and they become mountains." - Kris Vallotton {giving an example}
• "Grumbling is socially acceptable in the church, but it won't get you into the promised land." - Kris Vallotton
• Consider it joy when you're in a trial so that you don't perpetuate the trial.
• A lot of people are raised from the dead {saved} and then build a house in the graveyard.
• "How do you become a perfect man? By not stumbling what you say." - Kris Vallotton
• Your tongue determines the direction of your destination.
• Once I open my mouth to curse, what was earthly and natural becomes demonic.
• "Complaining in the Kingdom doesn't bring you candy."
• "When you complain, you draw demonic activity into your life."
• When you complain, you're actually saying, 'I don't believe God.'
• "God isn't the light at the end of the tunnel. He's the light in the tunnel." - Kris Vallotton
• We can't exaggerate God's love for us.

I felt so energized after the evening church service. I'm a bit tired now, and I'm about to go to bed, because bed is good, but I'm a far cry from who I was this afternoon. Just needed a second dose of Bethel to get me jazzed. Much more tomorrow! :)

{Day 9}

Long, good day. I was up a bit earlier than necessary, which explains the new 'cast of characters' feature. I was tired of putting parentheses after every name.

Anyway, Jenna gave us a ride to the TwinView campus this morning for the first full day of the Kingdom Culture conference. Worship was led by Chris Quilala, at least an hour long, which was pretty sweet. Then Danny Silk taught on Creating Culture. There are times that he's my favorite, because he shows movie and/or YouTube clips in every teaching he does. It's awesome. Highlights:

• "Culture happens on purpose." - Danny Silk
• "The moment you begin to look at what God isn't doing, you become God's judge." - Danny Silk.
• "What you focus on, grows," therefore, focus on the move of the Holy Spirit.
• "'God is good all the time,' is a decision." - Danny Silk
• In a Kingdom culture, "people are looking for ways to encourage each other."

After lunch, we had a bit more worship, about 30 minutes, which is pretty short, and Sheri Silk taught on Insert Love Here! This wasn't as exciting for me as the others were, because I've heard her do this talk in Austin. But it was still good. And she still ended with the final scene from August Rush, and that made me very happy.

"Movements start from the bottom up. Culture starts from the top down." - Sheri Silk

Then we had a 2-3 hour break. Amber, Dani, and Anja were going to go adventuring again. I was feeling very odd...not quite tipsy, but decidedly...strange, and didn't feel like adventuring. I figured I would stay at TwinView and just journal or something.

The majority of this trip's journaling moments have been hijacked. This was no exception. I went outside to finish my lunch sandwich - which I hadn't finished because I wasn't hungry because I'd put Rev3 in my shake that morning - and met a BSW student named Brittany. We talked and really connected within minutes, and then her mom pulled up from being at the Bethel campus Kingdom Culture conference.

Long story short, I ended up going to the grocery store with them, then to Yaks coffee shop {iced, blended chai with white choclate, mmmm!}, then to the house they're staying at, which is about 15 minutes out of Redding proper and in a nice neighborhood with tall pine trees. It was great to see another part of this area. {Although, I'm not going to lie, as I realized that we were leaving Redding, I was beginning to wonder if I'd just done something really stupid.} {But I was also pretty sure the whole time that God wanted me with them.} Anyway, they homeschool and actually flew into Phoenix from New York with their dad and brother, then road tripped up to Redding, and then the guys flew back home. Very cool family, I think. And then we went back to TwinView.

We'd been told earlier about a "pre-service prayer" that they had in one of the adjoining rooms at 6pm. Being there, and not wanting to miss anything, I went in. It's really cool, just some of the Bethel intercessors there to pray for you and prophecy over you and whatever. There's some cool music going on, too. Anyway, they prayed for me, and actually prophesied something over me that I got last November.

Flashback: Last November, I received a word that there was a waterfall of different colored jewels raining down. Each one a revelation, and I could pick one whenever I wanted.

The prophecy this time was that there was a basket covered in gold glitter, with different colored stones inside. As soon as she said different colored stones, I knew that she would next tell me that I just needed to take them. And that's what she said; they represented gifts. There were different colors, each one with a different meaning: pink - healing; blue - revelation; red - the blood of Jesus; gold - glory; purple - royalty. I did the...the what's-it-called: when you act out the prophecy. Of taking the stones/gifts and putting them in my heart. I counted them out in my head as I "took" them, and I got each one. And then she said, "He wants you to take the green one, for new growth."

And I'm like yes!, because this is what I've been wanting over the past week, newnewnew growth. It was just so perfect, and I took that one, too. Anyway. If you ever get the chance to do pre-service Bethel prayer, you should do it. Just sayin'.

Then more worship. Again, really good worship. At least an hour long again, and really, really good. By the end of it, the drummer was facedown on the floor. That should tell you something. I really like worship at the TwinView campus. It's more intimate...without any of the hype. Not that the hype is undeserved at 'main Bethel,' it's definitely not, but that at TwinView there's nothing to live up to. Does that make sense? I like them both, but TwinView is more relaxed.

Paul Manwaring spoke tonight about glory. He spoke really fast, and all of us were hard-pressed to get good notes. But I did my best. {This is another message to download. It's a bit ground-breaking, at least for me.} Highlights:

• The word shekinah is actually not found in the Bible. It's a word used by Old Testament scholars that meant: the dwelling place of Him who dwells. The following are {in Paul's opinion} the shekinahs of history.
1. Eden
2. the tabernacle of Moses, which cost about $16,000,000,000
3. the temple of Solomon, which cost about $60,000,000,000 and was only 1600 square feet
4. John 1:14 {And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt {tabernacled} among us...}
5. 1 Corinthians 6:19 {Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost?}

WHOA. {i.e. SELAH}

• "God's glory is the result of God expressing Himself." We're what happened when He expressed Himself.
• The definition you place on glory will define where you expect to find it.
• Science {finding out new things} is to technology {putting them to work} that theology is to the Kingdom.

Then we went to Dairy Queen, but I didn't get anything because the white chocolate chai this afternoon wasn't my most brilliant idea and now I'm fighting a sore throat. I just had a nice salad with an orange and my vitamins...and lots of water. So hopefully it will be gone in the morning.

{Day 8} School of Worship

worship this morning, Chris leading

Worship this morning was Jesus Culture + William Matthews - Kim Walker-Smith.

In other words, it was legit.

We opened with "Deep Cries Out," which is a fun one, and then did "Burning Ones," "I Want to Know You," and "Obsession." So good. This was my first time to worship from the front of the room, in front of the stage, instead of the back. Fun up there.

Brian Johnson spoke on songwriting for our main session. Highlights:

• "Music in and of itself is prophetic." - Brian Johnson
• "Songwriting isn't just self-expression, it is communicating how you feel and getting others to feel the same way." - Brian Johnson
• He emphasized that all his 'rules' were not rules, just guidelines.
• "Put lyrics to the joy and the passion and the emotion in the room," during congregational worship. - Brian Johnson
• "When you're passionate about something, that's where your anointing is going to be." - Bill Johnson
• "Write what you feel, not what you're supposed to feel." - John Mark McMillan
• "God never runs out of ideas." - Brian Johnson
• "Make the listener want to hear it again." - Brian Johnson
• Love the church. Writing to be famous will be very different than writing out of a love for the church and a desire to see her enter into the Kingdom.

Afterwards I stood in line to possibly volunteer in an upcoming Bethel music video. There were a ton of people wanting in, and they only need 60, so they're going to pick randomly from their list and email us if we're in. So we'll see what happens! :)

inside the Alabaster House

Then I went and soaked in the Alabaster House for about 20 minutes. I love it in there. It's so peaceful. Downside is that I'm always sleepy afterwards.



Went back to the main church building to pick up a parking pass - that I probably won't need - and encountered Kathy Vallotton. I don't know if I've yet commented on her awesome-ness. She is awesome. Omgosh. Anyway, long story short, I asked her to pray for me for something and she did, and it was really cool. I almost fell over, which would have been really awkward, but it was all in all really cool. That's a tell-you-later story, but yeah. She's incredible.

And now I'm home. We only had a half-day of school today because the Kingdom Culture conference is this evening. Amber (Alabama) and Dani (France) went to go experience Redding, and Jasmine (Dallas) is asleep. So it's quiet here, but I'm about to play the piano and/or journal and/or draw. I'll post later about the Kingdom Culture conference tonight.

Worship 7/2

FROM YESTERDAY (7/2)

Chris Quilala
"Sound check....very moving...WOW" - Raymond

 

"They are playing 'Burning Ones'" - Raymond

Brian Johnson

Chris Quilala
"Wow" - Raymond

"

"This girl played violin after school. The music quieted everyone. It was a cool moment." - Raymond

Worship With Canada (Day 17/18)

The house across the street from where Raymond is staying is rented by 5 Canadians attending the School of Worship. Last night, they invited Raymond's house (and others) over to their home to have burgers. It was Canada's Independence Day. There were about 30-40 people at the house. Raymond said less than 10 were not Canadian. (And that doesn't mean American; there were a couple of people from Australia, too!)

After they ate, they decided to worship and pray for Canada. They worshiped and prayed nonstop for 2 hours. Raymond said, "The hearts of some of these people are incredible."

Today, Chris Quilala is leading worship.

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.”

Day 2 Picture 3

Me and my good friend Chris!