Reflections on YWAM The Call (One Body, many parts)

Attended the YWAM - The Call retreat over a week ago. It was an awesome four days with the Lord, and I count it a great honour and privilege to have journeyed with the organising committee and walked with them as a prayer partner throughout this time. It is especially a privilege for me because despite my rather tenuous link with YWAM, they took me into their fold. It gave me a behind-the-scenes picture of the preparation work behind this amazing retreat, and has taught me so much!

One big reason the retreat was so awesome is that from the start, the Holy Spirit was given plenty of room to have His way. Unlike pre-planned or pre-programmed meetings, there was a large dose of listening to God, to hear what He wanted, before moving out. It was, as far as we could, letting God set His agenda. It required a new paradigm to how we Singaporeans, consummate planners that we are, do meetings. As an example, on Day 2, I asked the organising team who would lead worship on Day 3, and was shocked that they hadn't yet firmed this up. I was panicking on their behalf, but they hadn't finalised the team because God hadn't spoken. Hence, they weren't going to move in presumption. Wow.

Because I had the privilege of praying with the organising team, and was privy to their pre-gathering discussions, one thing that struck me was how we sometimes had to launch out in faith with God alone as our safety net. Before one particular session on worship, the team had met (like we always did), to pray and ask God how He wanted us to run the session. The collective, corporate revelation we had was probably only 50%, when it was time for the session to begin. Again, if I was leading this session, I would have panicked! The Lord had given us revelation to start the session, but no sense of how to run the middle or end part! We had to trust that He would take the reins and glorify Himself through it. It turned out to be one of the most breathtaking sessions of all, because I believe the Holy Spirit honoured the team for giving Him the freedom to move.

One other big learning is something the Lord has been teaching me these past months -of the preciousness of the Body (One Body, many parts) walking together. For me, this was just precious to behold:

1. Prophetic minstrels - the sessions were phenomenal because the worship was incredible. The worship leaders, with their talent and giftings, yielded up to the Lord, were able to bring us into the Holy of Holies, the very throne room of God. They were hearing God as much as the intercessors were, and ushering in the presence of God through song. One worship leader, a friend of mine, broke into prophetic song for the very first time in her life, and it was one of the most ministering songs I've heard in a long time. They blessed us with their anointing.

2. Intercessors - In "The Kneeling Christian", which I have been recently reading, one quote has just stuck in my head. The author said, "All fruitfulness in service is the outcome of prayer - of the worker's prayers, or of those who are holding up holy hands on his behalf." Before one of the sessions, the worship leader asked the intercessors to pray during the worship. In his words, he said, "Throughout the entire practice session, I feel that the arrow has been missing the mark, and what is needed for the arrow to hit the target is intercession." I was floored by his humility, of his recognition of the importance of prayer fuelling worship. It turned out to be one of the most incredible worship times over the four days.

3. The teachers - After the worship, we had the word, and this was brought to us by very anointed teachers, who knew how to rightly divide the word of truth

4. The "grandparents" - In a meeting that is run so much by hearing God's voice, how is abuse prevented? How do we know we are hearing rightly, and not being deceived by our hearts? This is where the "grandparents" come in - the ones who have walked with the Lord for many more years, who have developed a deep intimacy with God, who have honed their discernment. They are there to protect us, and it is to their wisdom and counsel that we submit.

5. The nations - In this meeting, there were over 20 nations represented, and one thing the Lord is increasingly showing me is that there is a glory that is unveiled when the nations walk together. He has gifted each nation with its own unique anointing, and when we serve each other (as individuals, corporately, or as nations), it brings delight to His heart. As a case in point, on one of the days, the teaching was on freedom, and the breaking of chains. There were 4 Samoans in the meeting, and in one of the sessions, they felt led by God to do a Haka (a warrior dance), to symbolically war for the breaking of strongholds. When they did so, the spiritual atmosphere changed; it was highly charged, and I believe chains were broken that night.

"God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19 If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20 As it is, there are many parts, but one body." (1 Cor 12:18-19)

I have been greatly blessed because all the members of the body, diverse as we are, walked in our various giftings, and served the others according to our anointings. That partnership is precious, and I believe, brings the corporate church into a greater measure of the fullness of Christ.