This past week has been very busy and many big boulders have
been moved in our creating process. I’m so thankful I get to do what I do with
two of the most amazing women I now! (Pictured: Hannah Lenz middle, Lana Hollands
right). Since we’re pioneering this ministry from pretty much ground zero, we’ve
had to really dive deep into what we think and feel the Lord wants to do and
how He wants to build this. Reflecting on the week, I really believe we began
building the foundation and grasped ahold of the core values and facets of this
ministry. So this week consisted of many meetings, brainstorming, and vision
casting. From all of the “ground-up” progress this week, I learned a lot about
myself and realized that I really love new beginnings and starting from
scratch. I love the creating process and don’t really get discouraged when I
don’t see “results” right away because I’m very focused on the here and now. I
love getting lost in inspiration and dreaming up the important cores and then
developing them little by little. It’s such a natural partnership for me to
operate in my natural “developer” gift and personality while hearing the voice
and direction of God.
Through our many meetings/prayer times, a big theme that
kept surfacing was getting a heart for the lost and the poor. We felt it is
very much on the heart of God that we develop a big heart for this city and for
the homeless who live here. As we explored how we can do this, the idea grew
bigger into being compelled to love the nations. What we do here on the YWAM
base isn’t meant to stay here… it’s
meant to get us out there with the people. That’s the basis for YWAM as a
worldwide organization: to know God and to make Him known. So it’s very natural
for our us to take this specific heart for worship and spread it across the
city of Brisbane and then out into the nations. We don’t know what that will
exactly look like yet, but we know that it’s an important core to this
ministry.
Logistically we also had a few big changes this week, one
being we officially chose a name for this ministry! We are now the “Creative
Development Ministry Team” (CDMT). It’s a mouthful, but it encompasses who we
are without restricting us in the music sect as the ministry develops and
expands. We broke the ministry down into three specific facets: Worship
Development, Community Development, and Communications. I have been delegated
to be in charge of Communications for the base, so that is exciting!
Communications includes (if not now, eventually): social media, website, blog,
advertisement, branding, promotion, etc. It’s amazing how my little graphic
design experience has come in handy and I’m able to put that passion to use as
well as my passion for music and worship. It is a big role, but I’m charged
with energy to take it on.
As for the rest of the week, we had our normal duties. I led
worship for multiple ministries, including Open Worship, which is every first
Wednesday of the month. Open worship is a full two hours of worship time where
we invite the community to come and then spend some time in the café
fellowshipping. The passion that Hannah got for the night was 2 Cor. 7-18,
which is absolutely incredible: “Now if the ministry of death, carved in
letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at
Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not
the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? For if there was glory in the
ministry of condemnation, the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in
glory. Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at
all, because of the glory that surpasses it. For if what was being brought to
an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory. Since we
have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over
his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being
brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they
read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through
Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies
over their hearts. But when one turns to
the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit
of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of
glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.” Overall,
it was an amazing time of communal declarations of who God is and opening our
hearts and minds to the mysteries of Him, the One True Living God who has
chosen to come close.
With that, I have been at a loss for words, in many ways,
for how to even come before God… that I even have the opportunity to come
before God as a daughter. Before every prayer, before every time of intentional
worship, before every conscious thought of Him, I am amazed and in awe that I
am even allowed to speak to the God who created the whole Universe. My mind
can’t quite wrap around that concept… that He invited us to draw near and had communion (def.: the sharing or exchanging
of intimate thoughts and feelings, especially on a mental or spiritual level) with
Him as the goal, from the garden to the cross. I just don’t even understand how
that is His heart and His desire: to draw near. That in itself has brought me
continuous joy throughout every day. When I think about it, my eyes get wide
and a laugh creeps up my throat because I am allowed to be near to God. I am
sought after by Him and I get to
hear His voice and live my life accordingly (in obedience). That is incredible!
I have been learning so much and it’s hard to restrict what
I share for the sake of not making this too long, but I’ll share one more
thing. I have been thinking a lot about faith and belief and seeing how central
it is to the Gospel and to Kingdom lifestyle. I’ve also been noticing how
breaking fear seems to be a huge theme for the Church at large. It seems to be
an anthem for people to declare that they don’t want to live in bondage anymore
or live in fear. Fear is a huge hindrance to intimacy and creates that veil
between us and God. Whether it’s one’s insecurities, misconceptions, lies that
have been spoken over them, false humility, or inadequacies, many people don’t
experience the fullness of God because it’s too scary to step out of their
current mindset and be embraced in all vulnerability by Love Himself. Hate is
not the opposite of love, fear is. As I’ve been thinking about that, Mark 5:36
jumped out to me: “Do not fear, only believe.” Jesus didn’t say, “Do not fear,
only be brave,” He commanded us to believe.
If we believe He who promised is faithful (Heb. 10:23), we have faith in who He
is, rather than who our circumstance says He is. He is who He says He is and
He’ll do what He says He’ll do. Do we believe that? Because if we do, then fear
is put to death and we receive the tools (courage, peace, strength) to overcome
that fear.
I love reading the Amplified Bible because it puts in brackets
a more extensive definition of the Hebrew/Greek words being used. After taking
a couple semesters of Hebrew at the U of M, I learned how rich the language is
and how the English language doesn’t quite do justice to the Word of God:
Believe: (Heb.
4:3) adhere to, trust in, and rely on God
Faith: (Heb.
6:12) the leaning of your entire personality on God in Christ in absolute trust
and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness
I often think of the day I’ll be able to see Jesus face to
face and what will matter when I’m looking Him in the eyes, in the flesh. When
I get to hug Him and see the Man I’ve spent my life knowing and learning to
love with my whole heart. When I imagine that moment, all of the worries and
the anxiety and the complications of life sort of fade away and all that stands
is the question: Will He call me faithful? Will He be able to reflect on
my whole life and testify that I lived my life on earth faithfully to Him? Did
I live life with a heart to know Him and please Him and did my actions reflect
that heart, despite my mess-ups and wrongdoings? Because at the end of all of
this, that is all that matters. Do I believe? Do I adhere to, trust in, and
rely on God in every moment? The point is intimacy; the purpose is nearness. And
that is the most restful plumb line to have in life.
With love,
Lyss
