Some MAD Worship.

Hello world.

Today would be the first official week of lectures on the MAD DTS, which is awesome. The new bunch of students (25 girls, 7 guys) are from all sorts of backgrounds and countries--From broken homes with christianity as the Sunday things to some as Pastor's Kids who've seen it all and are just plain skeptical. It's an interesting mix to be sure.

So we kicked off yesterday with some lectures and some community worship which was good, but frankly not very free. It felt stiff. Gunnliek (MAD school leader) led worship with a bunch of us MAD Staff backing up (I did some keys and crazy lead guitar). It was a good time but not that deep. But it's okay, it was only the first day.

Today being the second day, and being the day that I was designated to lead worship for the MAD school, I was ready to get past the stiffness, the shallow worship. Of course Ingvild (fellow Staff leader) and I searched God's heart on what was to happen to day and we felt very strongly there was going to be freedom. We felt God was going to touch these guys in a way that they had never been touched before, showing the reality of His being, of His presence. Naturally, we were stoked. The past two mornings I woke up insanely early (the only alone time possible, pretty much) and this morning I felt in my spirit excitement and praise start to build inside of me in such an overwhelming feeling. I knew something good was going to happen.

I felt God lead me to speak release to this kiddos. So we gathered at our usual meeting time and I gave a bit of a talk about expression. I felt it important to greet them all in this manner:
"Good morning, Creators. Who here is a creator? Raise your hand! All of you raise your hand, because you are all creators. We were created to create."
I spoke to them simply of the expression of worship from our heart in the gifts (art, music, poetry, dancing, photography, cinematography, ect..) that God has given us. To bring our most excellent talents before the throne room of God as an offering of praise to God the Creator, the Father. I told them they had freedom to do and express whatever they wanted. They could sing whatever, draw whatever, dance whatever as long as it was worship to God. After a short 5 minute talk we were off.

I felt the words flow out of me as naturally as they always do when I begin to worship God. We sang maybe one song and then dove into the prophetic-- as God impressed feelings, thoughts and guiding of where He was taking this whole sha-bang, I led the rest of them into it. After a while this eruption of praise was coming from Ingvild and I:
"Your unfailing love casts out fear!
It casts out fear in me!"
And I felt the Lord give me the nudge. I spoke it out, "Does anyone here feel like there is some sort of fear, or hinderance that is keeping them from God?"
A few hands go up and the staff flock to them, and as they do some one named Maureen falls down in tears weeping.. The presence of God is heavy now.. And as my fellow staff are ministering to these girls in this worship time, the girls are crying out to God in tears. It was beautiful..
But I knew there was something more. So we kept worshipping, singing out exactly what God was doing in me or what He was wanting to do in others.. Another prompt:
"Has anyone here never been touched by God before or felt His presence?"

One hand from Mick (one of my guys) and I spoke it out:
"Mick, God wants to touch you."
His hands go out in a cry and he falls to his knees as two leaders come to minister to him.. It was such a joy to see God move in the way that He said He would.. Bringing freedom and life to those that were captive to death..

Worship ended in the chorus of one of Brad Kilman's songs:
"I want to be close to you, I want to be found in you.." over and over and over again.

The cry of our hearts is to find identity in Jesus Christ.
And Jesus is on the move.