Okay, I haven't been to many (any?) thing like this before. It is 1/3rd teaching, 2/3rd's worship. Worship is being led by Jesus Culture and Hillsong. There are multiple sessions per day over a three day period. 15,000 people gathered in a basketball stadium...with one stated purpose - revival.
I'm going to be there for three sessions between Wed and Thurs. I just happened to be in Chicago and picked up tickets on Craigslist after realizing that work in Chicago was going to be slow the next two days. I might as well take a day off and go see JC and Hillsong, right?
Session 1 starts w the leader for Jesus Culture (Banning) telling a story about why they are in Chicago and how God called them there. I can't relay the message any way close to as good as he said it, but suffice it to say that God supernaturally made it clear that thet needed to do this conference in Chicago. The goal of the conference (fully believed to be God's will) is to start a revival to bring Chicago to Christ like a tidal wave hitting the city. The opening message ends with the entire stadium embraced with each other (think "we are the boys" at a Gator game") praying - out loud - for God's presence at the conference and that we would meet him there.
Yep, this is going to be one of THOSE conferences!!!!
Next up was Kim Walker-Smith, lead female vocalist for Jesus Culture band. She gave a mini sermon on worship and what it should look like. She gave a testimony - not of how she got saved - but of some very close encounters that she has had with God and what she learned through those. I won't spoil it because I am CERTAIN that it will end up on youtube (it was THAT good), but below are the key message points:
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"Worship is not about singing, nor instruments, nor songs. Those are expressions of our vertical relationship with God. Our vertical relationship with God is worship."
"What would songs be without God's presence? Noise"
"Wouldn't it be great if everyone at church on Sunday had spent the week fighting 24x7 to maintain that vertical connection with God? We wouldn't need an intro song to "prep our mind" to worship God. Think how much deeper we could go during worship. We wouldn't need a certain formula for worship b/c we would be already connected."
"There are three keys to worship:
1) Pursue a vertical relationship with God relentlessly 24x7. Fight for the connection
2) Have no offense that stands between you and God
3) Keep pressing toward God in quiet time (even when it feels like you aren't getting a response from God) knowing that at some point in the future you will live in the fruit of that moment"
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Kim's message naturally transitioned into a JC worship set which was.....amazing, anointed ...I don't know how to describe it.
Let me describe it this way...I have been born and raised Baptist. I rarely clap in worship...much less raise my hands. My reservations in worship are a flaw...probably to the point of being a sin...but still, I am okay with that on a weekly basis. I'm not proud of it, that's just where I'm coming from, okay? Get the picture?
Now imagine this...the same guy I just described...crying and raising hands...yes both of them...to the point that my arms are so tired that I can't keep them up any more. Yeah, me and 14,999 of my closest friends doing the same thing....including the dude next to me who was wailing, or groaning to God, or speaking in tongues...I don't know what was going on over there to my left!!!
Yep, this is going to be one of THOSE conferences!!!! ...and yet God is clearly there and I'm okay with it all.
As I walk out of Session 1, I introduce myself to the woman on my right. I feel like it is the least I can do after I was instructed to hold hands w her during corporate, out loud prayer (how scary is that btw!). Come to find out that she's from Clearwater; going to Moody Bible Institute in IL. Small world. As we part ways, she tells me...
"I've NEVER been to anything like this before."
...That makes two of us!
...but if that's the opening act, I can't wait for Hillsong tonight!!!!
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