Post No.10 - God is Good!!

Lenda standing beside a big Redwood

One of the key beliefs of the Bethel community is that God is always good! It's one of their core beliefs - it fuels their quest for God's manifest presence - it pervades their worship - it's at the heart of everything they do! And one of the things they do well is host people like us from all parts of the world. They go out of their way to make space for us to experience the Bethel culture so we can take it home with us. It's been a very humbling experience for us to be so openly part of their vision to bring revival to every nation of the world.through his Church that passionately seeks his presence, his face... This emphasis is perhaps most obvious in their music and worship. The greater majority of songs they write and use are about seeking more of God's presence. It makes their worship times wonderfully intense and filled with passion and expectation - we love it; we can't get enough of it! I (Ian) spend a good deal of my time in tears... surprise, surprise! I just can't help it...We have bought the Bethel Worship and Jesus Culture CDs and are soaking in them... We are so hungry to be baptised again and again in the Holy Spirit and power.

The king of Stout Grove

Many of the songs are lyrically very simple, like this one called "My Soul Longs For You" off the Jesus Culture album "Come Away":

'My soul longs for you. My soul longs for you. And nothing else will do. Nothing else will do.

I believe you will come like the rain. So Let it rain, Let it rain.'

How they take such simple, heartfelt lyrics and use them in creative and extemporary ways is something to experience. The music is full, and the singing passionate and powerful. It's transformational! Their service structure also is geared to encourage and accommodate the presence of God. At times they will do away with the sermon to follow what the Spirit is doing. Bring it on!

The Boy Scout Tree

On Wednesday we had the privilege of sitting in on the weekly leadership staff meeting chaired by Bill Johnson. The first part from 9 am to 11 am was the Global Legacy emphasis (international focus of Bethel) with most of the senior leaders present. They spent their time telling stories of what God was doing through their ministries, stories of signs, healings and miracles. It was great seeing these seasoned leaders excited about what God was doing, whoop-haring, and yeh-haring at every story - it was very inspiring! The second part up to lunchtime was with the leadership responsible for the local Bethel context. This was chaired by Eric Johnson, Bill's son, and focussed almost exclusively on the space problem they have on Sunday and how they logistically could add another service to their schedule. It was interesting to see how they were trying to come up with a solution that accommodated very one's needs, and especially the visitors to Bethel. Next week we will attend the Bethel School of Supernatural Ministries (BSSM). Both the first and second years are now well under-way and we, again, are privileged to be able to sit in and participate.

The Brotherhood Tree - Trees of Mystery, Klamath

On another level, and the reason this post is late, is that we have done a bit of travelling around this last week. On Monday-Tuesday we went to the coast (Crescent City) to see the Redwoods, and what an amazing experience that was! In fact, one of the most awe-inspiring we have ever experienced! They would have to be one of the wonders of the world. We have never seen so many huge trees... They are supposed to be the biggest living things on planet earth. We wished we had been able to stay another day and just hike (American parlance) through them. Wow! The only problem was our camera battery failed just as we got into the big trees and we had to use our cell phones. So I apologies at the poor quality of some of the photos.

Sierra Nevada Brewery

On Thursday-Friday we went down to Chico (an hour south of Redding) for the night to stay with an American couple who own a walnut farm. They hosted us so amazingly well it was almost embarressing. We had lunch at the Sierra Nevada Brewery, which some of you may have heard of. It's becoming increasingly well-known for its boutique beers; not that we would have known that! They drove us around the area showing us the walnut and almond orchards that dominate the area, and the rice farming which is a big deal in the Sacramento valley. It was great to spend some time with a conservative, Republican supporting, couple and listen to them talk about their view of the USA and how it was going to the dogs under the Democrats, and what needed to happen to put things back on track. In fact some of it made sense - less government, greater personal responsibility, less handouts, and a return to the values of hard work, family and community. It was hard to disagree with them!

Apple Pie America!

Our time here is fast running out - only 11 more sleeps before we head up to Seattle. We will be sad to leave Bethel as we feel it is only the beginning of something wonderful... But we are also excited about the journey St Andrew's is on and what the heart of God is for his Church! We're looking forward to coming home. Put your safety belts on... Ha, ha, ha... 

Blessings, Ian & Lenda