School of Worship Fasting Retreat

*Old drafts I’ve finalized and posted*

 

This weekend was the fasting LTE for the entire internship minus the School of Worship. We spent the weekend serving. I lived in the auditorium for the weekend, which was quite enjoyable. I also led worship several times. I led a two-hour session in the prayer and then also filled in for two optional worship times in the auditorium on Saturday evening. I love these times of worship because its real. You, the guitar/piano, and God. Its wonderful. Its all flow. While a full band is fun and rockin’. I’ve learned to cherish these real times with God. Anyway, the first optional set was alot of wickham with a foreman song and lifehouse tune. M@ led a few oldskool songs as well. The second set consisted of Luis backing me up on keys and lower harmony, he said he would pass it off to me when he finished. He passed it off at 12:45. So I played until 1:10.

After the auditorium was empty. Matt, I, and a couple of the girls in SOW chilled and chatted for a few hours. It was cool. It was some of the first chill hang out time I’ve had with some of the new folks. Anyway, they wanted a story of a series of events that have occurred up until that evening. It was quite spontaneous, but thats we’re about here: spontaneity. So recently, several of the SOW guys have been into freestyle songwriting, like just playing a chord progression and singing over it. So I applied that to the story. Em, C, G, & D. I hope to record possibly it soon hahaha! … Anyway, some awesome stuff can be created when its spontaneous, especially hilarious stuff. It was 45 minutes long….

The Fasting LTE

As I stated earlier, I didn’t fast this weekend because SOW is fasting next weekend. The vision for the fast is giving. We will going to a prision as a choir to lead worship. As far as I know we will be dispersed among the ministry helping where help is needed. We will be allowed to talk…hallelujah!. At first and perhaps still, I was skeptical of the vision Mary had received. I know God had been speaking to Mary personally about the giving of her time as she shared with us earlier the week. It erk’d me though, honestly. I was irrate. *Venting ahead Caution* I’ve been slammed lately. I’ve been booked for a month’s worth or more weekends for work or something other than my time. Selfish, but seriously. Alumni Weekend, Campus Visit, Fasting LTE, My fasting lte. So after my fasting LTE, I’m leaving the following weekend for Thanksgiving, and I don’t come back until the 2nd. I graduate on the 13th. I need sometime before I jump head first out of TM. Time with God, Time with friends.

Okay, let me get back on track here, I ranted. So, I was split. Fast with interns or fast with SOW. The intern focus is vision based. Which is what I need some clarity on. But that doesn’t mean God can’t reveal that to me on the SOW one. I spoke to my mom about it. She encouraged me to focus on both fasting retreats. So, I did so. I need to meditate on my notes from a few of the sessions as I was working the whole weekend and not focused on one thing.

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So, I was irrate about our fasting retreat. I guess I needed to open my eyes to the verse our manager cast the vision Isaiah 58 speaks of serving as true fasting

6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?

Thursday and Friday were spent serving where needed. We went to a prision and blessed them as a worship team and a choir. Oddly enough, in the process of blessing them, they blessed us. We also formulated different ideas to serve the branches of Teen Mania.

Saturday, however, was a different story. The last day was devoted simply to hearing from God. Like: How, What do I listen for, etc. Practical advice to take and immediately implement. We’d meet and go over a step in the process and then disperse and seek God. It was truly glorious. I was mainly focusing on college studies. I’m still searching out which one God has for me. I also recieved peace and some confirmation about coming back home and doing school while working at church. 

 

So, I was wrong. Sometimes I’m a dork. The SOW Fasting LTE was phenomenal. My thanks goes to Mary for hearing from God and not swaying from what he told her.

~ by cdrawdy on December 24, 2008.