Day 6 Bethel School of Worship

Today I woke up so miserable.  I cried and cried.  I miss my family and friends so much.  I have never been away from my kids and husband this long before.  I feel quite low today.

I felt much better after I had talked to John, he is good at picking me up and setting me back on my feet. 

The worship was wonderful today.  It was led by Christa Black Gifford (she is a great worship leader but has recently been playing violin, touring with Michael W Smith).  We were resting in God’s presence.  We lingered on this song “I love your presence”.  I really needed to rest in God.

She then talked to us about Mary and Martha.  She was talking about how Mary sat at the feet of Jesus and Martha was busy running around worrying and doing.  There is nothing wrong with doing but Jesus said that one thing is the most important: Listening to and hearing God. 

• When we listen to God and we hear him, we see how much He loves us. 
• When we know He loves us, when we know what He thinks of us, everything else will come from it. 
• Are we like Mary or Martha when we plan our worship set?  Yes we need to get it organised and photocopy, BUT if we have sat at Jesus’ feet and filled up on his love and vision, we will be able to do the doing from a different place. 
• The word obedience in Hebrew means ‘to hear, to listen towards’.  When we spend time hearing God we will be obedient to what he has for us.  You cannot give what you have not received, so we need to sit (quietly) and listen and receive so that we can give out of a wellspring.
• She also talked about how we should stop asking God to come down, he is already alive in us.  We should be still and listen to Him inside of us.  Train yourself and your senses to know when God is on the move.  If we listen, we will see Him moving in power.

I had a dance class next and it was ok, but I did not realise it was a 2 hour class so I think I missed the best bit.  I decided to go to my next class half way through which was all about the music industry.  I thought it would be good to learn about copy-writing or royalties, production and manufacture.  It was heavy.  I think it completely turned me off the idea of making an album.  I think perhaps it was something I should not have gone too.  I think being naive is a better option.  A lot to take in and a scary road to take. 

Brian Johnson talked next about being authentic to who God has made you to be.  He said

• We need to get quiet and ask God who we are, what has he made us to be?
• Perhaps we are not in the right ministry now?  Is God telling you he needs you somewhere else?
• Are we confident in our own sound? Are we trying to be like someone else?  Are we stepping out in the word that God has for our life?
• Tonight I went to a lecture by Ray Hughes.  He was speaking on the tabernacle of David and how it relates to worship.  

 He said that there are 7 different Hebrew words for praise.  

1. Halal is a primary Hebrew root word for praise. Our word "hallelujah" comes from this base word. It means "to be clear, to shine, to boast, show, to rave, celebrate, to be clamorously foolish."

2. Yadah  is a verb with a root meaning, "the extended hand, to throw out the hand, therefore to worship with extended hand." According to the Lexicon, the opposite meaning is "to bemoan, the wringing of the hands."

3. Towdah   comes from the same principle root word as yadah, but is used more specifically. Towdah literally means, "an extension of the hand in adoration, avowal, or acceptance." By way of application, it is apparent in the Psalms and elsewhere that it is used for thanking God for "things not yet received" as well as things already at hand.

4. Shabach  means, "to shout, to address in a loud tone, to command, to triumph."

5. Barak   means "to kneel down, to bless God as an act of adoration."

6. Zamar   means "to pluck the strings of an instrument, to sing, to praise; a musical word which is largely involved with joyful expressions of music with musical instruments.

7. Tehillah   is derived from the word halal and means "the singing of halals, to sing or to laud; perceived to involve music, especially singing; hymns of the Spirit.

We need to know which one is which.  David would write the songs and then he would give the songs to the musicians.  To be  musician you had to

• go through 7 years of training. 
• You had to be over 30. 
• You had to be aware of the times. 
• You would have to build your own instrument. 
• You would have to be able to quote the whole bible by heart. 

If you get rubbish in, you will get rubbish out.  You get the word in you, the word will come out.  They would prophesy on their instrument.  They would release the power of heaven in the room.

Now I am off to another dance class: Beginners Modern Dance.  ?  I have no clue whether I will manage it.  I am still hoping for a healing as I dance.

Ok... just back from my class.  It was not as I expected....  and I really struggled.  We spent about 40 mins contorting ourselves into stretches I would not have been able to when my body was well, let alone now with my gonky pelvis, hips and knees.  I did my best but did feel after 40 mins of trying and really not bending very far, I decided to tell the teacher that I have been in and out of a wheel chair for 8 years.  She then seemed to warm a bit to me.  It was too hard for me unlike the one I was in this morning.  I did my best but I think I will have to rethink my classes.  I like the creative ones and not so much the precise technical ones.  I am still holding out to God healing me while I dance. 

Every one else went out after class today.... I decided to come home an chill out.

This is the song that has captured my heart and I want to bring back home and do in our church.   I have bought their album... it is great.