When I got back from Ecuador almost 4 months ago I was what you could call a little burnt out. At the time I didn't have language to explain what I was experiencing. All I knew was that I was tired, really tired. Everything was tired - my body, my mind, my emotions, my spirit, etc... And I was so ready to come home for a while and enter into a season of "rest." I had it all figured out in my mind. I would come home and spend the first month not doing any work or ministry but just do all the things that made me come alive. I would get rested and filled back up and then be ready to jump into the next ministry opportunity that I felt like the Lord had laid out for me. Well that idea was nice until I got home and found that nothing brought me joy or life. Instead of getting filled up and rejuvenated in the "still waters" oasis season that I was expecting, Jesus led me into the desert where He proceeded to strip me of EVERYTHING.
Like I wrote in my only blog post in June, (Writing became almost impossible for me in that state. It seems He was stripping me of that too,) it was a super vulnerable place for me. I normally have a plan, things figured out to some degree or something concrete and valid to show people that I am doing something productive and or meaningful with my life. During that time in the desert, I fought so hard to get out of the desert and back to the fruitful fields where my life had purpose. I so desperately wanted to climb out of that place of barrenness and nakedness, but I literally didn't even have the strength to pretend that I was OK, much less to forge my own way back to my ideal world of "purpose."
Anyway, after 2 painful months of striving with the very place that Jesus had me in, I finally gave in to what He wanted to do in me there. I'm not even kidding, the shift was almost immediate. Within a couple of days I heard God speak to me about going to a worship school in Harrisburg, PA called Hillside Intensive. 2 weeks later I found myself in a crazy environment of continual, radical worship, an incredible community of people with the united pursuit of God's presence, and the healing, rejuvenating oasis that I had tried so hard to find on my on. It was there that the Lord healed my heart, reawakened dreams, stirred up my passion and gave me clarity about my future and calling.
Well long story short, I am moving back to Harrisburg in a couple of weeks to run with a ministry called Burn 24-7. It has been a crazy journey of trusting the Lord, seeing Him put pieces together, opening doors and converging so many of my dreams in one place. At this point I'm still having a difficult time doing justice the word that God has put in my heart and painting a picture of what I'm heading into. And over the next few months I am sure I will be able to do that a whole lot better as these first few months are mostly about getting to know the heart and DNA of the ministry, establishing and living in presence centered community and beginning to pioneer some new aspects of the ministry.
A little bit about Burn 24-7.
The mission of BURN 24-7 is to plant a sustainable furnace of 24-7-365 worship, prayer and explosive supernatural outreach releasing a sound of indigenous, creative, vertical worship in every community, people group, city and nation in the world.
Our vision is simply to answer the cry of God throughout the history of humanity for a “resting place” (Isaiah 66) to be established so His Spirit can collide with a broken humanity.
Only in a posture of beholding Him, can we hope to become like Him to the rest of the world. As we obey and respond to the first commandment of Jesus to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” we are compelled by His love and goodness to “love your neighbour as yourself” and walk in supernatural signs and wonders carrying His presence into every sphere of society and culture.
(Taken from burn24-7.com, Mission and Vision)
Basically, it comes from the belief that worship and adoration of Jesus is enough to transform our world. And as every nation and tribe begins to do that in their own tongue and with their own unique sound, we will see world revival. This ministry is built of the pillars of worship & intercession, ministry within the context of community, raising up burning ones, seeing nations transformed, awakening the church, reviving the arts, basically everything that has been burning in my heart since I left the womb. Even though I won't necessarily be in the nations like I've thought, being part of this ministry is everything my heart has been longing for and is a set up for me in being successful when He does send me out to the nations. So all this to say that I am so incredibly excited for this next chapter in my story. And I am so thankful that the Lord is writing it out for me. His version is always so much better than anything I could have ever come up with.
I will be able to paint a much better picture as this journey unfolds. So keep posted! :)
Like I wrote in my only blog post in June, (Writing became almost impossible for me in that state. It seems He was stripping me of that too,) it was a super vulnerable place for me. I normally have a plan, things figured out to some degree or something concrete and valid to show people that I am doing something productive and or meaningful with my life. During that time in the desert, I fought so hard to get out of the desert and back to the fruitful fields where my life had purpose. I so desperately wanted to climb out of that place of barrenness and nakedness, but I literally didn't even have the strength to pretend that I was OK, much less to forge my own way back to my ideal world of "purpose."
Anyway, after 2 painful months of striving with the very place that Jesus had me in, I finally gave in to what He wanted to do in me there. I'm not even kidding, the shift was almost immediate. Within a couple of days I heard God speak to me about going to a worship school in Harrisburg, PA called Hillside Intensive. 2 weeks later I found myself in a crazy environment of continual, radical worship, an incredible community of people with the united pursuit of God's presence, and the healing, rejuvenating oasis that I had tried so hard to find on my on. It was there that the Lord healed my heart, reawakened dreams, stirred up my passion and gave me clarity about my future and calling.
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| Worship set at the Hillside |
A little bit about Burn 24-7.
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| Sunrise over Harrisburg |
The mission of BURN 24-7 is to plant a sustainable furnace of 24-7-365 worship, prayer and explosive supernatural outreach releasing a sound of indigenous, creative, vertical worship in every community, people group, city and nation in the world.
Our vision is simply to answer the cry of God throughout the history of humanity for a “resting place” (Isaiah 66) to be established so His Spirit can collide with a broken humanity.
Only in a posture of beholding Him, can we hope to become like Him to the rest of the world. As we obey and respond to the first commandment of Jesus to “love the Lord your God with all your heart” we are compelled by His love and goodness to “love your neighbour as yourself” and walk in supernatural signs and wonders carrying His presence into every sphere of society and culture.
(Taken from burn24-7.com, Mission and Vision)
Basically, it comes from the belief that worship and adoration of Jesus is enough to transform our world. And as every nation and tribe begins to do that in their own tongue and with their own unique sound, we will see world revival. This ministry is built of the pillars of worship & intercession, ministry within the context of community, raising up burning ones, seeing nations transformed, awakening the church, reviving the arts, basically everything that has been burning in my heart since I left the womb. Even though I won't necessarily be in the nations like I've thought, being part of this ministry is everything my heart has been longing for and is a set up for me in being successful when He does send me out to the nations. So all this to say that I am so incredibly excited for this next chapter in my story. And I am so thankful that the Lord is writing it out for me. His version is always so much better than anything I could have ever come up with.
I will be able to paint a much better picture as this journey unfolds. So keep posted! :)
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| Dancing my little heart out! |
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