Swimming against the current pursuing love, pursuing a Bridegroom’s love – coming into a season of loving Jesus and laying down the polishing cloth, the hoe, the carpenter’s saw -and sitting down to relax with Him, enjoy conversation with our Lover-God: it’s all like swimming upstream in the present-day church. The “revival corners” of the church are busy, busy, BUSY, as is most of the body of Christ, with programs, conferences, and activities of bringing the Kingdom to earth. It’s all good ‘stuff’. But sometimes even good ‘stuff’ has to go.
I was at a gathering recently of ‘revivalists’ and we were ‘soaking in God’s Presence’. Why, then, did I feel like a Salmon swimming upstream, going against the current to meet Him? Everyone was laughing, laying on the floor, “whoa-ing”. I wanted to run away, I felt entirely awkward, I felt out-of-sorts.
Anything can become religious, even revival ‘norms’ like soaking or laughing. Anything can become a pattern. Holy Spirit, on the other hand, is like the wind, always moving, always changing.
One thing He will always anoint is LOVE. Love for one another, love for Him.
I felt out-of-sorts at the revivalist soaking meeting because for me, it’s the season of the Bridegroom, and that means intimacy. Intimacy often means meeting in quiet, hidden obscurity to share thoughts and to express love. Intimacy means brothers and sisters sharing from the heart, openly and honestly. Intimacy means learning how to be family for each other.
Intimacy is not (usually) laying around on the floor with a bunch of strangers and never really connecting heart to heart with any of them. Intimacy is not (usually) leaving the room two hours later, having done nothing but laughed together. Intimacy is love and love is communicating, blessing each other, caring for each other, honoring one another, helping one another, meeting eye to eye. Intimacy is meeting one another spirit to spirit, heart to heart, soul to soul. Intimacy is listening, hearing, swapping thoughts and feelings and encouragement.
Intimacy is risking that I will share my heart and you will receive my heart. Intimacy is you telling me what is deep within you, and my treasuring what I hear and what you share. Intimacy is risking that if I am open and vulnerable and weak, you will receive me and sift out what is becoming like Jesus but hasn’t arrived yet (Heb 10:14). Intimacy is having the faith to see the anointing in your life, and calling your character up to integrity and faith, equal to your anointing (and vice versa). Intimacy is time spent together to know another person. Intimacy requires time, risk and truthfulness at its core.
This is true in relationship with Jesus, with Holy Spirit, with Father God and it’s also true in relationship with other believers.
If we are to be intimate with each other, we’ll first need to get real. Honest. Open. Learn to love by sharing and hearing. Be strong in front of others, as well as being weak with those who are our family, those who know us.
No more playing Church, where we have to put on our public, Sunday best appearance emotionally, and pretend we’re a giant-slayer – and that’s the only side we ever show to anyone.
I’m tired of the church being a teaching center. There’s MORE!
We need to learn from the Bridegroom how to be lovers again.
Come, Holy Spirit, draw us into this season of the Bridegroom, or we’ll miss the Lover’s subtle invitations – again. Come, bring us so many clues that it’s all about love, that we are enticed, curious, eager to stop what we’re doing and turn aside. Draw us, Spirit of Jesus! Woo us in the middle of the desert of Christian activity!
I am coming, Jesus. Draw me after you until I come daily. Give me courage to swim upstream.
with love, Janet
