July 2, 2008
We often hear that the Spirit of God is powerful. But sometimes we don’t allow ourselves to see it in awesome ways. I was privileged enough to see the Spirit of God in full power last week and I need to put this story out there for anyone who reads this blog. If you doubt that God can do amazing things in peoples’ lives, keep reading. If you want to be encouraged in your faith, keep reading.
Last week, June 22-27 was the annual week of Centrifuge camp for Bethel’s youth at Skycroft. 18 students and 6 adults from our group arrived Sunday evening. The worship that night was energetic with a band leading music, great videos, and a great camp pastor who was powerfully proclaiming the Word of God all week. But there seemed to be a strange spirit in the worship center. There wasn’t freedom to worship, and a lot of students from all the church groups seemed lifeless and didn’t seem to enjoy a time set aside to worship our Creator. Something was up. And I didn’t know what it was.
Our camp pastor, Paul, mentioned to the adults the next day that he could sense a wall up between the students and God. Monday night’s worship- same thing. Tuesday night, seemed the same almost.
But Tuesday night, some things started coming to a head. The worship time seemed to be a little more freeing, but the big change came in the church group devotion time. The group time was the last thing of the night before the fun free time activities before bed.
Dave, on our group leaders, opened up the time just asking if anyone had questions about what they’ve been hearing so far in the week. He was hoping honest discussion would get started that would lead to the root of the problem that seemed to be built up. What ended up happening was several of our students opened up about family situations. I realized that there was a lot of hurting and pain from relationships with parents and others. And what I think happened was that these things were creating walls in the hearts of our students that wouldn’t allow them to freely worship God. Reconciliation was needed between some of our students and others.
I heard things that night from students that I haven’t heard yet in my youth ministry experience. Things that I won’t print here, but things that showed there was some real hurting going on inside of the students I pastor.
By Wednesday, I felt like something had to be done. Especially since I was leaving late that night to go to Michigan to perform a wedding, I just couldn’t stand leaving knowing the spiritual condition of our students at the time. So that night’s group time, we did something a little different. And what ended up happening blew my mind and made me stand in awe of the powerful spirit of God!
That afternoon I went out and got some terra cotta dishes (a type of pottery). It ended up being the best $30 I’ve ever spent for these guys. That night during our group time, we went down to a fire pit area that was very secluded. I opened up to them about what I’ve been seeing happening all week. I told them I felt like there were unresolved issues with parents, friends, or others that were getting in our way of worshipping. As they came to the area, I handed them a terra cotta dish. They held it the whole time I explained this. I shared with them the scripture from Matthew 5:23-24 about being reconciled to your brother before coming to the altar of God. I then asked them to picture that painful situation they were experiencing in their dish. I then invited them to go to one of the blankets that were nearby and take the hammer that was there, and crush that dish. This was a symbolic way of giving that situation over to God. I told them it wasn’t about smashing their father or friend, but about getting rid of their hateful attitudes and bringing themselves to a point where they could ask forgiveness or forgive.
God’s hand was working the whole day to prepare Bethel’s youth for that evening. Paul preached that night on forgiveness, and all of their Bible studies throughout the day focused on the topic of forgiveness. Paul’s message was powerful, but what I saw from God’s Spirit was even more powerful!
I played a guitar softly in the background to just give students time to pray and give these situation over to God. Then I was able to experience students going up to the blankets and completely destroying these dishes. I mean obliterating them!! And many students wept over the broken pieces of pottery that laid before them. I saw freedom coming out from such a simple tangible thing of breaking up a piece of pottery with a hammer. But what I saw next blew my mind. Students were getting up from those blankets changed in their spirits. They were going back to the others and praying over them! Putting their hands on them and praying for them! Even students who didn’t know each other too well were praying for each other. I’m picking strings on a guitar while watching all this. It seemed like as students were crushing pieces of pottery, God was crushing their hearts and restoring them with a new freedom and attitude of joy to be with others and to be in His presence!
I stopped playing the guitar and asked if anyone wanted to share anything. And between tears, some students shared the situations they gave over to God. It was powerful. Then, they asked to sing some more! So we did. By the end of the night, the entire group was sitting in a circle singing praises to our God and praying together. The spirit of joy in that place was indescribable. Walls had been shattered and the spirit of God moved freely in that place. In their prayers, even the students termed that evening a “revival.”
I can’t completely describe what happened. It was one of those things that you just have to experience. But so often we harbor bitterness or let other things control our lives instead of giving them over to God. Then we’ve forfeited the freedom that comes through Christ.
After that experience, I felt much better about going to Michigan.
I love the people I am privileged to minister to. There’s a great group of students at Bethel who have experienced God’s Spirit in an amazing way. I hope they never forget it. And there’s probably a lot of people still out there who need to experience God like this. Pray for it. Seek it. Find it.






