Malcolm, our ministry contact, is an involved member of the Hillsong Church here. There is a main campus in Century City, Cape Town (which used to be a night club!), but Malcolm is more active in the new satellite campus closer to our campsite in Mitchell’s Plain. On Sundays, we attend both a morning service in Mitchell’s Plain and an evening service at the main campus- my first Hillsong Church experiences so far! Needless to say, worship is crazy! Most of the congregation is jumping and dancing, and there’s always an especially enthused crowd up at the front.
During our first Hillsong visit, I felt really odd being in such a modern, English-speaking church. (Wait, no translator? Where are we?!) Instead of giving sermons and leading worship with a day’s notice, now we’re actually attending church as ‘normal’ members. We went from cramming our bums on awkwardly balanced wooden benches to having sensory overload by stage lights, aesthetically pleasing promo videos, and church goers in skinny jeans surrounding us. I didn’t even know which of the ten screens to look at! And our typical missionary outfit (loose, stained shirts and long skirts to hide our oh-so-scandalous knees) just doesn’t cut it here; even our normal jeans make us stick out in the crowd of super trendy South Africans. But after three Sundays there, and a three-day youth conference called Encounter, we’re well adjusted. It’s actually kind of scary how quickly we can adapt. It’s easy to fall prey to the spirit of materialism and comparison when we’re making regular visits to huge malls for internet and shopping.
Anyway, here’s more about the Encounter Conference! 🙂
I loved it. I did feel old for a change amidst the hundreds of teenagers, but I loved the diversity of the attendees! I did also wonder, ‘Is this “Encounter Jesus” or “Encounter your future spouse”?’ because of the emcees’ unrelenting references to relationships. They definitely love trying to pair people up here… Example? They picked random young adults- some no older than 16- to get up on stage and slow dance to ‘My Heart Will Go On,’ then do a leap and catch across the stage! But I suppose if making those jokes and playing dubstep are what bring nonbelievers through the doors, glory be to God for all the people being reached! We saw so many people come to Christ throughout the conference, as well as on Sunday services!
The speakers included Robert Madu from Texas and Scott Samways from Australia- very different but both awesome! They picked apart Scripture on a crazy level that gave me a newfound reverence for the Word!
My favorite talk was Madu’s sermon on Matthew 6 and the importance of the secret place (private prayer, which results in public power for His glory!), which God has highlighted to me through at least four other means lately. He likened secret prayer to the discipline of brushing our teeth: “public humiliation can result from private neglect of hygiene.” Our private communion with the Father, or lack thereof, shows in our public lives! Not only so, but God promises to hear us and answer… so we can’t expect to have what we’ve never had if we don’t ask for what we’ve never asked!!
I also loved Samways’ sermon comparing humans to donkeys. We are like the donkey in Matthew 21 prophesied about in Zechariah 9:9. The Lord had a specific plan for the donkey 500 years before it was born, so how much truer is His timeless plan for us as humans! And just as Jesus unties the donkey, puts a cloak over it, and rides on it; He frees us, clothes us in righteousness, and guides us as the gentle master over our lives. And we ought to walk in the same way a donkey would- carrying Jesus on our backs and not receiving recognition or credit. It’s in such a way that He is seen and we are hidden in the light of His glory. Wow. Powerful and convicting!
My favorite worship songs at Hillsong have been “Oceans” and “Glorious Ruins”- both have humbled me and expressed the perfect prayer, the cry of my heart for myself and my loved ones:
You call me out upon the waters / The great unknown where feet may fail
And there I find You in the mystery / In oceans deep / My faith will stand
…
Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders
Let me walk upon the waters wherever You would call me
Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander
And my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior
[“Oceans”]
Let the ruins come to life / In the beauty of Your name
Rising up from the ashes / God, forever You reign
[“Glorious Ruins”]
This year, God has brought me out into the GREAT UNKNOWN.
And MY OWN FEET HAVE FAILED ME!
But when I feared I would sink, He let me enjoy the waves as I walked on water.
And when I was about to suffocate in depths I’d never known, He allowed me to breathe under water.
