Worship in the river.

I went to a conference up in Denver that was dealing with worship and the prophetic. It was a good conference, with a very charismatic leader, who spoke words of the Holy Spirit, and revelation. The teaching was profound. The lady worship singer seemed to love a few phrases that she would sing over and over before we got started each day.

Her favorite was… “In the River.”

She kept repeating the words about being in the river with Jesus. And like so many conferences, there were mostly women there, all of whom were loving this picture, and entering into singing from this place in their heart, closing their eyes like they were in the river. I think the worship lady wanted us to feel like we were swimming, and letting the cool water brush up against our face. Being surrounded by Jesus, and the spirit. There was a freedom, as I felt people letting go.

And my own heart trying too as well.

It started picking up steam, and beat, and a few were flayling their arms, like they were back stroking in the river. And a few of those banners were being waved back and forth in the crowd like it was the river. The whole conference room was moving back and forth. I was actually feeling a great peace in the midst of all this going on.

But after a few more minutes of this, we seemed to still be just hanging out in the river. Again, and again, in the river. Apparently it was a really long river. Too long.

The more I sang, the more I felt like I was drowing in the river. It just kept going. Over and over. More and more in the river words. I was staring at all the women around me captured by it all, and so happy to be in it all. Eyes closed, moving to and fro like they were on a cozy raft cruising down the river with Jesus as they felt the water, aka the spirit, rush around them.

All of a sudden, I started laughing. A thought had hit me. I wanted to be on the banks of this river, fishing. My memories fading to the days of being there with men, like Timm and Ron. I wanted this water. But I didn’t want to be in it, I wanted to be fishing on the banks of it. And yeah, I wanted Jesus there, too.

But I wanted him next to me with an Orvis rod, and a two count rhythm leading me into some good holes. I just pictured all these ladies floating down with their little umbrellas and sunglasses on, as we sneaked by them, and moved up the stream to find a section with some big brown trout. As the ladies kept singing, I just kept picturing it, and kept thinking of heaven, and Jesus, and how I just hoped we would fish. And we would be together on some of those rivers he speaks about in Revelation.

Beyond all this singing, somehow I was hoping this fishing, and our time together would actually be worship.