Aufstehen Day 2: Momentum BuildingRachel Wegner - 7 Oct 2011

Our first full day of the Eurogathering has just finished (although the fun for the night is likely just beginning, based on our track record so far). I’m looking out over the wooden floor of our gathering space right now, which has a massive outline of Europe constructed out of masking tape on it. All day, people from many of the nations on this map have blended together as we’ve prayed, listened, danced, shouted and sung. 


The morning session started off with some reverential worship, followed by a few stories from Evi from Hamburg, Germany. She is part of Mission Net, which exists “to inspire a missional lifestyle among European Christian youth” (that’s straight from their vision statement). There was also a time of commissioning and prayer for the Glasnost Boiler Room based in Skopje, Macedonia.

Tommie Naumann shared some fatherly words of wisdom with us about standing under pressure. He drew from stories of men like King David, Stephen, the apostles and even his own friends. He encouraged us to strengthen ourselves in the Lord by drawing closer to Him in times of dismay.

“What is more precious than to know the will of God?” Tommie said. “The most safe place is to be where God wants you. That is the place to stand.”

The afternoon was host to many seminars on topics like deepening spiritual and community life and learning about God’s heart for Muslims, among many other things. The evening session was a time of extended worship and prayer for one another and for Europe, led by the lovely Lydnall Bywater. Some worked their prayers out by dancing, others by banging a few sticks together (given to us by our friends at Revival Run--do check them out!) Still others were kneeling or laying down or offering tearful prayers to God.

We rounded off the night with everyone standing on the map over their own country, or a country where God had called them to go, and lifted up passionate prayers and songs for the nations.

As much as a summary of the day doesn’t do this justice, hopefully this recording of the morning session (Standing Under Pressure by Tommie Naumann) will help shed some light on our time together. Our afternoon seminars have all been recorded, but won’t be available until later on.

Stay tuned for more updates tomorrow!



Rachel