The night begins like any other Friday night at Orthopraxis. The participants sprinkle in, while facilitators and leaders finish praying behind the glass in the cry room. Soft murmurs and whispered smiles are exchanged between group members. Everyone begins to settle into their respective spaces in the sanctuary; anticipation and uncertainty buzz about like soft static in the foreground.
âAt Ekko, we believe in the gifts of the Holy Spirit,â Pastor Isaac begins on the night of The Commission â Ekko’s introduction to discipleship regarding the supernatural and the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
“We believe that God moves supernaturally beyond our capability. He moves in ways we canât even fathom or expect.â
âDonât be weird,â he laughs as he teaches, âWhen you operate in the gifts of the Holy Spirit, be naturally supernatural â as many of our pastors say.â The gifts are given to all Christians and are used for the building up of one another, of glorifying Jesus and proclaiming His truth.  âNo one has all the gifts, and everyone has at least one or two. God designed it this way so we work together for the glory of God. You cannot be a lone ranger. We practice the gifts within a community.â
After about an hour of teaching, he claps his hands together and says, âAll right. Whoâs ready?â Most people nod, while others shift in their seats.
Timidly, we shuffle up to the front. The air flutters with a mixture of expectation and doubt, excitement, faith, hope and confusion. But, as the music swells, our spirits begin to stir and awaken. We begin to praise.
As we press in, we become aware of God moving around us.
As we sing, we catch the heart of the Father.
As we pray, we hear His words for those around us. Â
Worship erupts from the far corners of our soul, and we actively step into the joy of being in His presence in community. Spoken prophetic words pierce even the most calloused of hearts, calling to life unrealized or dormant dreams, affirming the faithfulness in the hard and lonely places. Calling into existence things that are not.
âGod wants to use your music to release His presence.”
We say yes and amen.
“You are a gift to this church. You are a radar for those who go unnoticed. You have the call of a prophet. Your passion matters.â
We affirm and celebrate.
“God wants to tell you that not one part of your story with God was wasted. Through good times and bad, what a beautiful story youâve been writing. Not for one moment did He forget.”
We come into agreement.
Lifting the veil from our eyes, the Holy Spirit pulls us into the present, into the reality we are often too distracted to notice. He deepens our lungs so when we sing that Jesus is Lord, that God is good, and He is willing to heal, save, and free, the words are weighty and substantive. He gives us the strength to live in resurrection power, to utter words we donât recognize from the depths of our spirit, to speak truth into the present. Â Â
Someone comes to the front and brings the mic to her lips. “Is there someone named Alex here? Yeah? Godâs been highlighting you in my heart. You will have a lot of influence. As you are led by the Holy Spirit, you will be able to influence. Godâs highlighting you, but I donât even know what you look like.â
She pivots.Â
“Does someone have shoulder pain? And does someone else have left hip pain? Letâs gather around those raising their hands. Letâs pray for healing.”
So we begin to pray â eagerly, with anticipation and compassion. As we lay hands, tears form in our eyes and prayers pour from our mouths.
“My pain is gone. I feel God is saying, âYou are healed by your faith.'”
With the lights on, we watch ligaments come back into alignment. Chronic pain is lifted in a moment. Mouths agape and eyes wide, we look to one another in wonder.
God is healing.
God is good.
He is moving.
As the night comes to a close, we wade into the realization that this life, this faith life, is intricately connected to something larger than ourselves. We are not meant to live in the status quo, gauging the world simply by what we can see or feel. We are meant for much more â the often unseen, supernatural ways of Christ.
We are invited to partner with Him to bring freedom to the oppressed and to heal our world.
This night, among pastors, members and Orthopraxis participants, we are witnesses to the God who is always moving around us. We celebrate the miraculous healings of pinched nerves, lower back pain, uneven leg lengths, and gastroenteritis with one another. In community, we say yes and amen to the awakening of forgotten dreams, of redeemed pasts and futures being prophetically spoken into existence.
We leave filled, yet hungry for more. At peace and brewing with anticipation for what God has done â what God is doing â in the renewal of all things.