Vol II: #63 Why I Went? (Final Bethel Thoughts 1/3)
BSSM is coming to end in about ten days. Hallelujah. Though thrilled with the opportunity to be walk with this weird group of Jesus-lovers, I am equally ready to move onto the next season of my life. I found my peace among them- able to love and honor the Church without conflict. And, that’s what I came to Bethel to do. Jesus pinned His commandment to “love each other as I have loved you” to my heart, and I am now able to do it. Thank you Jesus.
One phrase I heard repeated this week is “Nik, you hide” or something to this effect. In each instance, I turned quickly to cover my smirk. In a previous life, I would’ve gotten defensive or questioned myself. But, here in the year of our Lord 2022, I am confident. I didn’t hide anything from anyone. The people who said I hid are wrong.
I’ll restate what I wrote above to press the importance of why I went to BSSM: To learn to love the Church. I did not go to learn to prophesy (which I learned from the teachers who taught Bethel.) I did not go to learn theology or doctrine. And, I certainly didn’t go for many of the reason others attend BSSM- to be closer to Bill Johnson, the greatness of Bethel Music, or because of their culture.
One last time, I attended BSSM to learn to love those I do not value or appreciate. It required me to lay down my wounds, believe the Lord, and let go of old hurts. What better place than a wild-ass church, where at least one person with a microphone is saying something stupid at any given moment. I liken it to learning a new language. They say it’s best to move to that country and immerse yourself in the culture. That was me for the last eight months.
(I have two more posts coming related to my final thoughts about my experience at BSSM.)
