Koom kyoon! this phrase was shouted four times by myself and 3 other men as we crawled backwards into the sweat-lodge. Once the last man entered, the piskis hama (door-man) draped the door shut, and we were plunged into darkness. It was nearly silent, completely cut off from the outside world, and hot... Really Hot! As the Nez Perce elder began to pray I was reminded of the beauty of God's design, that he created so many people, and that he planted the truth in their hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11) even if they didn't yet know it.
We had been in the Nez Perce reservation for 3 days now, and we had seen God worshiped among a people nearly forgotten. YWAM Idaho had been invited by the Nez Perce Presbyterian church to do ministry to the youth, Bible studies aimed towards the high school/junior high age. The Nez Perce Presbyterian church had been meeting at the camp for 118 years, and in 118 years, it hadn't changed much. Worship was a thing only done in Hymns, they were powerful hymns, but not appealing to the youth. It was here that I met my friend. He was an elder and pastor in his home church but there was something different about him, something less ummm.... Presbyterian for lack of a better word.
He and I spent hours talking. We spoke of the Grace of God, the blood of his son, and the Love that he pours out from his Spirit. As we conversed, the discussion turned to the Nez Perce tradition, to the traditional beliefs of his people. He regaled me with stories of their Creator god, of the Spirit chief that judges us when we die, and of the Spirit given to each Nez Perce to help guide them through life (sound familiar?) They believe that the morning star will guide them (Revelation 22:16). All of this led to an invitation to pray with him, as he would in the tradition of his ancestors (Exodus 20:12)
The prayer, was in the sweat lodge. We went in backwards, as a symbol of re-entering the womb. While in the "sweat" we sang worship songs and prayed for one another, then spent time in silence, asking God to reveal himself to us, and reveal in us the things that need to be cleaned. Once we've prayed for each other, we exit the sweat crawling through the low door reminding ourselves that we are leaving like we left the womb, and being reborn!
I can never forget what God showed me that week, and I anxiously look forward to Him revealing His Kingdom to me, and my family, as we press forward in the ministry with YWAM Idaho.
We had been in the Nez Perce reservation for 3 days now, and we had seen God worshiped among a people nearly forgotten. YWAM Idaho had been invited by the Nez Perce Presbyterian church to do ministry to the youth, Bible studies aimed towards the high school/junior high age. The Nez Perce Presbyterian church had been meeting at the camp for 118 years, and in 118 years, it hadn't changed much. Worship was a thing only done in Hymns, they were powerful hymns, but not appealing to the youth. It was here that I met my friend. He was an elder and pastor in his home church but there was something different about him, something less ummm.... Presbyterian for lack of a better word.
He and I spent hours talking. We spoke of the Grace of God, the blood of his son, and the Love that he pours out from his Spirit. As we conversed, the discussion turned to the Nez Perce tradition, to the traditional beliefs of his people. He regaled me with stories of their Creator god, of the Spirit chief that judges us when we die, and of the Spirit given to each Nez Perce to help guide them through life (sound familiar?) They believe that the morning star will guide them (Revelation 22:16). All of this led to an invitation to pray with him, as he would in the tradition of his ancestors (Exodus 20:12)
The prayer, was in the sweat lodge. We went in backwards, as a symbol of re-entering the womb. While in the "sweat" we sang worship songs and prayed for one another, then spent time in silence, asking God to reveal himself to us, and reveal in us the things that need to be cleaned. Once we've prayed for each other, we exit the sweat crawling through the low door reminding ourselves that we are leaving like we left the womb, and being reborn!
I can never forget what God showed me that week, and I anxiously look forward to Him revealing His Kingdom to me, and my family, as we press forward in the ministry with YWAM Idaho.
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