notes from The Brooklyn Tab

Last Tuesday a group of us from Happy Valley boarded a bus at the nasty hour of 4am to head for “the city” and a day of Strategic Renewal with Pastor Jim Cymbala and The Brooklyn Tab.  I had heard some of the stories and history of the Brooklyn Tab, watched a few Jim Cymbala videos online, but I’d never experienced a day at the Tab.  I had a blast, and would go again next week if you want to drive.

The day was hosted/sponsored by Daniel Henderson and Strategic Renewal.  Who’s that?  Well, in their words: We exist to ignite the heart of the Church through personal renewal, congregational revival and leadership restoration for the glory of Jesus Christ.

I’ll have what they’re having, please…

We prayed off and on during the day, out loud, in small groups, all at the same time.  It was loud and chaotic and wonderful.  It was directed and focused and free and good.  There were times of teaching, times of singing and worship, some Q&A with Pastor Cymbala, but the main focus of the day was prayer for renewal and revival.

Pastor Cymbala spoke a couple of times, teaching us all kinds of good stuff like:
Our first call is simply to be with Jesus.  Jesus wants us to be with him, to know him, talk with him, relate to him, listen to him.  There are other calls in our lives (preaching, leadership, serving, etc) but to get things out of order is going to make a mess.  Jesus wants us to be with him.
from 1 Corinthians 4…4 principles about Kingdom Work
1.  Kingdom work involves judgement of not only our works, but our motives.
2.  Kingdom work involves the suffering of the cross.  (He blew up the teaching of prosperity gospel here, clearly drawing a line between the old covenant and the new covenant)
3.  Kingdom work is about Spiritual Children.  We can’t say that we are a Gospel-Centered church unless the gospel is at our core and people are being saved.
4.  Kingdom work is about Spiritual Power.  There is a dynamic brought by the presence of the Holy Spirit that supersedes the best plan, the wisest counsellors, the greatest resources.

The Q&A was sort of a freestyle Jim Cymbala, with him telling stories of the church and exhorting us to know the Word, be filled with the Holy Spirit, love people, and show the world the transforming power of God.

We closed the night by attending the 7pm prayer service.  We had to get there at 5:30 to get seats, and by 6pm the pastor and his staff were already praying for people.  Pastor Jim taught about the Twin Killers of Ministers–Fear and Discouragement.  Then he lead about 3000 of us in prayer for Egypt.  He invited all the folks in the room born in Africa to the stage; there were about 30 or so folks in the room from Africa!  There were even 2 men from Egypt–one guest, one from the pastoral staff.  After we all prayed (in small groups, out loud, at the same time!) the pastor from Egypt prayed in his native tongue, and the place erupted!

It was a day of refreshing, of learning (or re-learning) some simple yet profound principles about life and ministry and the focus of the church.  I am not kidding when I tell you that you need to go to the Tab for a prayer service–not as a consumer of Christian culture or to witness the novelty act that is the Brooklyn Tab; you need to go to see a picture of what could be, what might be right here in Happy Valley.

RA Torrey wrote: The prayer meeting ought to be the most important meeting in the church. It is the most important meeting if it is rightly conducted. Of course the church prayer meeting in many churches is more a matter of form than a center of power. The thing to do in such a case is not to give up the prayer meeting, but to make it what it ought to be. (How To Work For Christ, Book 2, pg 205)

I’m in.