Flourished Unveiled (2017)

Saturday, passed, I had the awesome privilege of attending the FLOURISHED UNVEILED conference hosted by The Fashioned Heart at St. Johns church in Diep River, Cape Town. This was a creative conference by which a lot of women attended, including some men too.

I had not known what I was really in for, as my friend and I were sponsored with tickets to attend. I had seen the promo video from The Fashioned Heart's Facebook page a few days prior to the conference, but little did I know that what I was truly in for. God had wanted me there!

I had arrived a few minutes late, only to find myself in an environment where people were authentically themselves. Worship had already started and the beauty of the arts were on display for our Abba Father. There was such a liberty in the atmosphere to just be who you are and to be free to express yourself to God in worship in anyway you related to Him. He was truly present and He was awed.

The vibe was really cool, unlike anything I have experienced before. The church building looked vintage, but the hearts that filled the room made vintage look beautiful.

At some point during a song called, King of my heart by Bethel Music, women randomly started filling the front space with their dancing. It was so beautiful. People from different cultures and backgrounds were pouring out their unique praise to the One who calls them by name. In the midst of the beauty there was a desire in my heart to join in, but I could not...

Matthew 18:2-3 (NKJV)

2 Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, 3 and said,“Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven."

These people were barefeet, creative and so full of life. This was everything I am. People were true, without judgement of another, full of joy and freedom was their song. I was yearning, but I could not enter in. All I did was take some Whatsapp stories and cry. 

I felt chained up and in bondage. This time I was looking from the outside in. I thought I had known myself. I knew what my temperament was, what my love language is, the ways in which I am wired and everything in between, but in this moment I felt like I was not true to myself. In this space opened for CREATIVE people, all my insides was screaming out was THIS IS HOME!  However, I could not respond. Last night as I told a few of the young adults my experience at Flourish Unveiled, I actually realised that I still was very much boxed in. Boxed in by other peoples' words and their view of what my expressions of worship should look like. 

Just when I thought that I was in a mess, I would hear various people talk or pray about or to God and they would say, "DAD". This messed me up even more and made me somewhat uncomfortable on the inside. "You call God, Father (which to me is still very professional), but the term Dad spoke volumes of intimacy that comes because you simply know Him as Dad. As uncomfortable as this term, when being used, was for me, it also was very captivating to my heart. 

If you know me well enough, you would know that I am very spiritual. I crave to tap into supernatural realms and all that the unseen operates in. This will never change in me. However, this perception which is legitimate, has stolen from me the liberty to be a CREATIVE, which I am indeed. I have boxed myself in to just being what traditional church looks like in 2017, but I was so unaware that I was stealing from myself the authenticity of being me. Yet all the Father wanted was for us to be children, because we are. 

Who lied to us as creatives? 

Who has placed us into boxes that we are only singers, only dancers, only artists? 

Why do we limit the creative abilities inside of us? 

Why did we allow our worship to be tampered by rules and tradition? 

We want to taste freedom, especially when it comes to our worship. Our worship is basically the expression of one creative to another. Our Beloved King is the greatest Creative and He has created us in His image and in His likeness. Creativity flows through our veins. 

My petition to all those who read this blog today is that there is a well that will never run dry. You might not know Jesus Christ and the church might have painted a very church-like Jesus to you. Truth is, He is not the church and He does not come with a tie and a suit. He is beautiful and very much captivating. He wants you to know that you can be His child and in that there is so much freedom. 

I now know that even when I mess up, it does not take away the fact that I am His child and He is my Father. This is grace. 

I love You Dad, Your son, Ro.

Here is to using the term Dad when I convers with Him. I am His beloved. The veil has been lifted. 

Like my page on Facebook (Rowyn Coetzee) and follow my blog posts as I post my links on my page.