Season of Lent & a Jericho March

[DeanZF]

I had a very interesting conversation with a friend recently. He is a younger man and a fairly new worship leader; he had heard tales of what used to be called Jericho Marches, especially within the Pentecostal tradition. We compared notes and discovered that what we knew or had heard about those marches seemed to be pretty much the same, that they were often related to a sort of faith-building exercise that was linked to a musical, singing march around the outside of the congregation. Lots of hoopla and often linked to offerings. There were also penny marches where people were encouraged to bring their pocket change for some specific project or cause.



We discussed his interest for a while and there emerged what I thought was a God-given plan for his non-liturgical congregation. Since it was just before the first Sunday of Lent, what would happen if he suggested a plan to his pastor to being a little more biblical character to the march? What would happen if the congregation was encouraged to march around the space in total silence, like the Hebrew community so long ago? They were told to make this parade in silence, circling the city once each day for six days... here, let's just quote from Joshua 6:
<QUOTE author="Joshua 6:2-5">

The LORD said to Joshua, "See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead."

Later in the chapter, Joshua tells them not to say anything until commanded to do so, and then to shout and holler and otherwise raise a ruckus. The various translations are a little fuzzy about whether or not the priests sounded the trumpets on each of the days leading up to the defeat of Jericho, but either in silence or with only the sound of 7 rams' horn trumpets, can you imagine the watchers on the walls of Jericho looking down on the parade, scratching their heads and wondering what in the world these crazy Hebrews were doing, walking laps around their impenetrable city? Makes me smile thinking about it.



The Hebrews, under General Joshua, obeyed God's instructions. They walked without talking, but I'd bet there was a whole lot of praying going on. They had been told what would happen, how God would act and that the city would fall. God said it, that was enough, let's go! They were walking prophetically for their own deliverance from an oppressive force. And God delivered them.



Back to my young friend's proposal to his pastor. He has proposed that there be a brief explanation of the process and the fact that he feels God has given him this plan much as God instructed Joshua. What walled cities are in the lives of those in the pews in his congregation? What huge insurmountable, impenetrable things are preventing them from spiritual success? Sins such as unbelief, dishonesty, pornography or other sexual sin, or financial issues, discord in the family, or any other major issues that you can put a label on, God is interested in bringing down the walls for their victories. The folks will write these down and lay the papers on their seats face down while they walk the walls around their worship space. After their own silent march, the papers will be collected and on the seventh day the papers will be burned and there will be a shout of joy over the victory that our God will bring.



There were lots of chill bumps as we discussed this and as details of his vision for their own version of a Jericho March took shape. He presented it to his pastor and his pastor lit up! He thought it was a GREAT idea and they started it out on the first Sunday of Lent. The seventh "day" will be Resurrection Sunday. Tom is hoping to find some trumpets or at least some things to make a large joyful noise. He continues to encourage the folks in this endeavor, building their faith that not only CAN God do this, but that it is His purpose TO do it.



Tom, his pastor, and I are excited to hear the testimonies of what Father is going to do in the lives of that new congregation of mostly pretty new Christians. Thought I'd share so that y'all can begin to pray for their faith to rise and for God to meet that rising faith is amazing and tangible ways.