EthniClay
"Expressions of God's Grace"
Modelling Clay Figurines
Artwork & Photography by Grace Wiebe - © Grace Wiebe, EthniClay™, 2005
SHIP DREAM - see description of dream and tentative interpretation below
Intro / The Dream / Tentative Interpretation / What Might This Mean to Us?
I had a dream in June, 2005, which was around the time that a friend and I were praying together further about potentially facilitating a house/simple church networking gathering in our region in the next while. I had just had the dream a day or so before the two of us met about this to pray further about this.
A couple of the concerns we had been praying about, and which we felt are being shared by others in the region and beyond, were:
1) the aspect of the need for those involved in house/simple churches to begin to gather TOGETHER for corporate worship times, etc. - the need to get connected with others and develop relationships with each other so that we can build each other up in the Lord, and so we can seek Him TOGETHER about what HE wants to do through house/simple churches in this region and beyond.
2) Another major concern was to see God bring us together in various ways to pray for God's purposes to be accomplished in and through those that He is raising up in house/simple churches in this region and beyond.
3) Another major concern was that of seeing GOD raise up 'five-fold ministers' in our midst that can help to encourage and build up/equip the Body and help to lead the way in what God is leading us into.
It is in this context that I had this dream which I felt may be from the Lord. So my friend and I have been praying for an interpretation of the dream if it was from Him. The following interpretation is what we feel it MAY mean from what has come to us so far. Perhaps you also have further insight into this? If so, please do let us know: CHCRN@DiscipleTheNations.org
Although this plasticine figurine depiction, above, is not exactly what I saw, it depicts the idea and I hope it will be helpful for you to envision what I saw. (The ship in the dry-dock is at the BEGINNING of the dream, and the ship plunging headlong into the ocean is near the END of the dream)...it is the same ship - just representing two different times within a few minutes' time.
I was in my house in my neighbourhood (in my dream I lived in the orange house - though the colors used for the houses or the clothing of the people in the figurine are of no importance to the dream).
For some reason, I went outside onto the street right in front of the house, just in time to see this HUGE ship (which was a very beautiful and quite dazzling ship - royal blue on the bottom and white on the top - I did feel these colors were significant) sliding down the rails into the ocean and making a nose-dive once it hit the water! It then promptly disappeared!
The sense was that the ship had been in dry-dock for some time, and was being maintained or refurbished or something...I don't think it was being built new??.
At the end of the street, just before the ship had left the dry-dock and plunged into the ocean, there were about 4 or 5?? teens (maybe about 16-19 years old??) that had been playing with some levers that they knew had to do with launching the ship, but I got the impression that they had no idea how destructive it could be if they played with them!
As it turned out, as they played with them, they RELEASED THE SHIP PREMATURELY and it plunged into the ocean and disappeared!! They stood there, as did I and other neighbours that had come out of their houses, in total shock and disbelief!! The teens immediately felt a horrifying regret when they realized how costly and devastating their immature and premature actions had been, but the damage had already been done!
As my friend and I were praying about the interpretation of the dream, we both felt that the SHIP represented the Church. The royal blue color, to us, represents the royal priesthood and the white color on the top represents the righteousness of Christ.
The fact that it was apparently in dry-dock gives the impression that it is in the place of being maintained or refurbished - probably the latter? It was a beautiful ship - THE LARGEST SHIP IN THE WORLD (this was a big point that kept coming to mind as I had the dream - that it was the LARGEST SHIP IN THE WORLD (the FELLOW-SHIP of believers with Christ and each other). It was being made ready to sail but was not quite ready to do so.
In praying about what the teens represented, what was felt was that they perhaps represent believers whom God is raising up to function in the 4 or 5-fold ministries (depending on whether you see the function of pastor and teacher as separate or together) to equip the Body and lead her into all that God has destined for her. HOWEVER, they are currently not yet MATURE enough in their gifts or in godly character to 'pull the levers' to LAUNCH THE SHIP at the right time - they know how to pull levers and they know what they're for, but they have not been given the 'okay' to launch the ship yet. They were operating in their gifts/functions but were not yet quite mature enough to be released to 'pull the levers' to launch the ship into the ocean into the next phase of the ship's purposes. It was premature. And the results were devastating!
Also of interest was the fact that this ship, dry-dock and ocean were right in the neighbourhood...giving the sense that it was taking place in a local fellowship of house/simple churches/house church networks, etc.
As I did some checking on the internet, as well, later on, about what 'ships' might symbolize in biblical or Christian symbolism, we were astonished to find out that indeed they do apparently represent the Church!
And some references to what oceans, etc. represent mentioned that they sometimes symbolize the spiritual realms, etc. In another place it said "The sea is the very depths of God’s unfailing love, abundant benevolence and destiny."
So we found this all very fascinating as this all seemed to be fitting together more and more with what we had been praying and sensing, especially since we have also been praying about the timing of seeing things move forward, not wanting to rush ahead but to keep in step with Him; and since we have been praying for God to raise up His equippers/5 fold ministers, etc., and to raise up people to pray together, etc.
Not sure what the 'rails' represent (the rails the ship slid down to get into the ocean). Although they were important in getting the ship into the water correctly and on track, I didn't get the sense that they were of importance in the dream, although perhaps?? they represent the TRUTH/The Word... If so, there didn't seem to be problems with the rails - they seemed to be working just fine!?
My friend and I have been praying about what this might mean to us personally and/or to the house church/es or the house/simple church networks we're involved with.
What we sense is the following... Again, we would appreciate any insight you may have in this regard...
CAUTION
We have the sense that God is about to 'launch' things into the next 'phase' of forward movement among those involved in house/simple churches, locally and probably nationally and beyond(?).
HOWEVER, the sense we got from the dream, which was what we were sensing before that already, and which the dream seemed to confirm, was that God is still in the process of developing His 'five-fold ministers/equippers' (for lack of a better term?) into a deeper level of maturity - godly character and function - before He gives them the 'OK' that it's TIME TO RELEASE THE SHIP and LAUNCH her into the ocean into His next purposes for her. THEREFORE, we feel that this dream is a caution to WAIT FOR THE RIGHT TIMING in order to prevent potential DEVASTATION. For people that function in 'five-fold ministries' to move forward with presumption to 'launch the boat' before it's God's timing and before they are mature enough spiritually and in their gifts/function, could cause a PREMATURE launch and potential devastation.
SO WHAT DO WE DO IN THE MEANTIME?
We felt that in order to see these 'five-fold minsters/equippers' raised up to maturity, there needs to be much prayer in this regard - and corporately as He leads - in various ways.
ALSO, in praying about HOW God may choose to make these people known in His timing, what came to mind was the following:
IF a house church, for example,
has some folks in their fellowship that are becoming mature in a five-fold
ministry function, in order for them to become known, respected and trusted
in this area of function, they would likely first need to develop relationships,
in addition to continuing to develop a godly lifestyle of whole-hearted devotion
to God.
Probably first with other house churches in their local network once they have developed trusted and faithful relationships and ministry within their own house fellowship.
As they would then become known in their networks, and be increasingly affirmed in their gifts/functions, then as the Holy Spirit leads, in His timing He would have their brothers and sisters in the house churches/networks discern them people as was done by the apostles and churches in the New Testament, and they would be 'commissioned'/sent out by the believers.
These 'five-fold ministers/equippers' would not be self-appointed.
As the various 'five-fold ministers/equippers' would be discerned, they would then begin to develop deeper relationships with each other and become a local ministry team which would then be encouraged and affirmed/supported as the Holy Spirit leads, by the local house church networks. In this way they would continue to grow in their gifts and functions, as well.
They would then equip others with similar gifts/functions in order to further build up the Body.
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We look forward to your input...
Many blessings!!
CHCRN@DiscipleTheNations.org