First Regional Day for 2021 held in Melbourne
Victorian Aglow Regional Day Saturday 22nd May 2021
Pam, Riekie and Margaret share their experiences of the Victorian Regional Day and what was significant to them about this day
Pam:
What an awesome day we had when we met at the Melbourne Aboriginal Advancement league for our regional event. We met on Wurundjeri Country, and had many indigenous sisters and brothers join with us.
This day was especially significant as we were finally able to join after being separated for so long due to COVID-19 precautions in Victoria. The joy of connecting after covid was tangible, a time to reconnect with God and each other and let go of the sorrow associated with holding onto the past. We know God had his hand on the timing of this event, as I write this, we have fallen into our 4th lockdown.
The spirit guided the day, we had no agenda and no preconceived ideas of what the day will hold, however with many phoning to pronounce “I’m coming to Regional Day’ we felt the excitement in the spirit.
Margaret:
When we first walked into the Aboriginal Advancement League Hall we admired the two beautiful mats on the floor and were told they were “The Yarning Mats” “Be anxious for nothing…….” It’s interesting that this was the first scripture to be read out as I found this to be a different sort of meeting for Aglow.
Riekie:
Definitely Holy Spirit was very present with us. With the yarning mat it was like an Indigenous version of dwelling at the well.
Pam:
Worship was simply a strumming of a guitar with Amy and Des singing old songs, that we recalled without lyrics projected on the wall. The Holy Spirit was very present throughout the whole meeting, and gentle enough for the whole family of Aglow. People came to the front and spoke weighty words as led by the spirit, describing a picture, reading scriptures, or singing. As each person presented what the spirit led, it seemed a door opened into the next level of what God was bringing us into this day.
Early in the day a vision was witnessed about the Commander bringing a new command, this was the command ‘to cry out over our land”.
Riekie:
The sharing of Cindy and Pam was so flowing together in the spirit. I love when Cindy just lets it flow out of her. She tells it like it is.
Margaret:
There were no guest speakers. Pam Eliason asked us to be open to what the Lord wants to present. She said about the old and new being like two rivers clashing when they meet it’s a bit muddy and the mud and rocks tumble over each other till the new flow straightens out.
Pam:
We sat on the yarning mat, doing business with Jesus.
Margaret:
We were shown the beautiful branches of a Eucalyptus tree which were on the yarning mat. We admired vibrant long green leaves - it’s oil can be made into a healing balm. Pam said we are balm, we are leaders.
Pam:
We are called to be a balm for our State to be a joyful witness, so others see Gods work in us and want what we have.
Riekie:
When Sue broke through with the happy song, I did feel it shifted the atmosphere. At least 3 that I know of went into birthing mode by the Spirit.
Pam:
This led to spiritual birthing and a call for the wailing women of Victoria. We received this call after a lady encouraged us to rise up [in a song], another talked about the wailing women, [in the book of Jeremiah] the need to cry out over our state of Victoria.
Riekie:
I asked the Lord what the spiritual birthing represented, and I realised it was the new sound Pam had already spoken about.
I felt to explain what all that was and to speak into the “different” we were experiencing. Also the holding back we do from entering into the invitation to come to Jesus through a sense of shame/inadequacy/fear etc.
Margaret:
Riekie continued speaking It was such an invitation from the Lord to enter in, the Israelites had unbelief so could not enter in. Anointing comes when we obey. New sound birthed. Not visitation But Habitation.
Next were the Wailing Women of Victoria a Tongerong Woman Deb spoke about songlines and going up to the Northern Territory and Queensland and praying there for a weekend with wailing involved, Deb gave some scripture to support the reasons for wailing when we pray.
Pam:
Our last speaker encouraged us to pray with each other, to pray a new prayer of unity, to wake up, to go forward, to join with the Lord, to get out of complacency and move to concern.
Riekie:
Ephesians 3 was shared about the resting place for God’s love in our heart. We can create that resting place when we accept His love for us. No conditions. God looks at our heart posture, not our physical posture. If you are physically unable to “get on the mat” don’t disqualify yourself. It’s the posture of your heart God is looking at.
I love how various people felt free to contribute and it all flowed together as it does when Holy Spirit leads.
Pam:
This was a moving prayer time as each group was anointed with oil. Final act of the day was to join in one large circle to sing “Bind us together Lord in unity”.
Margaret:
The hot soup and rolls were perfect for lunch, and I liked when Pam said there were 12 baskets of bread! Would love to have more days like this.
Pam:
Thank you all for being a part of such a strategic day for Victoria, thank you for being part of the healing to more from sorrow to joy. That is Aglow.