Keeper and Link at Burning Man

Burning Man is a week-long experimental city that attracts creatives, partiers, and spiritual seekers. Our team just returned from a three week participation in this community. Most churches would call this a mission trip. However, we are creating a new framework in which to understand mission. It is our goal to immerse ourselves in the culture, embracing the good and speaking truth into the lies, while being our most authentic selves, people who live in the life and love of the triune God.

We are part of the community. We are creatives and spiritual seekers. Like the community, we road trip to Burning Man, build a camp with a large shade structure, sleeping tents, and a kitchen. We also participate in the community’s gift giving culture. We offer tea and creative worship with drums, dancing, and scriptural chant. During worship, YHWH’s presence fills the atmosphere and He reveals Himself to His people.

Here is one of many stories of YHWH revealing Himself to His people at Burning Man.

Our tent is full of people, movement, and the presence of YHWH. People are chatting and drinking tea. A drum circle is worshiping. Individuals are being ministered to through the laying on of hands. A man and woman walk in and the woman is shaking. They sit in the corner.

The woman says her playa name is, “Keeper,” she is a mother and keeper of her children. Playa names are new names and identities people take on while at Burning Man. Playa, beach in Spanish, refers to the sandy and dry lake bed Burning Man takes place on. The man does not yet have a playa name, he goes by Lalo. He proudly shares, “That’s my wife! We have been married 13 years!”

Keeper asks for healing and Lalo shares he wants to know his purpose. Since Keeper is agitated and shaking, we focus on her. She shares that she walked by a camp that was reenacting a rape scene (in order to promote consensual sex) and heard the shrill screaming of a woman, “No, stop it! I said, no!” She shared that she was raped and wished she had those words, and wants her daughters to have those words. We consoled her and asked if we could invite in the Healer. She says "yes please" and we begin to pray. Lalo hears Spirit speaking to him and shares beautiful words on God’s omnipotent presence and tremendous love for Keeper. Keeper feels God’s loving presence and receives healing. She shares that she feels empowered in her motherhood. This is just the beginning. They leave for the day and we invite them back tomorrow.

They are back early the next day. I make eye contact with Lalo and say, “Today’s your day! Today we look into your purpose!”

While praying with Lalo and Keeper, I hear a gentle whisper, “YHWH.” I begin to speak to encourage Lalo to seek YHWH and find his purpose in Him. I only say the title, “YHWH.” Lalo and Keeper look at each other and exclaim, “No way! How did she know? We were talking about YHWH last night!”

They shared that they grew up very religious. Keeper was raised Mormon, Lalo was raised Catholic, and both had confusing experiences and left their religious upbringings because they couldn’t reconcile the good with the bad. They were unsure what was happening in our tent. They recognized it was good and true, but were hesitant that it was New Age and dangerous. We shared that we were children of YHWH, the Father and Creator of all that is good.

Lalo then excitedly shared that yesterday, during the drum circle in our tent, YHWH appeared to him and introduced Himself as, “YHWH, the Almighty!”

I confirmed, “Yes! That was YHWH!” I continued, “YHWH was, and is, and is to come and has been revealing Himself to His children throughout all of history. We can rest and find purpose in Him. In the beginning, we were created good, in a relationship with YHWH, but lost that relationship because we did the one thing He asked us not to do. We then hid because of lies and shame. But YHWH sought us out and revealed Himself to us, His children, for centuries."

Lalo then asked, “What is all this about the Cross? Why did a guy have to die on a cross?" I explained that YHWH sent His Son to point us back to Him and lead us back into a relationship with the Father. For centuries, people were offering animal sacrifice to restore their relationship with the Father. The Father then sent His Son, to offer a final sacrifice, that would restore us to the Father eternally and His name is Jesus or Yeshua the Healer.

Lalo was so relieved! He finally understood the Cross, and who Jesus is!

He then asked, “and what about the Spirit, and what language are you speaking?”

I explained tongues as a spiritual language…. “it’s a language I use to worship YHWH and invite His Spirit into my life. After Jesus died, He sent His Spirit. The Spirit is with us always and teaches us all things.” I said, “You can have the Spirit and speak in a spiritual language too.” He said, “yes, I want the Spirit!” We then prayed for Baptism in the Holy Spirit and he spoke in tongues. But more importantly, he came back from resting in the Holy Spirit and said, “Did you guys see that?!”

We responded, “What? No, we didn’t see anything!”

He said, “I saw a man in white, glowing, and He hugged me!”

We said, “Wow!!!! That’s Jesus!”

We spoke into Lalo as a husband and father. He took the playa name, Link, because he is connected, linked, to YHWH and has a responsibility to lead his family in relationship with YHWH. Keeper was with him the whole time. They are forever transformed.

This is one story.

On our last day, I asked all 20 team members for 3 prompts that would remind them of a person and a story of how God revealed Himself through our presence at Burning Man. Each team member gave me at least 3 prompts, some gave 5, some gave 11. That's at least 100 personal encounters with Jesus. They are writing and I am editing the stories now. Stay tuned.

About the Author

Nova worked inside church walls, evangelizing and building programs for those in the pews, for 12 years. In 2022, she followed Jesus into the nucleus of the New Age people group. She realized they are seeking Jesus and understood His great love for them. She is now developing a ministry to the New Age.

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