As I write this, I'm overlooking Heimdal, a suburb of Trondheim. We're staying with Terje and Lise Dahle in their typically Norwegian wooden house. Terje leads the new board of DAWN in Norway and oversees the Norwegian churches of Kristent Nettverk, an apostolic network that originated in Bergen. Trondheim is quite similar to Utrecht: it's the birthplace of Christianity in the nation, has a cathedral right in the centre, and a rather large student population. If you're interested to update your knowledge of Trondheim, then check out this short introduction movie.
It has been a few years since the parachute dream. The good thing is that God has been speaking to more people about Trondheim. In fact, two Connect friends - Gabi and Heidi - had another prophetic story to add to the mix. When in November last year I met Terje at a DAWN Scandinavia meeting in Copenhagen, he said: "If God is speaking about my city, then you should come over and share." Which is the reason why I'm here. The Dahle's are very hospitable, in fact they're spoiling us with wonderful Norwegian food like salmon, caramel cheese and jarred berries.
On Sunday we met with a group of 25-30 students that form a simple church network in the city, and I shared about 'seeing prophetically and acting apostolically'. On Monday we visited Trondheim, to see some of the historic city. Yesterday we drove up to Levanger for a meeting with Arne of the Nordic Prayer Center. He's one of those rare prayer guys that thinks prayer-community-missions-justice and he has a great sense of humor as well. They pray for the nordic region of Europe, but also for Trondheim, and several other key areas. The sky was clear - it's freezing minus 12 - so it was a beautiful trip along the coastline.
In the evening we met Havard and Katherina, a young couple that serves the network here, and we joined a house church in one of the student homes. Today I had lunch with the core group of the pastors' network, and tonight we'll have another house church meeting. Looks busy, but we also have some time to relax.
Now what is God up to in Trondheim? He has been speaking from Is. 43:16-21 and Job 14:7-9. The first Scripture speaks about not dwelling on military force and on the past, but looking at the new things God is doing. The second is about an old tree dying in the ground, and the promise that fresh new shoots will come up. On the road to Levanger I (prophetically) saw a military helmet that was turned upside down, and a new plant was growing in it. Realising that the Gospel was brought to Norway with the sword by the not-so-saintly Olav, and that the Lutheran state church - even though the life is dying out - is still dominantly present, I believe these Scriptures speak about a new movement that God wants to start in Trondheim that will be reformational in nature.
A key issue is that of allegiance. I encouraged the pastors and students to submit to the kingship/headship of Christ (not just in theory, but in reality), and in that to each other. Politics - power play and compromise - have corrupted the church in Trondheim more or less from the start. They say every innovation here is being battled. But this new move of God can't be controlled by little kings. There's only one way to move with Him, and that is to die to self and man-made structures we even dare to call 'church'. Only then a godly movement can break forth. May Springtime come to Trondheim. Can't wait to see the flowers.
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