DAYS OF THUNDER
Koinonia
The first time I heard of Church of the Resurrection and Father Ted Nelson was from two neighbors of ours in 1979. I was searching for a different kind of church and was interested in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit experience…sort of. I read an article by Dennis Bennett so I asked everyone I knew about it. I also made the mistake of reading the Bible all the way through from cover to cover and that changed everything I knew about Holy Scripture. I realized the little Church we attended was not teaching the whole story. When my two friends suggested attending their church and talked about Father Ted… I asked, “Is it a Catholic Church?” They assured me it was protestant, but I had my doubts. I was raised a good Southern Baptist…and we didn’t go to Catholic Churches and we never called any preacher Father. I did visit their church though and when I kneeled at my pew to pray, which was a new experience for me, I knew I had come home.
That wasn’t my first reaction though. When we drove up to Church of the Resurrection it in no way resembled the white church buildings I attended my whole life. I had never visited a church where people dressed so casual and besides that …..all the people were having just way too much fun! Then we entered the sanctuary. As I looked around me, unable to utter a single word in astonishment, it was hard to get past the very large statue hanging center stage at the front of the church! The ONLY thought I had was to beg God not to strike me dead for even entering such a place! Then I saw the large drops of blood on the wall, the strange cryptic letters and men wearing priest clothing! Oh my goodness! It was more than a little Baptist girl could take in! I was ready to run for the hills!
I returned to that strange church though and wild horses could not have kept me away… because you see…I had read the Bible and I longed to know the God of Abraham and Elijah. I wanted to know a God who lived among His people and who baptized them in fire and spirit. I asked God to take me to a church that was like the one described in scripture. I wanted to go where HIS people were…and Resurrection is where He led me.
One Wednesday afternoon, kneeling beside my bed during my prayer time, I asked God to TELL me if I was to officially make this new church my home. It was time to take the step toward confirmation and place myself under the authority of the church, which was a huge step. I felt very much like Abraham when he heard God and followed. The price would be heavy for me. My friends begged me not to do it, my family & Larry’s felt as though I had seriously lost my sanity and my husband thought I had joined a cult! Every time he visited Resurrection he took notes… to document the strange happenings. haha! I told God if I became a part of this new church then He must tell me so Himself. What happened next was exactly that. It is the only time in my life I have ever heard a WORD spoken out loud by God. He simply said, “Koinonia.”
If I imagined an experience like that happening to me, I would see myself running and screaming from my bedroom in fear of a man’s voice being spoken out loud…but I didn’t. I was curious about the WORD I had never before heard. I called the two neighborhood friends who attended Resurrection and asked had they ever heard of it. They had me spell it and pronounce it…as if I had done either in my life…but no one seemed to have an answer, nor did the dictionary or encyclopedia. (We did not have internet in those days.) Two days later I attended a service at Resurrection reserved for Friday nights. The folks attending there simply called it, Prayer and Praise. It was indeed just that; many hours of praising and worshipping and praying to our God. It was glorious and everything I longed for! The Lord inhabited the praises of His people! After about an hour of song and worship Fr. Ted began to teach. The subject that week was “The Church.” The Ecclesia and ….you guessed it…. Koinonia!!! His famous talk on the church! I get cold chills when I think of how God orchestrated that! At the end of the service I made a bee line up to Fr. Ted and told him about my WORD from God on Wednesday. He didn’t seem the least bit surprised that I had gotten it. We opened up Acts Chapter 2 and read it together…and I knew in that moment, God Himself… had answered my question. I was being called to this community….this Body of Christ. God had answered me directly!!!
Fr. Ted
Mother Ted
A Sunday or two later, Fr. Ted’s wife, the beautiful Lee Ann Nelson, introduced herself to me personally as I was leaving church. She told me her name but invited me to just call her Mother Ted. We shared a smile at that. Lee Ann was warm and accepting and I instantly liked her. She asked me if I would be interested in attending a class to find out more about the church. It was called The Inquirers Class. If after attending the class I still felt led to stay at Resurrection I could become confirmed. My mouth became so dry I could hardly swallow at the thought of it. I did attend the Inquirers Class though and the march was on.
Lee Ann
Dreams
The Inquirers Class was amazing! Never in my life had so many questions about God been answered in one place. I learned more about scripture than I thought possible and was never taught. I recognized them though…because I had read the Bible. Fr. Ted taught us about the early church, the church calendar, the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, the covenants and so much more. One quote Fr. Ted made has never left me. “Seek the truth no matter what the cost and no matter where it leads you.” I have so often repeated that and though I wondered then at the boldness of those words, I learned quickly that Jesus is the Truth and no statement more true. I had a million questions, which were patiently answered at each class. My life began to change as I immersed myself in this new thing God was doing in my life. I began to have strange dreams…full of images of the church that were like full blown novels with great symbolic meaning. Many times Lee Ann or Fr. Ted would listen and advise what the Lord was saying in those dreams. The Holy Spirit was speaking to me in deep ways in my spirit and the metamorphosis was taking place. Fr. Ted played a prominent role in many of those dreams as a Christ figure, guiding me straight to the cross.
Wednesday Warriors
I also joined a Bible Study of women after the Wednesday morning service. It was my favorite time of the week. A wonderful group of ladies met and I learned even more about the church and scripture. I was somewhat shy so my part was to sit quietly and soak in the strength and depth of these pillars of the church. Lee Ann was one of the leaders and I still draw on the wisdom of the things she shared with us. My favorite is her quote about “the family resemblance.” It is that thing that happens when we meet someone we do not know but we are drawn to each other because of the sweetness of the Holy Spirit in us because we are followers of Christ.
Lee Ann
Confirmation
I cannot remember a time more glorious than the statement made that day at Resurrection when the Bishop and Fr. Ted laid hands on me. The feeling that one gets inside is hard to describe. It was one of those amazing times in my life when I clearly knew I heard the voice of God and to follow Him.
Larry and Jeff being confirmed. Fr. Ted
has his hand on Jeff's shoulder.
The Nursery
I knew early on God was calling me to work with the children at Resurrection and as each door opened I knew His central purpose for me was to be sure His Love was present there. I felt so blessed to be able to minister to the Body of Christ’s youngest members. We had the opportunity to witness God’s Love and be the church to these little ones. The day I accepted that role Fr. Ted came up to me and asked just one question. “Are you going to do it? “ I said …yes.
I am always drawn to children. Here I am holding a child on a Mexico mission
EYC
Larry and I never intended to get involved with the youth group at Resurrection. We went in knowing nothing. How like Christ to send the blind to lead the blind. Larry had long conversations with Fr. Ted who was encouraging and supportive. Some of our favorite memories are of those times spent with these young Christians who today are leaders in their own church.
Jeff takes the pulpit on youth Sunday
Fr. Ted dances at an EYC fundraiser 50's dance
Larry, Elaine, Lara, Missy and Josh with EYC group
on ski trip to Red River
A Little Taste of Heaven
Fr. Ted and Lee Ann were blessed by the rich teachings they had experienced and always made sure that was available to us as a congregation. I have heard Fr. Ted say so many times… “Dear Hearts, you do not know how blessed you are. It is not like this in other churches. Be grateful for the rich teachings we have here. “ He was certainly right. A Bishop from Africa spoke during Prayer and Praise one Friday night. He asked us if we realized that Resurrection was Mecca to the rest of the world. Indeed, many people walked into the church right off the streets, saying they felt drawn into the building by some force. When we gathered together to worship and praise the Lord and to hear the amazing Holy Spirit inspired teachings… the anointing was HUGE! We most often came early and stayed late, not wanting to leave each other or the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit that surrounded and enfolded us. I often thought during the Resurrection years we had a little taste of heaven.
The Nelsons
Jeff leads the donkey during the Palm Sunday processional
Jeff bears the palms on the Palm Sunday procession
Days of Thunder
The powerful wind of the Holy Spirit swept through those years and the place in the spirit that we dwelled. It would take a long thick book to describe some of the amazing things we witnessed. The might of the Lord was in the thunder of our Praise and Worship of Him. We were like children, so young and innocent, so in Love with the Lord and desiring to live as we had read about of the early church, in community and pure, sweet Koinonia.
Fr. Ted
Fr. Ted carries the wreath of thorns on Palm Sunday.
Lara is at his left shoulder. She was a liturgical dancer.
God’s Family
No one was a better role model of Family than Ted and Lee Ann Nelson. They were devout to each other, their family and to us. The phrase, Love finds a way, seems best seen in their approach. Their greatest witness to me personally is that they were genuine. They did not pretend to be perfect. They embraced life, each other and us. That gave us the strength to grow, as a congregation and in our own family. I learned that most situations could be diffused with Lee Ann’s southern, “Well, Honey,” or Fr. Ted’s direct, “Dear Heart.” Life didn’t have to be so serious. As a matter of fact, one of the most important things Fr Ted said to me was, “Elaine, don’t take yourself so seriously. “ He was right too! He was calling me to humility and submission to Christ and to take self out of the picture. It was good advice and said in a way I could understand. Our family benefited much from the living example of Christ’s family that was witnessed in love by Ted and Lee Ann Nelson.
Ann, Mark, Fr. Ted, Lee Ann, Teddy, Tim and Michael
Well done, good and faithful servant
We have learned together, laughed together, cried together, broken bread together, witnessed the power and might of the Holy Spirit together and shared Christ’s love together. This then is the definition of Koinonia and what God called me to. In HIS wisdom He gave me a strong shepherd in Fr. Ted, who would leave the 99 to go after the one. He gave me a “friend and sister in Christ” in Lee Ann, who has loved and prayed for me and mine from day one. The two of them gave birth to the best friend anyone could ever hope for in their daughter Ann.
They have lived a life following Christ alone.
Well done, good and faithful servants of the Living Lord.
More Pictures
Lara's confirmation
Fr. Ted performs Missy's wedding
Josh's Baptism
Confirmation with Fr. Ted
Fr. Ted blesses Josh and Luisa's engagement
Larry and the donkey
Fr. Ted and Fr. Tom
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