Those first dates I had come up with on the spur of the moment turned out to be impeccable timing. September 25th – November 6th, 2012 … I had just pulled the dates out of thin air in the pressure of the moment, basing it on my thirty-seventh birthday. It was only later that I realized that the evening of September 25th, the night we were scheduled to begin our worship in David’s Tent, was the beginning of the Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, on the Jewish Calendar. Yom Kippur typically begins at sundown, and we had planned to start that night at 7 p.m. A day earlier, there in D.C., the sun would have set at 7:01. A day later, it would have been 6:58. But that night, it set at exactly 7 p.m., the very minute we had set months earlier to begin the worship song. We had not done that on purpose. It was another wink from Heaven. In ancient Israel, Yom Kippur was the one day each year when the High Priest was permitted to enter the Most Holy Place, behind the Veil in the Tabernacle, and make intercessory atonement for all of Israel. The nation would wait in fasting and holy convocation, with bated breath, for word from the High Priest that this atonement had been deemed enough for that year’s sins. We now know that Jesus is our High Priest, and we found it totally fitting to have begun on that day, pleading and celebrating His atoning blood over the sins of America. Yom Kippur is followed, five days later, by the Feast of Tabernacles, a week-long celebration that even whole nations will be compelled to observe in the future (Zechariah 14). Historically, this “Feast of Ingathering” was also a time of pilgrimage, when Israelite families left their own dwellings to camp out with God in their capital city. This was so important to the Lord that He warned, in Zechariah 14:17, that He would hold back rain from any family that did not make the pilgrimage. As I studied this feast and the sobering reality of Zechariah 14, God solidified the vision for David’s Tent even more strongly in my heart. We had to do this, and representatives of every state, all fifty, had to be there. I began to pray that God would compel many to make the pilgrimage to our nation’s capital, just as the ancient Israelites had done to theirs.

          Due to its proximity to the White House, the U.S. Secret Service has very stiff regulations for use of the Ellipse. Since the members of the Secret Service are tasked with security for the President and his family, they are expected to maintain a safe perimeter around the White House. That includes the Ellipse. Because it was the President’s Park, the NPS guidelines were much more strict than usual. We would have to clear everything we did through the regulations of both the Secret Service and the Park Service. As I stacked these on top of each other, moving ahead with our plans seemed like a daunting task. Rev. Mahoney turned out to be correct. The National Park Service had never issued a permit for more than fourteen days of activity on the National Mall. Including setup and tear-down, we were shooting for forty-five days, and the staff of the Park Service did not think it could be done. How could we honor all of their regulations over such a long period? They began trying to convince us not to go through with our plans, and in the process, they were throwing every fastball they could muster at us, hoping that we would change our minds. I left that first meeting with the Park Service thinking to myself, “‘David’s Fallen Tent!’ I’ve heard this phrase somewhere before.” And that first rocky meeting was to be only the beginning of a constant back-and-forth between us over the next four months. The overwhelming feeling we took away from those meetings was one of severe intimidation. It was as if they were saying, “How dare you try to do this!” I began to question the whole thing. In one early meeting, the Park Service tried to push us to another location on the Mall. The person who had initially offered us the use of the Ellipse instead of McPherson Square was clearly not the person overseeing events on the Ellipse. I wavered, but, in the end, I did not give in. As I reviewed the story of David bringing the Ark into Jerusalem, one part stuck out to me. When he came leading the procession that day, bringing the Ark home to rest, his wife Michal was looking down on this celebration from the palace windows, and she criticized David’s worship. This let us know that the Ark was within sight of the palace, and God used it to confirm to me that line-of-sight to the White House was important. The proximity of the Ellipse to the White House mattered, so we held the line and kept battling our way through the mine fields of Federal regulations. I strengthened my resolve by declaring among friends: “If all we can get is a stool set in the middle of that Ellipse, and we take turns sitting on it for forty days singing to Jesus, I’m going to do it because He’s worthy!” Sharla Mylar, one of our team members, has a personal song that she wrote that says, “A living God deserves living sacrifices. A living God deserves living memorials.” We were ready to ride that stool all the way to glory. The practical challenges were piled ever higher before us. For example, we had to supply our own electricity for the tent, yet we could not refuel a generator on-site. Evidently the Secret Service is a bit jumpy about large trucks of diesel fuel (or even small containers of it) being that close to the White House. And the Park Service will not risk petroleum spills on National Park land. Another challenge was turf protection. The Park Service would require us to obtain a specific type of protective flooring to cover the grass before the tent rental company, or anyone else, could drive onto the Ellipse. All of these requirements were expensive, but we knew they were not impossible. Then there was “the access list.” To pass the Secret Service checkpoint and gain access to the Ellipse, all drivers would have to submit two weeks in advance their names and the license plate number of the vehicle they would be driving, so that proper background checks could be completed. With the plan calling for several subcontracting companies to be working for us and multiple vehicles a week needing access, this would be, once again, not totally impossible, but definitely challenging. I was thinking to myself, “Fourteen days advance notice to drive onto the Ellipse for drop-off and set-up? That’s ridiculous!” I appreciated the faith of Sharla, with her Joshua and Caleb perspective. She took notes in the meetings we had with the NPS staff, and wrote: Only fourteen days advance notice required for drivers.” Somehow she was able to see right through the smoke screen of intimidation. We were moving ahead by faith. One week before the event was to start, volunteers began to arrive from around the country, but we still did not have the final permit. I was facing one of the greatest embarrassments of my life, about to have to tell everybody that our permit process had been denied. Our staff had booked worship teams from all over the nation, and those teams had already purchased plane tickets and made travel and housing arrangements. In those final days, the words, “David’s fallen tent,” began to haunt me. The remaining obstacles to obtaining the final permit still had to be resolved, and they were rather large hurdles. The National Park Service was requiring us to move the tent — which was no small task — every fourteen days, to preserve the grass. That meant a full workday two weeks in and another one four weeks in. So much for the continuous song in the tent! But we could still do the stool. Even more challenging was the fact that the Park Service was refusing to turn off their sprinkler system, so lawn irrigation heads would pop up in the middle of the tent each night and give everybody and everything around them a good soaking. We half-jokingly discussed organizing a “sprinkler defense team” armed with plastic buckets and tarps. Then came the worst blow of all. Just seven days before the worship event was scheduled to start, the Park Service informed me that a “60/40 Rule” required that only 40% of our event could be music. The rest had to be speeches, to qualify it as a First- Amendment Demonstration. This seemed like the straw that would break the camel’s back. I thought, “What? How is it that we’ve been discussing this event for four months now and never once was this rule mentioned?” David’s Tent was to be all music — 100%. That was the point of a 24/7 ministry to the Lord. I nearly lost my lunch when I hung up the phone from that conversation. “60/40?” There was no way! That would defeat the purpose of the event! A Park Service employee explained to me the genesis of their 60/40 Rule. Years ago, the alternative rock group “The Cranberries” had obtained a permit for an event on the National Mall. They drew a huge crowd for what turned out to be some amazing photo opportunities in front of the Capitol Building. It was P.R. genius, but the Park Service was left paying for the security and trash pick-up. The Cranberries had used the permitting process to get a free venue for a concert under the guise of a First Amendment Demonstration, and the Park Service then made their 60/40 Rule to protect against future abuses. I was led to contact an attorney with the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), and this attorney examined the official National Park Service regulations and found that the 60/40 Rule did not appear in them anywhere. The rule had never been codified in any way. I called the Park Service back, but no one answered. I left a message that I would be bringing legal counsel with me to our next meeting, two days later. I was playing hardball now for the right to worship Jesus 24/7 on public space. As it turned out, the ACLJ representative didn’t make it to that next meeting, due to some last-minute scheduling conflicts, but God did. During the two days leading up to the meeting, I fasted and prayed, not sleeping much. Many others were in constant prayer with me. God bless my wonderful bride Kimberlee, who was able to maintain a sense of home in what had become a prayer war zone. I wish I could say that I breezed through all of that without a bit of anxiety, but I can’t. I was plagued with questions: “Did I actually hear You, God? Is this You? Or is this just my big idea?” DAVID’S FALLEN TENT … the words were like a jackhammer in my mind now. I went into that next meeting loaded for bear, with my cell phone ready to call the attorney from the ACLJ if I needed him. After all, we were a mere four days away from setting up the tent. Amazingly, there was no further argument. It turned out to be the greatest about-face ever. The Park Service gave us everything we wanted. They told us to disregard anything they had said about the 60/40 Rule, they would turn off the sprinklers and we would not need to move the tent every fourteen days. “Pick up your permit tomorrow,” they said. I walked out of that meeting on air. God had moved on the hearts of those in authority. He had honored our obedience to the 1 Timothy 2:2 command to pray for “all who are in authority” (NKJV). David’s Tent on the White House Ellipse was now a reality. God had moved again. It is God Himself who rebuilds the fallen tent of David. That is for sure! The National Park Service is part of the Department of the Interior, which is part of the Executive Branch of government. This Executive Branch is obviously under the authority of the President. To be given permission, ultimately, by authority of the President, to do all of this was highly significant. It is worth noting that our President is ultimately accountable to the American people and to the authority of the U.S. Constitution. Not only did we get permission to set up the tent; I also learned, through the process that we actually have the legal right to do that. So, come on, Church of America, let’s set up Jesus tents everywhere. Let’s come out of our cozy church buildings and begin to worship Him in public squares anywhere and everywhere. Let’s share the Good News. It’s all totally legal, and you are not doing anything wrong. Actually, it would probably be wrong not to do it. Respectfully follow the proper procedures and obtain the necessary permits, but by all means, go for it! God is with you, and the U.S. Constitution protects you.

          I’m convinced that sometimes God leaves obstacles in our way on purpose. If He removed them all ahead of us and we always had free sailing, it would be easy to think that we could do things without Him. When we get to the end of our rope, time and time again and God comes through with another miracle, it’s a constant reminder that it’s His work, not ours. This keeps us humble, knowing how much we need Him. I began to cast the vision of David’s Tent among friends, local pastors and, of course, with my own staff at Washington House of Prayer and Youth With A Mission DC. We have a great team at Washington House of Prayer and YWAM DC, and most of them fully embraced the vision right from the start. There was such an immediate excitement in the air that many caught the vision before I had even fully explained it. With others, however, I got mixed responses. The whole idea seemed pretty far-fetched to some, a bridge too long to cross. “Where are we going to get all the worship teams?” some wondered. “Where would we find enough staff?” Forty days is a really long time to do continuous worship outdoors under a tent. And what about funding? We began to pray for laborers and to use the phrase “David’s Rent for David’s Tent” as we stood before our Father in Heaven, asking Him to provide all the needed finances. One day I was on Capitol Hill meeting with Pastor Frazier White of Faith Tabernacle Church. This church is strategically located one block away from the Supreme Court and three blocks from the U.S. Capitol Building. I had just shared the vision with him and was about to ask if his building could possibly serve as a back-up venue in case of bad weather like a hurricane. 6 Just as I finished sharing about David’s Tent DC with Pastor White that day, his worship pastor, Michael Fisher, came into the office. I had never met him before. Knowing nothing of our conversation or of David’s Tent, Michael shared a dream that he had received from the Lord just a couple of weeks earlier. “I dreamed of an oval altar. People were coming by the thousands, and God began to dwell there, because the people began to give their hearts to Him. They began to worship and repent. In that posture of heart, the manifest Presence of the Lord began to dwell there. When I finally woke up, God said that He is coming to this area.” Pastor White and I were both amazed. An oval altar … That was the Ellipse. We both got it, and that day we coined a new phrase: “The Oval Altar by the Oval Office.” As you know, ellipse means “oval,” just as triangle means “a three-sided shape.” Michael’s dream was a golden confirmation for me. I could not deny that this whole vision was from the Lord. Or could I? The National Park Service having approved our application was only a first step. Countless other details would have to be discussed and approved before we would actually receive the final permit, and this would require many meetings with the officials of the National Park Service. Our first meeting turned into a disaster. We suddenly learned why the Ellipse was open for those forty days: No one else wanted to deal with all the regulations governing doing an event there. “Mr. Hershey,” an NPS representative now told us, “if you can do an event on the White House Ellipse, you can do an event anywhere in D.C. The Ellipse is the hardest place to do an event.” That statement was designed to frighten us. But one of our staff members turned it into a statement of faith: “We will be able to do an event anywhere in D.C.!”

          I would never base the foundation of this powerful move on this one thought, but on the lighter side, I was also pondering, “How can I vote for Jesus?” Maybe you’ve seen signs that say: “JESUS FOR PRESIDENT” and chuckled a bit, but the psalmist declared: Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3, NKJV Let’s get our praise on and vote for Jesus. Our President gets sworn in based on our votes, but Jesus is enthroned by our praises. Hallelujah! In February of 2012, I was still brooding on this vision, so much so that when our third son was born that month, we named him Anthem. An anthem is a song that carries identity with it. The anthem of a revival, school, sports team or nation is the song that encapsulates the identity of that movement or people. I began to see, in faith, a song that would shift the identity of our nation to be centered around Jesus. I went to a friend of mine here in D.C., Rev. Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition, for advice. He had organized many events here and had often worked with the National Park Service (which administers much of the public space in the Capital City). I approached him now with my many questions: Where could we do something like this? How did we get the needed permits? Was it even possible? Rev. Mahoney had never heard of a fortyday permit being granted to anyone for an activity on the National Mall, and if anyone was an expert on what was possible, he was it. Pushing the limits is Rev. Mahoney’s M.O., and activism is his specialty. He is a friend, and his experience was incredibly helpful. He told me frankly that he thought it was impossible to get a permit for that length of time anywhere on the National Mall area. Personally he had never heard of a permit being granted for more than fourteen days of activity. We discussed the possibility of seeking McPherson Square as an alternative location. McPherson is a local park a couple of blocks from the White House, but not within view of it. Rev. Mahoney thought that getting a forty-day permit for McPherson Square might be more within the realm of possibility. Occupy DC, the D.C. manifestation of the Occupy Wall Street movement, had set up camp in McPherson Square for months that previous fall. “If they did it,” he reasoned, “then so can we.” Because Rev. Mahoney had developed a great relationship with the National Park Service, he offered to go on my behalf and see if McPherson Square was a possibility. Our understanding was that he would wait a couple of weeks before going. I was on another forty-day fast and wanted to finish it before he went. I don’t know if Rev. Mahoney forgot our agreement or just couldn’t wait that long. If you know him, you know that he salivates at wild visions. I was about on day thirty of the fast when I got a rather frantic phone call from him. The Bible, from time to time, uses the phrase “and suddenly,” when God did something amazing and life-changing. I had no idea that I was about to be interrupted with an “and-suddenly” moment. Rev. Mahoney had gone to the National Park Service office and asked for permit information for the use of McPherson Square. The ranger in charge went into another room to check for availability, and then came what I call “the miracle moment.” “Rev. Mahoney,” she called out to him, “The Ellipse 5 is open!” And with those words, I believe that God shouted a call of invitation to the people of America. For those who are not familiar with the Ellipse, it is an oval-shaped park within view of our President’s bedroom window. It lies smack dab between the White House and the Washington Monument. It was no wonder that Rev. Mahoney phoned me rather frantically. He was even then filling out the permit application, and I hadn’t given him any dates. “Jason, what are the dates?” he asked. I wasn’t prepared for this. After all, it was ten days earlier than I had anticipated, and I hadn’t finished my fast. I once heard an old adage, “God’s never early, but He’s always on time.” I’m sure you’ve heard that too. It’s a nice saying, but what happens when He actually is early and you’re not prepared? When I had talked with Rev. Mahoney about seeking a permit, we had considered it to be an impossibility, or at least a long shot, something like a football Hail Mary pass to the end zone. I wasn’t at all sure it could even happen. Now, with Rev. Mahoney suddenly on the other end of the line, filling out the paperwork at the National Park Service office and needing a date, I did some quick math in my head. “There are thirty-one days in October,” I thought. “Election Day is November 6th. That would be thirty-seven days.” To be honest, with the pressure of Rev. Mahoney on the other end of the line, filling out the permit application at the NPS Office, I stopped counting and just pulled my birthday — September 25 — out of thin air. Surely that would give us enough time. “September 25th through November 6th!” I barked back over the phone, acting like I had known the dates all along. I knew David was thirty-seven years old when he brought the Ark into Jerusalem, and on September 25, 2012, I was going to turn thirty-seven, so it felt right. Rev. Mahoney filled out the application, and two days later it was approved. It was more than we had asked for, but not more than we had dreamed. I must confess that, in our unbelief, we had joked about the Ellipse during the conversation in which we had settled on asking for McPherson Square. “Wouldn’t that be crazy?” I had said, “Right off President Obama’s back porch!” Well, the “crazy” had actually happened. We had gone to the authorities, asking for a permit for McPherson Square and come back with one for the White House Ellipse instead, and we hadn’t even asked for that. This miracle moment had the fingerprints of the Lord all over it. This was truly a work of God. I firmly believe that, with the act of giving us the White House Ellipse as a venue, God was calling to America, “I desire to be central again!” He is calling, and I hope we are listening. He was raising up David’s fallen tent, and I was humbled to have a front-row seat.