What about revival?
Since Wednesday, February 8, Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky, has been experiencing a profound move of the Holy Spirit. Around the clock, students, staff and campus families have gathered for worship, exhortation, repentance and prayer. It is reminiscent of a move of God that hit the campus in the 1970s that sent college kids, consumed with passion for God, across the nation and around the world.
That being the 70’s, however, word spread slowly at first, and criticism was buffered by time and distance.
Welcome to 2023, where even as many are making there way to Asbury to witness and experience this first hand, others are offering critique from a distance, all within days of the initial meeting.
Here are a few things to keep in mind when forming our own heart’s response to what God is dong there.
Realize it’s going to look different. Some of the online critics are declaring, “True revival looks like….” and then presenting a litmus test for revival according to their own expectations (and rarely their own experiences - most of these voices have never encountered the very thing they’re arguing for). Give this revival room to breath and hearts room to expand. If this expression continues for an extended period (as if nearly a week isn’t already extended) it will no doubt include a lot of different elements. Even if it doesn’t check every box of everyone’s expectations, we can celebrate that college students are getting a fresh touch from God.
Don’t get offended at geography. It’s easy to ask, “Why is God doing it there and not here?” Instead, rejoice that God is doing it at all, and pray that your church or town will also host this sort of thing. We celebrate and worship the same Holy Spirit. What if this move of God is a test for our own hearts - and if we pass, there is more to come?
Analyze less, ask more. Most of us are viewing what is happening there through photos on a phone and a few lines on twitter. It would be hard to imagine that we are getting a clear enough picture to offer an informed opinion - but clearly God is doing something, and if He’s moving there, can we ask Him to move here too? Our friend, Lee Cummings, from Radiant Kalamazoo reminds us of the words of Zechariah 10:
Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain.
In other words, when we see the Lord moving, it’s a good time to invite Him to move in our context too.
Sunday morning, we talked about living with a rhythm of prayer. As we increase the frequency and intentions of our prayers, ask the Lord to move in full freedom among The Bridge family.
If a deeper encounter of the Holy Spirit is available - and it is - why not here, and why not now?
