Rumors of Revival
For Sunday/Being, let’s take a look at what’s happening at Asbury University in Kentucky. As chapel on Feburary 8 officially ended, some students decided to stay and continue worshipping. They stayed for hours, then days, and now there has been continuous worship for over a week: https://www.youtube.com/live/Avr0oiusyzQ?feature=share
People are calling this a “revival” (see the Wikipedia definition). The hope of many is that it will spread and with it, people will reform their lives and many who are not religious will start following God. There’s some evidence it is spreading already: see Stamford. Also, social media trends are starting to show major interest in things tagged “revival”. Here’s two sent to me:
First Reaction: Before you read any further, post your initial thoughts and reactions to the comments below. I’d like to know what you think about this. Are you celebrating? Are you skeptical? Would you like to join? Are you “meh”?
Anything that gathers human attention has power to motivate individual and group action. Spiderman is right: power and responsibility are directly connected. That’s part of the hope of revival: that it will have real power to change things in our lives and the wider world for the better. But what’s the responsibly that comes with that power?
Here’s a video by author and social media influencer Alisa Childers about her experience and thoughts concerning the Asbury Revival:
Using the story Josiah in 2 Kings 22-23 (you might want to read it), Alisa points out that the product of the emotional power of revival should be repentance: specifically a return to dedication to God’s Word and a reformation of spiritual community. She doesn’t advocate “jumping on the band wagon” and instead says this is a call for us to deepen our faith at home.
A college friend of mine, Tom Miyashiro is taking a different approach. He went to Asbury specifically because he’d like to bring revival back to his home in Connecticut:
What do you think is the best approach to rumors of revival?
- Wait and See. No reaction or interaction for now.
- All In. I’m going to jump in both feet because #God is doing something.
- Seek It At Home: This inspires me to dig deeper and live truer right where I am.
- Something Else: My response is…
Share your thoughts by posting the the MagSchool Feed (for short reactions) or Forum (for longer reactions and essays).
Thoughts: before reading the whole thing. I’m skeptical that if this is happening it’s a great thing but I don’t know how widespread it is and how many are actually all in and how many are along for the ride because it’s trending right now.
Thoughts: after reading the whole thing. I think Seek It at home is the best approach because flooding to one spot just because there is a revival there is like saying that you can’t do it at home, and what happens when eventually you have to go back home? It may create a mental block where in order to feel god you have to go to the newest religious hot spot and that’s not healthy at all.
That’s an interesting point. It’s almost like saying if I can’t be this way anywhere, is the God of everywhere really in it? What would it look like to practice it at home?
My thought is to wait and see like if you don’t wait you might be walking it to a trap because they could use you for money
sorry i hadn’t finished My thought is to wait and see like if you don’t wait you might be walking it to a trap because they could use you for money. The second one is seek it at home but I’m biased cause I’m an nerd and socially awkward.