In 3 days, our church embarks on an 8 day “Summit” with Life Action Ministries. In old-school language, this is a week-long revival. Our pastoral team sensed God leading us in this direction well over a year ago. With increasing frequency and intensity we’ve been preparing ever since.
But over the last few days I have started to prepare deeply. I’ve prayed for hundreds of church members by name. I’ve prayed for my family. I’ve prayed for myself. I’ve prayed for my pastor. I’ve prayed for our community. I’ve prayed extra for my worship leaders—vocalists, instrumentalists, technical artists. I was part of our church’s prayer vigil—168 hours of back to back prayers—by taking the 2am slot on Tuesday.
My heart feels soft, like fertile ground ready for God’s word to be placed deeply into my soul.
And, like my pastor has expressed so well, I share his two fears:
1) What if revival doesn’t come? What if we spend thousands of hours, thousands of dollars, and untold emotional energy preparing, and 3 months from now we’re all the same? I’m a little bit afraid of that. But my greater fear may come in this…
2) What if revival does come? Will this require me to change some parts of my soul, heart, mind, and actions that I may not be too excited about changing? That probably isn’t troubling for you, but it is for me. And then as a church leader I have another list of fears. They may be a reflection of the extent to which I am a “quality control freak” or—more frighteningly—a poor leader. So I started listing questions and I thought they might serve you too. Are these fears you have—as a part of Woodburn Baptist Church, or as a servant leader in your own church?
1) What if I no longer feel like I’m guiding the ebb and flow of the worship gathering?
2) What if decisions are made differently… and what if I don’t get to be part of making them?
3) What if people that I'm comfortable being uncomfortable with seek reconciliation with me?
4) What if God calls me to do something unexpected? And I don't like it?
5) What if Jesus asks me to die to something I really, really love?
6) What if I feel called to serve the poor, or those very different from me? How will I respond?
7) Perhaps most frighteningly, what if people find out what I'm really like in the deep places of my heart? Will they accept me? Love me? Follow me?
Your list of questions may be very different. But I'd like to encourage you to put together a list.
In fact, maybe the questions could be more helpful if framed like this:
1) What if I am swept up in the ebb and flow of Spirit-led worship?
2) What if decisions are made differently...and what if every decision feels Christ-centered?
3) What if God does a work of reconciliation? How beautiful might the outcome of that be?
4) What if God calls me to something unexpected and it feels like what I was meant to do all along?
5) What if Jesus raises up a part of me that had been dead and I begin to experience a more abundant life?
6) What if in serving those different from me I discover a part of my life that I'd missed out on?
7) What if, when people find out about the deep places in my soul, they accept me, love me and follow me even more?
Come, Lord Jesus. Bring revival to our church. Then to our town. Then to our region. And finally to our world. May it start with me!
What if your church isn't entering a season of programmed revival? Well, that's okay. I suspect God wants to do these things in our weekly worship gatherings just as much as He does in our revival week.
What do you think?
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