As an Asbury grad, I’ve been pondering the recent events on the campus located in Wilmore, Kentucky. Many are calling it revival, but such is not the case. In the true sense of the word, revival not only revives a spiritual awareness in a person, but also goes on to transform the community.
In the case of Wilmore, it’s already a spiritual community with most of the population made up of people associated with Asbury. I believe we would need to see places like Nicholasville transformed into a spiritual community. We’ve really only seen one true North American revival and that revolved around Charles Finley in the City of Rochester in 1830. Rochester was truly transformed in those days as bars and businesses closed. Why? So people could either go to church, or use the places of business to gather for prayer and worship.
Revival Vs. Awakening
Dr. Steve Seamands, a long time professor at Asbury described the current situation well. When asked what it was all about he replied, “deeper and wider.” God is calling His people to a deeper and wider place of not only worship, but also a deeper and wider relationship with Him. In order to move into a deeper place with God, one must have his or her spirit awakened to an understanding that being a Christian is much more than simply reciting the sinners prayer.
Please don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying people don’t need to come to a place of repentance and forgiveness. What I am saying is the Body of Christ needs to stop calling everything revival. I’m reminded of what some of my United Methodist classmates said when I was at Asbury. Revival is something that comes twice a year when it’s marked on the church calendar that Revival Services will be held for a week with a guest speaker coming to town.
Again, I’m not saying what’s going on at Asbury isn’t a move of God. But what I am saying is, what’s going on at Asbury is not a revival. It seems people toss around the term revival for what might better be described as hotspots of an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
I like how Dr. Timothy Tennent, the current President of Asbury put it in a recent post of his own:
“Despite the endless coverage in social media and the regular media which is calling this a revival, I think it is wise to see this, at the current phase, as an awakening. Only if we see lasting transformation which shakes the comfortable foundations of the church and truly brings us all to a new and deeper place can we look back, in hindsight and say “yes, this has been a revival.” An awakening is where God begins to stir and awaken people up from their spiritual slumber. This is definitely happening not only in Wilmore, but as this move of God spreads to other schools and communities across the nation and even the world. There are many reports that this is what is happening. But, we must keep our hearts and eyes fixed on Jesus and ask for him to complete the work he has begun so that, over time, there is a lasting transformation in the lives of those who are being touched by God.”
(Read full post by Dr. Timothy Tennent – Click Here)
A Call to Holiness
In an earlier post entitled The Tipping Point of the Soul I wrote:
“C. Peter Wagner once said, “The body of Christ needs to re-discover holiness.” He went on to say, “There’s one movement that really understands holiness. The problem is, they don’t talk about it. That movement… the Wesleyan movement.”
He made this statement in the early days of establishing the Wagner Leadership Institute. It was also a time corresponding with the birth of what we now call the Apostolic/Prophetic Movement. A passing comment back then. But I believe it was also a prophetic statement we need to press into now, more than ever.”
With this in mind, and when people ask “Why Asbury”, my response is clear and simple. God is calling His people back to a place of holiness. What better place to start that awakening, but Asbury. After all, it is firmly established in the Wesleyan tradition, where holiness all began.
Just a guy on a journey,
Rus