Dear West Family

Unless you’ve been living under a media repelling rock (which sounds quite nice actually) you would have probably heard about what has been happening at Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. In short, a few students started praying and sensing God’s stirring after a fairly routine chapel service which led to more than a week of continuous praise, prayer, repentance, preaching and communion with each other. 

In short, it felt like a revival. 

It was a renewing work of the Spirit at the very least.

As is typical, every Christian online commentator with a pulse and ready access to a keyboard has piled in to offer comment, critique and third-hand opinion. I have no desire to add to that body of “work.” If you would like to read a well-written summary piece, then I recommend this offering from Thomas Lyons to you. 

I have been asked by quite a few if I have any thoughts on it though. I have one.

I want God to do something significant in our midst. 

I want Him to interrupt our programming plans. I want Him to pour His Spirit out into our people leading to repentance, salvations, healings, life-change, humility, generosity, mercy and forgiveness the likes of which we have never seen. I really want God to stir up a reviving Spirit in our midst. We, of course, have no control over any sort of true work of God, but I have been thinking about what sorts of hearts are ripe for this sort of work. If God began to stir in that sort of way in our midst, would we be ready? Would we be receptive? Would we stick around long enough to see it for what it really is?

Here then is my plea for us to be a people who would be ripe for that. While we cannot persuade God to do what He alone does, but I do think we can ensure that we have hearts that are ready to receive whatever He has for us. So, in our upcoming worship services, here are a few things I think we can do.

First, come to church services. Don’t stay away. Make it a priority to gather with the saints and don’t let anything trivial keep you away from that privilege and joy.

Second, come to church early and ready. When we rush in with the burdens of the week still heavy upon us, we end up with very little space in our hearts for the Spirit to speak above the noise of our flustered distraction. Leave time to check your kids in, to get a seat and to pray before the service even starts. I know that feels like more burden, but it is actually a great opportunity to get some time in the stillness before the Lord, so that when the first song starts, you are ready to go.

Third, come as you are. Every movement of revival and renewal in the history of the church has been marked with repentance. Repentance is an acknowledgement of who we really are,  sure and certain that there is grace for our failings. Don’t play church in some prettied up version of yourself. Bring your sin, acknowledge it for what it is, and then leave it behind for Jesus to take care of. It is exhausting carrying all that religious pretense around.

Fourth, come expectant. What do you think is going to happen when you come to church? Do you think about it all? What if we gathered expecting to hear from the Lord, and open to whatever He has to say to us? This atmosphere of expectation is what often lays the groundwork for revived hearts.

Friends, I have no idea if the Lord will see fit to do something so tangibly special in our midst in our day and age, but I don’t want to miss anything He does. As we gather this weekend, come to church, come ready, come as you are, come expectant, and let’s see what the Lord might say to His people.

See you Sunday.
Ross