On February 8th, Asbury University held its regularly scheduled chapel service, and it turned into a nonstop worship service lasting weeks attracting thousands of visitors to Wilmore, Kentucky. The chapel service was already popular. It regularly attracted visitors from all over the country wanting to experience its worship. However, after this particular service, many students chose to stay and continue in worship. It continued for hours, and soon the word spread on social media that “revival” was breaking out at Asbury. It even caught the attention of people like former Vice President Mike Pence and prompted thousands of others to travel to the campus to experience what some called a spiritual awakening in the U.S. The revival finally ended at Asbury on February 23rd because the campus could no longer sustain the multitudes. Since then, several similar services have happened at Samford, Lee, and Baylor Universities. All trying to recreate this “move from God.”
As a result, many spirited conversations ensued on social media about what qualifies an event as revival. Is it nonstop music, praise dancing, and singing? Is it masses of people praying in tongues? Or is it people weeping and confessing their sins at an altar? This made me wonder. What does a God-led, Holy Spirit-filled revival look like?
When I think about revival in the Bible, the first stories that come to mind are John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness and the response from the people after Peter preached on the day of Pentecost. Mark 1:5 says, “And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins” (NRSV). On the day of Pentecost, the Bible says in Acts 2:5, there were Jews from many nations living in Jerusalem and after they heard the sound of a mighty, rushing wind, they gathered to where the disciples were and heard them speaking in their native languages. Peter then preaches and explains to them what it means and many believe and are baptized. Acts 2:42 says, “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers” (NRSV).
However, I believe that many of us miss one important aspect of true revival – social change. This is what happens after the music stops. A major critique of the Asbury revival is that their worship hasn’t made any social impact. They haven’t mobilized the masses to advocate for or minister to the “least of these.” In Acts 2:43-47, we see a major shift in how the Christian community relates to one another and changes socially. They come together on one accord. They sell their possessions and goods to distribute the proceeds to all who had need. They break bread together in homes. They praise God in the temple. The Bible describes them as having “generous hearts” and “having the goodwill of all the people,” and as a result, God adds to their numbers daily. This is what true revival looks like. It not only changes the individual, but it changes the community.
My fear is oftentimes we get so caught up in the music and the dancing that we fail to address the social justice issues and the social change that God requires of us as we repent and turn to God. If there is no social change in our church families and in the surrounding community, we become like the believers who are rebuked by God in Amos 5:21-24. “I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (NRSV).
What are your thoughts? What do you think revival in the 21st century looks like?