Revival
I am talking a lot about revival. Or, as I like to refer to it, “revive-all.” You might be wondering why I am talking about it at this time. There are two main reasons:
- There seems to be some kind of movement happening in our country. It started in a strong way at Asbury College and is now pouring over to other colleges and universities.
- My inner spirit tells me we are at a critical point in our country and in our world. The political unrest and disunity are scary. The number of folks dealing with depression is sky-high. And in general, it seems so many folks are unhappy.
A few weeks ago, our Sunday scripture from the Gospel of John reminded us that Jesus did not come into our world to condemn it. He came to save it. We need to be careful to follow His lead.
As Christians, we cannot judge and condemn each other. We must share in Jesus’ desire to save His people. Recently, I have been very bothered by the choices of the Las Angeles Dodgers. They are honoring a group of people who mock nuns and religious life. Every part of me wants to condemn the group and the Dodgers. Instead, I must choose to love. The unloving choices of groups like the Dodgers must serve as a reminder to us all that we have strayed far away from the ways of God. In other words, we need revival!
Praise and Worship is a small church. I know we cannot change the world. When I was pastor of St. Tim’s, I had a plan to change the world and the church. My plan was to revive the tired church with the enthusiasm and creativity of youth. It was working pretty well! And then, everything changed. Now, I am more practical. I know we are limited in what we can do. We can create a vision. We can unleash the Holy Spirit in our lives. We can pray that God in His mercy and generosity will grant us new life, new opportunities, and new spiritual experiences.
I hope you will join me in prayer for the universal church. I sincerely hope that God will use us in some way to start a change.
Recently, I had the opportunity to spend some significant time with the new Bishop of Phoenix. Bishop John Dolan is a wonderful man. I believe God will use him to provide revival in the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Phoenix. That would be a great beginning!
I am hopeful that Praise and Worship can offer something to the wider church. Keep praying for revival and plan on being part of our revival series in the fall.