Mar
4
Written by:
Dennis Atwood
3/4/2010 3:52 PM
From time to time, I hear the occasional comment about the good ole days when the church used to have old fashioned revivals. I remember them well from my youth. Revival services used to last for two weeks. Then they evolved to one week, to Sunday-Wednesday, to Sunday a.m. and p.m., and eventually vanished altogether.
And while there are various reasons why the old revival model has waned—as our cultural and denominational contours have been dramatically reshaped—there is an ancient model for revival that we are very much engaged in today. Many of us who grew up with that old revival model have discovered the Christian Season of Lent in our older age.
As we are making our way through the forty-day journey of Lent, my Sunday sermon series is focusing on the last words of Christ from the Cross. This forty-day period is a wonderful opportunity for all of us to reflect upon what needs changing in our lives. It’s a time for drawing nearer to God and deepening our personal relationship with Christ. It’s a time to do some spring cleaning of the soul. It’s also a time for reaching out to those around us who need to see and hear the love of God first-hand. It’s basically a forty day revival!
While the 1950s model for revival may be virtually gone, the ancient revival model from centuries past is alive and well. Sin, guilt, confession, repentance, forgiveness, and renewal. Consider these things as we gather for “revival” this Sunday on our march to the Cross.