Revival at Asbury University
Photo by Ismael Paramo on Unsplash
Praise God for the precious move of the Spirit at Asbury University. I pray the fire spreads to all people and that this renewal reaches its full fruition everywhere. I pray this mustard seed grows from the hearts of many to the streets and fields across the globe.
I have been watching and receiving dozens of reports from people of diverse backgrounds firsthand of the good things the Lord is doing in Wilmore, Kentucky. I have also watched several videos that have captured snippets of this wonderful work of God. I am glad to hear that this renewal began with confession of sin. True repentance is always a sign of the Spirit’s awakening. I am always reticent to use the tired word “revival” because of its misuse and overuse. We have seen the excesses. I understand the reticence of others and definitely the need to test the spirits and examine the fruit.
Nevertheless, the phenomenon of revival is real and it exists. I just long to see the true fruits of it, and prayer and repentance are the way to begin. Prima facie it seems like that is what is transpiring. We await for more. More Lord!
What is most surprising is that there is a revival without a “revivialist.” No leader is front and center “bringing” the revival or featured in this awakening. There is no key human personality orchestrating, organizing, packaging, and dispensing revival. It is like God is saying, “Ministers move out of the way, so this can be done right.” Further, the atmosphere is one of deep peace and rest. There are no charismatic fireworks, whack manifestations (barking or clucking), or displays of emotions gone wild that characterize many revivals and even discredit them. This refreshing, gentle move of the Spirit will be a tough one for skeptics.
At the beginning of 2020, God gave me a word that he is “releasing great grace and true repentance for great deliverance from besetting sin, especially addictions.” I have seen this come to pass in many people, and I have a feeling some of that is happening at Asbury.
Sadly, along with the good reports, I am reading just as much harsh, snarky, and unjust criticism from others–namely, fellow clergy and laity in my own denomination. This has been heartbreaking and quite disheartening. Much of the bitter criticism is aimed at discrediting what God is doing at Asbury. Criticism ranges from “Who cares?” to, “Its not United Methodist!” (ecumenism anyone?) to, “Its fake” to, “Unless “it results in loving everyone in your neighborhood and total social justice [as they define these] and being martyred for it, then it’s not revival.” Careful, prayerful testing and discerning are needed. That is not what I was reading.
Lord, have mercy on us all and send your Spirit to awaken all people to repentance.
First Impressions
I would like to share some initial visceral reactions and offer some theological direction that may help us frame what I think is occurring at Asbury.
1. As we read in Matt 12:20, He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. Finally, he will cause justice to be victorious.
2. In Mark 14:1-9, we read about the woman who anointed Jesus with a jar of expensive perfume. “Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, ‘Why this waste of perfume? It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages and the money given to the poor.’ And they rebuked her harshly“ (14:4-5). Many today sound like those who criticized the woman. “Don’t break open that jar of worship, we can sell it and give the proceeds to the poor.” This is a false dichotomy, however. This outpouring of the Holy Spirit does not preclude works of mercy.
3. In my spirit, I feel many are praying to be delivered, perhaps from issues from which their critics don’t want them to be delivered.
4. For many of these critics, it seems there is no room at the inn for “that Jesus”
5. To those critics I would say, better their way of doing it, than our way of not doing it.
6. We should be so critical and concerned about the unscriptural nonsense that passes and has passed through some of our own churches and affiliated school chapels. I only heard applause and approval.
7. The critics want fully realized eschatological justice as they define it, and on their own terms, before their gavel will strike, they put their divine imprimatur on this move of God, and judge it a true revival. Is this happening in anything else they are doing? We have denominational amnesia regarding revival and how to discern it. Our current UMC no longer has the working theological or ecclesial categories to conceptualize, define, discern, receive, or walk out revival.
We can’t tell what is in the hearts of individual people. Ultimately, the fruit will tell. Let us rejoice in what seems to be true worship and true cries for repentance. Let us pray that this seed grows and bears much fruit at every level. Let us leave the separating of wheat and tares to the Lord.
Evaluating Revival
Here is a simple framework to gauge revival from my former doctoral mentor and friend Howard Snyder. I have paraphrased it and added the sixth level to it. I have used it over the years in the Church Renewal course I teach.
Revival so-called is a complex theological and socio-cultural phenomenon that can unfold on many levels and in many dimensions. Each level is considered revival and not to be dismissed. However, the goal is to see revival unfold and develop into full fruition at all 6 levels.
Revival is a complex matter, and to define it here would require considerable time and space. In this article, then, I will merely suggest a framework to gauge its development with examples so that we might not despise small beginnings.
6 Levels or Dimensions of Revival
1. Personal - Wesley.s experience at Aldersgate is an example of personal revival.
2. Corporate - Even recent history witnesses to numerous church turnarounds, such Ginghamsburg UMC, Grace UMC or the UM Church of the Resurrection.
3. Theological- The Methodist revival saw a theological revival of the doctrine of scriptural holiness
4. Structural- Sometimes revival involves new wineskins like small group structures in Moravianism and Methodism.
5. Missiological- Sometimes revival results in a revival of missions. An example is the Azusa St revival, which resulted in the sending missionaries throughout the world to plant new churches and outreach.
6. Socio-cultural- In some cases, revival reaches the people and changes the fabric of society. We can see it manifest in the working out of scriptural holiness and justice. We see this in both Great Awakenings. For more on this topic, I recommend Donald Dayton’s Rediscovering an Evangelical Heritage, which recounts the fruit and efforts of the Second Great Awakening in the States among evangelicals. Such fruit was particularly apparent among Wesleyan Holiness people who championed freedoms, rights and equality for women and African-Americans at an institutional level–educationally, socially and politically. Another example is the transformation of society that stemmed from the Awakening in Wales (the Welsh Revival).
I celebrate what is happening in these beautiful and precious students and others. May it increase a thousand-fold. I will continue to intercede for its full fruition. Let us not despise small beginnings. The Lord of the harvest will sift and judge what is wheat and what is chaff. Let us thank him and find repentance in our own hearts.
Peter Bellini is Professor of Church Renewal and Evangelization at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and a member of Firebrand’s Editorial Board.