Revival, now that's hot

"That's hot" has become a catch phrase in secular culture, thanks to Paris Hilton. (I have yet to determine how someone's "catch phrase" can be older than the person creating the catch phrase, but nonetheless.) Every appearance she makes, Hilton manages to force "that's hot" into her dialogue. It has even taken form as a self-parody, though I do not know if she is aware that she is making fun of herself or not.

I never knew I would compare the evangelical church to Paris Hilton, but here it goes. A catch phrase is taking root (or has already taken root, as the case may be) in Evangelicalism that is becoming equally annoying, equally vapid and equally trite. We force it on to every type of special event we have. We are also becoming a parody of ourselves without meaning to. I am talking about the fact that every evangelical church is "having a revival."

Let me preface my comments to say that I as a seeker of God's face, I long for the day when true revival sweeps our churches and burns away what is not of Christ and refurnishes us with more of Him.

Having said that I say this, services with a guest speaker that run from Sunday to Thursday night are not "revival." By calling those extended services "revival" services, we remove any and all value and weight that the word may carry. Why do we insist on calling those revivals? They are not. I have been in many of those services. I have never (to my detriment and shame) been in a true revival. I have seen hints of one, signs of one, even beginnings of one, but never seen a full-fledged revival.

I am not sure when the last time we saw a revival in America. Some would say Brownsville, FL and some churches and Christian colleges in Texas in the 1990's. Others may point to the Jesus Movement in the 1970's. Still others would go back farther to the Second Great Awakening. I do not want to downplay what happened at Brownsville, Texas or in the Jesus Movement, but I haven't seen any lasting impact outside the first effected areas or groups. Those events may have had a tremendous impact on individuals, communities, or even a generation, but they failed (in my opinion) to change the prevailing culture for the better and see massive groups of people come to have a relationship with Jesus for the first time. All those things happened during the Second (and First) Great Awakening.

Recently, my college had "student-led revival" where they have services led by the students. Now, I do not discount the impact the services had on lives here during that week. But there is no way we can schedule a week for revival to fit in. God's presence does not stay confined into our neat little packages of four day services and then back to normal.

True revival would change things for everyone. You would feel it when you walk near to where it took place. It will move beyond the four walls of the church building and out into the community. The Holy Spirit will not stay it one place, content with having "a good service." The culture would see a different people. They would no longer call us hypocrites because we would be living to the standards that Jesus has called us to live by. People would stop saying that Christians hate gays because they would see the love we have for everyone. Virtually all of the negative points raised against the Church would fade away in comparison to the united, refocused Body who would be out in the culture not only speaking what is right, but living what is right.

I do not think we should stop having weeks of extended services, nor should my college get rid of the week of student-led worship and messages. But we should stop kidding ourselves when we call something "revival." Don't ask me to define it. Revival is one of those things that is an "I'll know it when I see it" type thing. If it comes, we won't have to call it "revival," we'll know it and so will everyone else, even Paris Hilton.

Update: Welcome Evangelical Oupost readers! Thanks again for the link Joe. Feel free to check out the site and the earlier post that led (in around about way) to this post.