Revival is a much used and much misused word.
Some thrive to revive some revile revivalism!

Ian Stackhouse has written quite recently in 'The Gospel-driven Church' of a kind of ennui in charismatic evangelicals in the West, or examples of contemporary Christians of my age and era who have been burnt by the promises of revival which have generated so much energy in the churches run by their parents but have ultimately disappointed. He identifies something really important, which makes someone like me nervous about even using a word which generates such a feeling of dissatisfaction. Similarly I have met many in London who have been brought up in churches which stress the revival fire, but have been riven by legalism, formalism and touches of hypocrisy. As an Anglican evangelical, whose denomination is not renowned for excesses of emotion and unrealisically high expectations of God, we sometimes mop up the odd refugee of disappointment.

I will be stating a series on 'revival town' in the evening service from two weeks time, looking at Biblical moves of God, particularly in the New Testament, centering on the towns in Acts and the letters, and finding out what we have to learn about God's initiative and human response. Revival, you see, isn't exactly a biblical word, though it is often short-hand for a whole number of phrases which describe God's kngdom breaking into ours. [Though theologically this does not mean it isn't biblical - for the words: incarnation, providence and Trinity probably do not merit a word for word translation either]. Sometimes revival describes mass conversions, other times godly tranformation of a place, sometimes signs and wonders, other times revival is marked by deep repentance of sins in the church which then spills out to those who are not yet believers. In the States 'revival' often describes what a Brit would call a mission or an outreach event.

As we, in All Saints continue to experience the favour of God for salvation in Peckham, we need to move from romanticism about revival to realism. If God suddenly steps up those 'added to our number' will we cope? Can we disciple new believers effectively, how hard will we have to work? Is successful church growth the same as revival?

Whatever we end up calling what we are praying for, or what we see when God answers our prayers in a quiet or perhaps a dramatic way, I cannot rid my spirit of this conviction - that true hope does not disappoint. If our theology and our prayers are framed by biblical realism (as opposed to expecting little so we are seldom disappointed) perhaps the hunger of the Spirit for the bringing home of the lost may overwhelm us and break us, perhaps we will spend ourselves and be spent for the cause of God... perhaps a gust will become a strong wind, and a strong wind will become a holy storm? Perhaps after the wind and fire the still small voice will capture hearts, minds and destinies?

More thoughts on revival will follow between now and September.