Revival, Renewal, and Recovery

We've been in services this week with an evangelist who makes his home in the Northwest. As far as he or I know, he is the only full time Southern Baptist itinerant evangelist in the Northwest.

Attendance has been good as numbers go. What is more important is that we as a church are closer to where God needs us to be than we've been in quite some time. There are still issues that need to be resolved.

The speaker is excellent- and his messages come from the heart and from the Word of God. His emphasis on the cross and the sacrificial love of the Father expressed through Jesus empowered by the Holy Spirit is timely. I particularly enjoy the way he ties Romans 5:6-10 with Jesus' Sermon on the Mount, especially Matthew 5:38-48.

I guess the biggest issue that a series of meetings such as this one raises- at least for me- will there be long term change in the lives of people that will facilitate the spread of the Gospel and expansion of the Kingdom of God?

Obviously, only time will tell. But what will be the measurable effect of a series of meetings such as this? Will people be intellectually stimulated, or will significant spiritual change occur? A article posted today on one of Christianity Today's websites, I think it was their Books and Culture site, which reviewed a book about the new Pope's theology. His approach is that Christianity is not merely an issue of 'knowing.' Rather, it is an issue of loving- which means a relationship.

Of course that sounds right in evangelical ears. However the Pope goes on to explain how the liturgy and the mass express that relationship, and how the church is the only atmosphere that can nurture that relationship.

Which brings me back to the question- how can we measure significant growth in relationships?

So, there you have it- reflections on a revival, thinking about renewal, and trying to recover from the pace of a very busy day.