Revival Coming to Trinity

Matthew 28:18–20

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Today’s passage is called the Great Commission. It is often seen as the marching orders for the Christian church. We are called to go and make disciples of or for Jesus Christ (whichever makes the most sense to you – lol). In the early years of the Christian movement called Methodist – making disciples – followers of Christ – seemed to be the main focus. Revivals and Camp Meetings were all the rage and altar calls were commonplace in Methodist worship – as pastors challenged parishioners to be transformed after the likeness of Christ. I remember revivals and camp meetings and altar calls and still use them today. I wonder how many pastors still call the people they serve to holiness?

Early Methodists were called to holiness – they were part of the holiness movement in the United States for instance. We were taught to study the Word of God (the Bible) and to strive to live our lives after what it taught. We were even encouraged to avoid some of the ills of our society. The way it was explained to me (as a third-generation Methodist pastor) – Methodists were encouraged to abstain from alcohol – from playing cards – from dancing – even from playing pool. The reason – again as it was explained to me – was because these social activities were often associated with bars and night clubs – with gambling and behavior and places that were not appropriate for folks striving to follow Christ and seeking holiness (makes sense to me). We were encouraged to avoid even the appearance of evil or sin (both Biblically and personally by pastors and parents). We were encouraged to keep Sunday set aside for the Lord. In my home growing up – Sunday was a day for Worship and Sunday School in the morning – a family lunch – a nap time – youth group – and worship in the evening. Sunday was a day set aside for being with God and with other Christians.

I Wish…

Psalm 59:16

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.

I was browsing Facebook the other day and ran across a young lad that busted out in song as his dad tried out a guitar in a music store. I imagine it was partly planned – but none-the-less – it was a public setting and the young lad sang without fear of folks around him. I wish some of us had that kind of courage to let loose and sing at church.

Have you ever attended a ballgame and the home team made a big play and no one stood to cheer or shout? Of course not – we love our sports teams and we go to cheer them on. Even some of the most introverted friends I have let loose at a game. I wish some of us would let loose a little more in church – maybe saying amen or a praise the Lord once-in-a-while.

Speaking of Facebook – I’ve notice a number of people that are more expressive behind the safety of their computers than they are in person. Some will like items or post items that they probably wouldn’t talk about in person. I wish we would post more about our faith – using social media as a witnessing tool – especially if we have a hard time doing so in person.