Land of Many Revivals
Our 24/7 news cycle, we often bombarded by gloom and doom. Rarely do we catch our breath before the next negative news cycle begins. There can be only one response from such media intake - despair. Like men taking cover under heavy enemy fire, we have lost sight of our many advances. Or to use the imagery of Tom Lennie - surrounded by a great spiritual enemy, we have lost sight of our God’s many revivals.
Land of Many Revivals by Tom Lennie offers us a glimmer of hope through a comprehensive exploration of the religious revivals that have shaped the history of Scotland. Lennie presents a detailed account of the various revivals that have taken place in different regions of Scotland over the centuries. One of the strengths of the book is Lennie's ability to bring to life the stories of the individuals and communities involved in these revivals, painting a vivid picture of the religious fervor and spiritual transformation that characterized these movements.
But let’s ask a question - what is a revival? Growing up in south Mississippi, a “revival” was a week of sermons with a potluck meal afterwards. Today, “revival” is used as a catchphrase for “returning to the good ol’ days.” Tom Lennie offers us three alternatives: one, “an unplanned period of spiritual enlivening in a local church, quickening believers and bringing unbelievers to faith;” two, “a regional experience of spiritual quickening and wide-spread conversions;” and three, “societal or cultural ‘awakenings.’” Lennie’s definition adheres closer to the biblical usage of the concept (cf. Acts 2:4).
Throughout this detailed historical account of revivals, Lennie utilizes large swatches of personal narratives to outline what causes the rise and decline of revival. The decline is easy for us to diagnose - infighting, division, moral failures, and the like. But what about the rise? What events tend to precede a revival? The stories are too manifold to recount - teenagers praying together, daughters reading the Scripture to their mothers, the tireless labors of faithful ministers, and the list goes on and on. Over and over, Tom Lennie drives home the historical fact that revival springs from ordinary people relying upon the ordinary means of grace with the expectation that God will do an extraordinary work in their day. The overarching themes can be categorized under a few heads: prayer meetings by faithful Christians, Christ-centered preaching by godly men, and personal commitments to holiness by God’s people.
I must ask a simple question. Prayer, preaching, and practice - can we not pursue these as a people? As often as I hear others lament the sad state of affairs today, the hope for revival must drive us to find a true solution through the means God has provided. The scene may change and the names may change, but these three have been a constant presence in every revival. Would you commit to those here? Would you commit to praying with your church family for revival? Would you commit to the listening and meditating on faithful preaching? Would you commit to your own personal holiness? In a far and out of the way place, these three things bring a foretaste of heaven to earth.
If you need encourage in these pursuits, I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to you. You can buy it here.
