Full of Praise and Thanksgiving
As we entered into the sanctuary hearts were quickly united through anointed worship, heartfelt thanksgiving, and the welcoming embrace of beloved friends—of comrades in the Lord, both old and new.
When my eyes fell upon Pastor Roberto Miranda who had missed the last two meetings because of illness, they welled with tears in extreme gratitude to God as Mary’s song was laid upon my heart, “for the Lord has done great things for him…for us…hallowed be His name.” I am sure that many of us felt the same.
After a corporate expression of prayer, Jonathan asked us to reflect upon the passing of 2010 in light of the year soon to come, and then to minister to one another in small groups of 4-5. We were asked to pray and ensure that all were filled to overflowing with the goodness of the Lord.
From the reports that I received, that is exactly what happened; for some tears of healing flowed freely, for others prophetic words of exhortation and encouragement were received joyfully as the peace of His presence descended upon us all.
One sister noted that she felt a deeper level of unity and connectedness…more so than at any of our previous meetings.
We then had a time of silent reflection to draw even nearer to the heartbeat of the Lord…allowing Him to put the finishing touches on what He had already begun, before receiving communion. Roberto Mirandaled us in communion…which seemed to be a beautiful prophetic punctuation of what many had already received from the Lord.
The Discussion: Twofold—God’s Activity and the New Wineskin of Revival
Gregg Detwiler’s report on God’s activity among ethnic and immigrant churches sparked the fire of engaged conversation as he gave voice to the contextual face of the “Quiet Revival”. Gregg spoke of:
· Earthen Vessels… the quiet revival is a Dirt & Divinity Movement, a undeniable move of God, rough edges and all
· Exponential church growth through various heretofore unheralded ethnic and immigrant streams
In response:
· I think it’s fair to say that humility ruled the day as many, if not all could relate to a dirt & divinity movement…of God working through imperfect humanity to bring about revival
· The fire of hope was stirred and fanned within the hearts of some of the pastors…revitalizing hope that God has, could, will and has used them in this most unusual season of revival
For years many of us have looked to the Great Awakenings as inspiration for what we hope to see God do in our day. However, it is clear that what God desires to do in our day will look very different from any move of God in the past. Many have been sharing their sense that God is forming a new wineskin, a new form to contain the wine of His Spirit in our day.
We then asked the question…“What does revival look like for us now relative to this new wineskin that we have been hearing about?”
Some ideas from our discussion:
· New Wineskins (forms) that are essential
o Making space for and valuing the Presence of God above anything else (learning how to worship) and recognizing that His Presence is what brings life (vitality, revival)
o Intercultural relationships and connections
o Move of God must be sustainable and steady (Used metaphor of the difference between ground water and sudden rain in the desert)
o Expecting a bottom-up grassroots effort rather than an elaborate structure
o Although there is a tension between structure and freedom, we will need structure at some point to have relational and functional unity
§ Marriage is an example of a structure (wineskin) that allows for both relational and functional unity between man and wife.
o Part of the structure is the need for the leadership of elders and the elder function
§ On the other hand, the expectation that “A” leader will rise up and lead the battle in New England is not a realistic one
· New ways of thinking and acting (mindsets) that are essential
o Living lives that are characterized by real love in action
o Creating safe places where people experience love and are able to open up at the deepest levels
o A Discipleship culture that models by example and prioritizes spiritual growth
o Developing a burden for the lost and what awaits them apart from Christ
o Thinking Generationally: We need to bring together the old and the new. It is important for the older generation to release and bless the younger generation rather than quenching them.
o Also we need to bring together elements from the Historic church without quenching the new thing God is doing
o Recognizing and making decisions for the good of the “Kingdom of God”, not just “my church” or “my denomination” (Having a Kingdom Mindset)
Hospitality
Thank you so much Boston Missionary Baptist Church for opening up your doors, your arms and your heart…for your graciousness and service. And most especially for the easy parking mid-week in BostonJ!!!
Blessing and peace,
Gabrielle Beam, New Beginnings Christian Church, Darien CT with notes from Ron Stimers, Vice President, Vision New England
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