June 29, 2008
The much-anticipated New Awakening Conference of 2008 has finally arrived. This annual conference has meshed together thousands of people from different walks of life to inspire and to ignite revival in America. This year’s conference holds a deeper significance; this year marks the 150-year anniversary of the pinnacle of the Third Great Awakening.
JAMA did not choose Philadelphia as the location for this year’s conference merely for great cheese steaks (although this could arguably be a legitimate secondary reason) nor did they pick this site for great weather (because the suffocating humidity is almost infuriating). It just so happens that this was one of the cities where revivalistic fervor spread 150 years ago.
It began with six nameless college and post-college men in Philadelphia. At first only a few attended, but soon the revival grew, leading to a four-month tent revival where 150,000 people attended.
We commemorate events like these because of its importance in history. While we should honor the believers that earnestly sought out revival and celebrate an era of rejuvenation, this memory is ultimately celebrated because it is merely a preview for the greater things to come. The embers that started the inferno that was the Third Great Awakening were six anonymous believers. It is not so outlandish that there can be another great revival similar to the one that started with these men in history. There is somewhat a misconstrued idea of revival, and there are many reasons for the lack of a revival. Many of us have allowed complacency of our faith to percolate throughout our mind set. Another portion are cynical to “emotional revivals”, and therefore are found with arms crossed and brows furled. Whatever the symptom is, the fact of the matter remains; this nation, especially the Christians that need to take ownership, has overslept. I believe it is time to go out and wake everybody up, for we are on the cusp of another Great Awakening. Are you ready?
