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So, I’m chatting with some other pastors about the word “revival”.  We all have varied experiences and understandings of the word.  The most common seems to be the idea that, as a Christian, you turned your back on a very vibrant life with Jesus.  At some point you realize that life has ebbed.  You need to have that original life back again.

So we start with a word for life – VIVE.  And we added the prefix – RE.  REVIVAL.

But what of a society that is no longer Christian, or has lost the Christian undergirding?  That’s us today!

What we need is VIVE.  Jesus had said that he came to give life – abundantly give life.  For those around us, many don’t need a revival, they need a rescue.  They need to come into the life that they have not experienced before.

In other words, we need a VIVAL in our country. 

I took one of those “self-examination” tests recently.

Reason?  Now that I’m retired you’d think I knew myself well.  No, this “self-examination” was for a class I am teaching and I figured if the class was to take the test, so should I. 

I was reminded that I am good at inspiring people, empowering leadership and generally being a somewhat balanced guy.  At the same time, I need to watch that I don’t become prideful and that I pass on work to others.  Of course, there were other gems I need to examine, but those stood out at first glance.

Sometimes I’d just like to sit in my rocking chair and not care. 

Not my style!  I like to be active.  Even more so, I like to be active in areas that count.

And I thought this Lenten season was going to be easy!

So, I’m reading about benefits (on demand video) that I have available as an Alumnus of University of Alberta.

The range of videos is wide, and the topics are on such things as the future of AI at the UofA, legacy planning for estates and decolonization.  From which description I found the following words. 

I have increased my vocabulary immensely in these past few years.  Here are two more (and yes, I do know what the definitions are – one is an old word with a new life, and one is a new word with not much life to date):

cisheteropatriarchal

colonized society

I’m not sure why this new year is different.

But I am seeing some hints. 

I am past my 50 years release from high school.  What happened back then is on my mind.  There was a youth group revival, an Asbury Revival, a Canadian revival.  There was solid bible teaching, good fellowship and opportunity for outreach. 

This morning I was listening to John Ruttkay describe Lonnie Frisbee – a major actor in the Jesus People movement.  Here was a charismatic evangelist/prophet who had more than their share of issues.  His homosexual encounters are documented by himself in his autobiography.  And yet . . . God rescues.  To such a point that Lonnie says he could love those he had encountered over the years.  But love does not mean approval.

Last night I listened to an interview with Chuck Smith in an interview with Chuck (Greg) Laurie, who has been instrumental in the production of a film just coming out – Jesus Revolution.  Again, I was transported back to my teens where Jesus was the focus and our hearts burned after him.  50 years later . . . my heart stills burns!  May God use movements in this day and age – within our North American context – to turn our hearts back to God.