Mandated Chapel Revival: The Asbury University Revival— over 144 hours later
Mandated. Chapel. Service.
3x a week.
for college students.
Who would ever imagine that any revival would spark from such a setting? But this is exactly what we are witnessing at Asbury University in tiny Wilmore, KY—a small town just outside of Lexington, KY.
“The Revival has been going on non-stop -- day and night -- since Wednesday morning's (February 8) university-sponsored worship service. Much time is spent in just worshipping and glorifying God for Who He is. Some classes have been cancelled and homework assignments postponed to allow for students and staff to participate in the non-stop praise-a-thon which has been laced with witnessing and testimony, silence and reflection, and an outpouring of love… The Holy Spirit has swept in and He is touching hearts and souls. And He is also reaching across the denominational lines Methodists, Baptists, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Nazarenes and Charismatics have shown up.”
This revival has lasted over 1 week straight—144 hours—and continues! It is now beginning to receive recognition from larger news outlets.
Wary of ‘Revival’
Many of us may be wary when we hear of revival—and we should be. For some, it conjures up unpleasant memories. We know that such terms have been used throughout history for dishonest gain, personal fame, or manipulative means.
But, we also know that God is the Almighty and He can bless a nation and move powerfully to change hearts in an instant! Jesus reminded his followers that, The Holy Spirit blows as He pleases, “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” John 3:8.
Test the Spirits
We may be left feeling unsure as to what revival is real and what is not. This is why we are told multiple times in Scripture to test the spirits, such as in 1 John 4:1, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” He goes on to state that, “2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God.”
It seems as though the Asbury Revival, so far, is Christ-honoring and Christ-centered. The reports state that peopleof all ages are flocking to Wilmore, KY from all over the region (including 26 colleges & universities) & across denominational lines, in order to experience the presence of God, resulting in sincere repentance, devotion to the Word,and genuine love for Jesus Christ. It appears that such a revival may very well be the work of God and the blowing of the Holy Spirit—and we should root for this!
If any nation needs revival, it is ours; and we should pray for this revival to continue to spread nationwide and across the globe—as it has already begun to do. One student tweeted,
"#AsburyRevival has gone north up the 75 to @cedarville near Dayton Ohio, and south down the 75 to @LeeU in Cleveland, TN. Is Atlanta, Toledo, Detroit next? I pray the #revival fire keeps spreading."
Jesus said, that if I be lifted up, I will draw all people unto myself. May this movement continue to lift the name of Jesus up before men.
What Is Revival Like?
Reports so far state that after the initial chapel service on Feb. 9th, students stayed behind to continue to pray and worship. It then escalated into the multi-day, “non-stop praise-a-thon…laced with witnessing and testimony, silence and reflection.” If you’re like me, this almost sounds like an un-ending church service—which, honestly, does not sound so appealing—even for a pastor. But what cannot be described is the interlaced transforming presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
One Asbury Seminary professor, Jason Vickers, cooly waited multiple days to visit the nearby revival. He wrote,
"If you are following the Revival on social media, you will know that it began on Wednesday morning, My office is directly across the street at Asbury Seminary. Despite this proximity, as of this morning, (Saturday) I had not put in an appearance. I was not avoiding doing so. I'm simply in a busy season of writing about sacramental theology."
However, by Saturday afternoon Professor Vickers did cross the street and stepped into Hughes Auditorium.
"Alas, around 2:30 this afternoon I crossed Lexington Avenue and made my way up the stairs of Hughes Auditorium slipping into a seat in the back row," the seminary professor writes. "I wanted to see for myself what was happening."
It turned out that his visit to The Revival was a powerful experience for him. He posts: "The peacefulness in that place is so palpable that a mere ten minutes had made an impression that will last the remainder of my lifetime."
Revival is no mere extended church service—thankfully—it’s an encounter with the one true living God! It is Moses before the burning bush speaking with the Almighty, sandals off on Holy Ground. (Ex. 3) It is the Apostle Peter being overwhelmed by the cloud of glory atop the mount of Transfiguration, as he is left stammering & not knowing what He is saying—in light of the beatific presence of God.(Mk. 9) It is the of transforming power of Pentecost that led 3,000 to repentance and sincere devotion to the Gospel of Christ. (Acts 2)
If this is the essence of revival, then I understand why parents and students alike are descending upon Wilmore, KY—to experience a special movement of that presence that was in that burning bush, atop that holy mountain, and descended that day at Pentecost. That would be worth any journey. I pray that we would all yearn and seek for suchrevival, ourselves—that we too may encounter God so that it leaves an indelible mark on us for the rest of our lives.
Why not a movement of God here and now? One author asks, “What if the defining moment of this generation isn't the Pandemic of 2020 but the Revival of 2023?”
May it be so, even in me.