Revival Envy

You may have heard about revival meetings at the Ignited Church in Lakeland Florida, led by Todd Bentley. It's a Pentecostal thing (more than a Charismatic thing - for what that means) and it's focussed on two points as far as I can see: healings, and imparting the power to heal to others in order to spread the blessing.

You can watch a YouTube buzz on it here. And then follow the links to see whatever else you would like. But come back - I have some thoughts about it all.

The first and obvious question: is it for real? I don't see why not. I have listened to some of Todd's preaching via the web and found it terrible. If you have to be a great preacher to be blessed by God that cuts most of us out straight away, and actually I think St Paul makes it clear that clever preaching can get in the way of blessing sometimes: go check out 1 Corinthians 2.4-5 to see what I mean.

We want to be purists and pharisees: the guy doesn't get all his theology right (i.e. exactly like mine) so he must be a fake and thereore I can ignore everything else. That position takes some arrogance, some ego.

But wait a minute, comes back the reply, I'm just exercising discernment here! Then let's look at the fruit of Todd Bentley's labours. From what I have seen, poor, weak, crippled, blind, deaf & sick people have come away better than they went to his meetings. I don't like the preaching, I don't like the style of the worship, I don't like the way they get prayed for - but they are getting preached to, they are worshipping, they are getting prayed for, and God is blessing them.

Note to self: the more we preach, worship & pray for people, the more people can get blessed. Here's discernment: if I worked as hard at getting people to come under the influence of the Spirit as is going on in Lakeland right now, we'd see more blessing in Pontypridd.

Second question: am I going to go and see for myself? No. I could. Lakeland is half an hour from my sister's place. This was probably all happening when I was over there earlier in the year and I knew nothing about it. I drove past that church many times. I just happen to think that God is God; not geography. My problems are not I haven't been to the right meeting! And if I open my heart to him and serve him with all my heart, he will bless these people here, these nameless unknown people here, every bit as the "Christian Celebrities" that are flocking to the place I think of as a shopping mall. ("Oh Marcus," says my sister, "Let's go to Lakeland! Dillards have got a sale!" That's my first frame of reference.)

Final concern: hype. Show & tell. I got an email today inviting me to a Sunday evening service in Tonbridge. 189 miles away. "Our senior Pastor...is currently in Lakeland Florida having an incredible time experiencing what God is doing out there and receiving encouragement and impartation for the UK." It then goes on to say that someone (whom I am supposed to know) has prophesied that over the next month God will do something significant so a great list of Charismatic celebrities are going to be a part of what is happening. This is my big problem.

And I want to be careful. Is this revival envy? Do I envy the Kent pastor's enjoying himself so much he doesn't want to come home (which is also in the text of the email) and the fact that he has a church where he can indulge that? Or is there genuinely something daft about this guy (whom I know slightly - we were at Wycliffe together) "receiving encouragement and impartation for the UK." For their church, of course. For their area, why not? For all who would like to come and receive - very sensible. For the UK???

Nothing like self confidence, is there!

And the list of the great and the good who are going to Lakeland that come with this email to validate the whole thing (why does God need validation?) makes me uncertain, and the YouTube clips of miracles and the relentless GodTV coverage (every night, apparently - I never watch it - no sex and violence) just turn what ought to feel like something holy into a freak show. The X-Factor or American Idol, but the early weeks - only the best miracles will make it to the studio shows.

When Jesus healed someone, he took them aside. Privately. Hardly ever in a public place. It was about compassion and care, and often followed with - don't tell anyone. So, of course, people told, and everyone wanted to know more.

These days, we say - tell the world! Show the world! Use YouTube! Smile, your miracle is on TV! And I fear that no-one cares. Because we have made something holy into a cheap version of something nasty.

I'm going to change my mind.If I get out to Florida again this year, I might try to get along to Ignited Church. But my priority will be to spend a Sunday with my sister's best friend Scarlett and her family - I did not know these wonderful people were Christians till this last journey, and for me it matters far more to worship with them than to be a part of anything else God may or may not be doing. For I would give the world for my sister and nephew to share in the love of Jesus, and I have far more faith in that journey happening through these friends than through all the miracles in Christendom.