Last week’s column was about the massive revivals that happened in the cataclysmic twentieth century, and was intended as a reminder that catastrophic judgment does not preclude great mercies from God. That’s the hope for this century – the only hope!
Whilst I was writing it I had also wanted to write about one of the greatest revivals in the USA and the background to that – it takes us back a century to the nineteenth century and shows us that the twentieth century experience was not really new. There was no room, however, so this week I offer what is to me that very fascinating story (very briefly!)
In 1857 a city missionary in down town New York opened his church daily for businessmen and mechanics to meet for prayer. He was prompted to do this by a revival in Canada. Within six months 10,000 business men were gathering daily for prayer. Many other churches were by then involved. Within two years a million converts were added to the American churches. The fire had spread. No part of the nation remained untouched by fervent prayer, and every part experienced some ingathering of converts. It was a massive “prayer revival”. It soon spread to the United Kingdom and produced similar results – a revival as extensive and lasting as the Evangelical revival of Wesley’s time (the 18thC).
What was particularly fascinating for me was the appalling context of this revival. The early 1850s was a time of general disillusionment with religion after some wild apocalyptic preaching. It was a time when America had begun to get rich and self sufficient but it was also a time when a great panic swept away the giddy structure of speculative investment. Banks failed, railroads went into bankruptcy and vast numbers were thrown out of employment. The collapse was protracted through the 50s. By the late 50s there was hunger and despair. There’s nothing new about our generation!
After the revival the context was even worse – the nation descended to Civil War. This broke out in 1861 and lasted until 1865. The American Civil War has been described as the “bloodiest conflict in American history”. Three million men were involved and more than 21% lost their lives – a much higher proportion than in any of the armies of the First World War . More died of disease than battle. The devastation and destruction was enormous, not to mention the bitter racial legacy it left. Yet even that conflict was a scene of rich mercy – some 100,000 Confederate soldiers were converted during the war.
So once more, it’s the story of catastrophic judgement intermingled with the grace of God. It’s a great encouragement to us to use Habakkuk’s prayer, “Lord, in wrath remember mercy”.
You can read a great deal more about this in J.Edwin Orr’s book, “The Fervent Prayer”.
Bob
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Whilst I was writing it I had also wanted to write about one of the greatest revivals in the USA and the background to that – it takes us back a century to the nineteenth century and shows us that the twentieth century experience was not really new. There was no room, however, so this week I offer what is to me that very fascinating story (very briefly!)
In 1857 a city missionary in down town New York opened his church daily for businessmen and mechanics to meet for prayer. He was prompted to do this by a revival in Canada. Within six months 10,000 business men were gathering daily for prayer. Many other churches were by then involved. Within two years a million converts were added to the American churches. The fire had spread. No part of the nation remained untouched by fervent prayer, and every part experienced some ingathering of converts. It was a massive “prayer revival”. It soon spread to the United Kingdom and produced similar results – a revival as extensive and lasting as the Evangelical revival of Wesley’s time (the 18thC).
What was particularly fascinating for me was the appalling context of this revival. The early 1850s was a time of general disillusionment with religion after some wild apocalyptic preaching. It was a time when America had begun to get rich and self sufficient but it was also a time when a great panic swept away the giddy structure of speculative investment. Banks failed, railroads went into bankruptcy and vast numbers were thrown out of employment. The collapse was protracted through the 50s. By the late 50s there was hunger and despair. There’s nothing new about our generation!
After the revival the context was even worse – the nation descended to Civil War. This broke out in 1861 and lasted until 1865. The American Civil War has been described as the “bloodiest conflict in American history”. Three million men were involved and more than 21% lost their lives – a much higher proportion than in any of the armies of the First World War . More died of disease than battle. The devastation and destruction was enormous, not to mention the bitter racial legacy it left. Yet even that conflict was a scene of rich mercy – some 100,000 Confederate soldiers were converted during the war.
So once more, it’s the story of catastrophic judgement intermingled with the grace of God. It’s a great encouragement to us to use Habakkuk’s prayer, “Lord, in wrath remember mercy”.
You can read a great deal more about this in J.Edwin Orr’s book, “The Fervent Prayer”.
Bob
To make a comment: click on word “comments” below, write your comment in the white box which appears and add your name and e mail address (if you wish), choose “select profile”, click “anonymous” and then continue
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