Real Clear Truth

I’ve always loved a particular chapter from David Matthews, “I Saw the Welsh Revival”, taken from here, and commented on below one part at a time.

Now, it’s not easy to describe a revival. As Matthews says at the end of this chapter, “one realizes the limitations of his human vocabulary when attempting to describe these scenes”. Nevertheless, because I have had some experience myself in seeing God move (through the Toronto Renewal), I feel as if I understand a little of what Matthews is trying to convey, and in that regard I’d like to add some comments to what he has written.

Please note that Mathews wrote this in 1957, fifty-three years after the events he describes took place. Isn’t it interesting how events like this can be so significant and yet it’s not until years later that we realize the importance of recording them so that future generations will know what took place — not entirely unlike the situation the Gospel writers found themselves in decades after Jesus rose from dead.

IN THE MIDST of the Loughor turmoil, something suddenly occurred causing Mr. Roberts to stretch his spiritual wings, and increase his sphere of influence and service for the Master. A church of his own denomination in Trecynon, a suburb of the mining town of Aberdare, had read accounts in The South Wales News and Western Mail of the work of grace taking place in Loughor. For some reason, which can only be described as one of God’s glorious accidents, their appointed minister for that particular weekend had canceled his engagement. Someone ventured to suggest, perhaps timidly, that the young revivalist be invited to occupy the pulpit. That was the limit of their intention.

I’ve heard many a minister implore his audience on what they must do to see a revival. We must fast and pray we are told. We must evangelize the lost. We must pray for the sick. We must give more — to the poor, to missions, to building programs.

Many of these things are great and I’ve certainly done my part, and yet in large measure we are still waiting for the revival we all hope and pray to come. On the other hand, the people of Trecynon were merely trying to fill their pulpit for a given Sunday. They weren’t striving for revival. They weren’t praying for one and they certainly weren’t fasting for one.

And yet revival came to them because of only one thing. They just happened to pick a certain young revivalist to fill their pulpit. He was in the news and some had read the reports and were curious. That’s all it took. They had no idea at all what they were in for and what would happen that Sunday.

Believing that he was led by the Holy Spirit to do so, Mr. Roberts accepted. No one doubted later the reality of this divine guidance. Early Sunday morning, after having spent the whole of Saturday night conducting—if that is a correct term to use in view of what followed—the revival, he arrived practically unannounced. He was accompanied by two young lady converts mightily inspired by the revival and brimming over with the joy of the Lord.

One must understand that Evan Roberts wasn’t exactly sitting around waiting for requests to speak at churches. He was engaged in full on revival where he was at. Meetings were taking place every day and would last well into the wee hours of the morning, some going to 4 AM. Roberts spent the entire Saturday before going to Trecynon in meetings. His acceptance then of taking the pulpit in Trecynon was no little thing. Evangelists typically don’t like to leave a place when God is moving. Who can say what will happen in the next city, especially if there has been no advance preparations to get the people ready?

But when a revival breaks out on the level of the 1904 Welsh revival, niceties such as advance planning and preparations just don’t seem to matter. It’s like a tidal wave that has wiped out one city, leaving glorious results behind, turning to see where else the wave can be directed.

But notice also that Roberts didn’t go alone. He brought two new converts, who had been greatly “inspired” by the revival in Loughor. They had no in-depth theological training. They had no history of Christian service. They were young and by definition inexperienced. But they had one thing. They had been transformed by revival and were “brimming over with the joy of the Lord”. They were infectious, energetic, unqualified believers in what God could do, and above all, they were unquestionably moved to tears and joy by what had happened to them.

They arrived at Bryn Seion Church quite a while before the scheduled time for the ordinary morning service. From the moment they entered the building, these young enthusiasts rehearsed and described some of the marvelous scenes witnessed in their village.

What’s this? A special guest minister arriving early? Didn’t Roberts know how such ministers are to be escorted in at the proper time? Didn’t Roberts need time to rest from the revival services the night before?

Apparently not.

Didn’t the young enthusiasts know that they should wait for the meeting to begin? Didn’t they understand how these things need to be choreographed for maximum impact?

Apparently not.

No, they just couldn’t contain themselves. What they had seen and heard in Loughor was to such a degree and such a magnitude that the stories came spilling out like a torrent of raging waters.

They exhorted all present to “be obedient to the Holy Spirit” when they came together for worship. It is safe to assume that not a single member of the audience had any inkling of what was about to happen in this never-to-be-forgotten service. There had been only a brief announcement in the national dailies on the Saturday morning, giving a colorful description of the Loughor meetings and suggesting that Mr. Roberts might be leaving for Trecynon, Aberdare, very soon. “Just an ordinary weekend appointment” was the mental attitude of the church leaders as they entered the building. Imagine their astonishment when they found two young, inexperienced women facing them, and in the most moving tones beseeching them to surrender to “the leading of the Holy Spirit.” They proved to be two young revival fire-brands.

But look at this. These “young revival fire-brands” didn’t stop with telling stories, they repeatedly exhorted all present to “be obedient to the Holy Spirit”. In the most moving tones, beseeching them to surrender to God.

The implication here is that the moving stories they started to tell of the revival in Loughor could happen in Trecynon, if only they would surrender to “the leading of the Holy Spirit”. The joy and passion that was theirs could be obtained in Trecynon, if only everyone obeyed the Holy Spirit.

What kind of talk is this? Why haven’t we heard similar talk? Why haven’t we been implored to surrender and be obedient to the Holy Spirit? Why not?

The sober, sedate Calvinistic congregation that gathered in Mount Seion that morning received a shock. They looked askance when they saw their minister’s place occupied by a young man, accompanied by such youthful maidens. Instead of announcing the customary hymn for the commencement of the service, one of the young women burst forth in a spiritual song expressing her new experience, tears streaming down her cheeks. The whole congregation gasped! Before the solo concluded, her partner joined her. What did this mean? was the question on every lip. Like the people in the Gospel of Mark, they felt like exclaiming, “We never saw it on this fashion before.”

Cannot we exclaim the same thing as the sober, sedate congregation of Mount Seion? Cannot we likewise say we have never seen it “on this fashion before”? Don’t we also expect church to follow familiar and customary steps? Wouldn’t we too be shocked to see young ladies burst forth in spiritual songs with tears streaming down their cheeks?

Remember, some of those in church that morning would have arrived later and missed hearing from these girls before the service began. They would have arrived expecting nothing unusual. They would have arrived expecting a normal typical service. What a shock indeed!

That prim congregation breathed heavily and deeply. But the young minister in the pulpit—for such they all considered him, remained absolutely silent. They observed, however, that his body shook perceptibly as tears coursed down his pale cheeks. Then, we were told, a strange stillness fell upon the people, like the quiet presaging an electric storm.

This is it. This is the point at which revival hit Trecynon — and Roberts hadn’t said anything! How can God move like this? Doesn’t He realize it requires a sermon to move people into revival? Doesn’t He realize that it requires a minister with a distinguished background and an eloquent message?

Apparently not.

Apparently, all it takes even for a sedate and sober congregation is passion unleashed in their midst — and the imperative to surrender in obedience to the Holy Spirit.

Now let me add that I know well this moment that is like the presaging of an electrical storm. In my experience, I have often compared it to a huge capacitor that is building up a great charge. You can feel it. You can sense the moment of discharge is at hand. There is nothing like it. You can see other people notice it as well. You can see that people know something is up. And then it hits. Wow!

Have you ever felt that electric “charge” building up? Have you ever seen it released and a meeting take a turn that no one had expected it to?

I don’t know about you, but this is what I live for. I even actively push for it. When I sense that moment approaching, I lean into what God is doing more than ever. As a singer, I’m quite aware of what the worship team is sensing and I join in with my voice to encourage them to go for it. Too many times we back away when things get to this point. We don’t realize that we are close to a tipping point. We don’t know that the dam is about to burst. We think that we’ve had a good meeting and we assume it’s time to move on to the next item on the agenda. That’s why when we get close to a moment like this, I want to be one pushing to keep going. I don’t want things to end.

If I’ve learned one thing, times like these are when we need to surrender to the Holy Spirit. Too often we ruin the moment by taking charge and not letting Him be in charge.

What do you think?

Part 2 later this week…