Tonight we were showing a movie called "Riding Giants" at The Gathering.
A group of four high school guys from Swampscott hung out with us for awhile. They found me playing my guitar out in front of the church, and I played them my Welsh song which I am writing, because one of them had a Notre Dame Fighting Irish shirt on and was into Celtic things. They loved the Welsh song, and decided to come in and watch the movie with us.
An old surfer who spent some time surfing Rincon years ago, came back for a second week of surf movie night, and a few others just dropped in as well.
After the event was over, and Carlos, Chris, Jim, Erin, and I made a few new friends, I walked home, and stopped at the Salem Outpouring meeting for a few minutes. This meeting is connected to the Lakeland revival in a roundabout manner.
Maybe I am simply to worldly, but I was having far more fun watching "Riding Giants," and getting to know some of the people in our community who don't like churchy things, than I was at the revival meeting. Was I missing one big wave to simply watch another?
My short encounter with the revival meeting is posted here.
13 comments:
Thank you, Pastor Phil. I read your post about the woman who touched her toes, too... For a unique perspective on Lakeland, see: http://www.adventuresinchristianity.com/?L=blogs.blog&article=3494
It was written by Justin Peters who is considered by some to be an expert on the Word of Faith movement... His site is: http://www.justinpeters.org and you can click on "demo" and watch him present a brief overview of his seminar to Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Its very powerful and insightful.
God bless you as you contend for the faith!
And I've just finished reading Elizabeth George's latest novel, Careless in read, which is about surfers and surfing.
I can relate with you. In my experience, revival has many shapes, sizes and faces.
Personally for me, I've always found that when an event or movement of people following after Christ call themselves a "revival" a mild caution sign goes off in my spirit. And (for me) when a movement of the Spirit of God is more organic and less "institutionalized" the change of heart is more genuine, long-lasting and sweet.
I am certain that God is present among these revival meetings but being a person who's values are different from that culture it is sometimes hard for me to comprehend God. Not that I could in the first place. Even still, Hallelujah.
Thanks, Phil--
Your footing is sure as you dance between the worlds. We need you to do so--you're a powerful mediator of all the energies.
You have friends in many places--thank you for your amazing spiritual work in the world.
Hey Pastor Phil,
Wish I had seen the surfing video with you!
My son is very into the Lakeland thing. I rejoice. I've read some about it and listened to the pastor involved speak a few messages through the wonder of the internet. I can't relate to him or his message.
So it is.
Caron,
Thanks for the link. I think to some degree I am contending for the faithless. I struggle with alienating others from our church culture.
Steve,
You live a land of surf. Do you partake in fellowship of the waveriders?
Carl,
As always your observations are astute, and balanced. I like.
(Myra)Beth,
Thanks for the encouragement. Dance Well!
Hey ded,
My son is not into it, and is less interested in it than I might be, but then I not into what he's into either.
Dang. This thing we call living is a complex set of adjustments.
Like you, I would've found the movie and conversations more enjoyable and more spiritually fulfilling than the revival meeting.
But then, I'm not sure that helps you defend yourself against charges of being "too worldly." ;)
-- Jarred.
Hey Seithydude,
It's high time we were "in the world." ;-)
we own that dvd and also Stepping into Liquid, another great surf film, even better imo.
We catch waves on our boogie boards here at the Oregon coast. Yep, don't look down on us just cuz we're spongers; it's still catching waves, well at least for my hubby. Me and the kids tend to catch the leftover whitewater slop. But we have GREAT slop on our coastline so it's fine by me!
Revival....I used to totally get hyped up by the talk and noise and glitz of it all. But then I figured out that these so-called revivals have a pattern: they tend to be contained by a personality and a building. So then I became cynical and like another commenter said, I tend to get my guard up when the R word is being slung around.
Having said that, I do long for a spiritual revival of some kind, but not the kind that is sequestered to Christians inside of big buildings with flashy preachers. I am jonesing for a heightened sensitivity, a deeper awareness to the Creative Presence of God in ordinary people in ordinary everyday life. Like surfing. Or listening to the blues at a local tavern...I do believe, and at times have experienced, a degree of being revived and refreshed with a clarity of knowing that God is near.
A revival for my spirit is like waiting on my board for a wave...or in my case, leftovers, but wait I do until the swell arrives and all I can do is hold on and fly.
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