Revival & Reformation

What the utmost thing that church needed today? I firmly believe is both revival and reformation. For the beginning, let us define the word. There are plenty of meaning so, the word revival here can mean how God intervene into the life of the church, so that so, in short term there is a sudden or short-term change and transformation. It is the suprising work of the Holy Spirit that bring the spiritual renewal. We can see in the history, the example of revival which often can be said as "Awakening". The pentacost is the clearest example (Book of Acts). The other for instance was the pietist of first Awakening in America in 18th century.  As one of the article mentioned the headlines of the News in those time of revival in America in 18th century were something radical and amazing like this, "New Haven, Conn.—City’s Biggest Church Packed Twice Daily for Prayer. Bethel, Conn.—Business Shuts Down for Hour Each Day; Everybody Prays. Albany, N. Y.—State Legislators Get Down on Knees..."

Thats revival for us whereas the reformation is ongoing progress, a transformation in term of doctrine and Theology in community.  However, when we talk about reformation, we often boxed our understanding in 15th century movement of Luther againts the Catholic doctrine of Purgatory and afterwards. I argue that Reformation is not happened in that time of Luther and after Luther (Although it was set to be the mark of a great reformation) only, as long as there is an impact on the surronding community and culture and theological lanscape, we can call that as reformation. By that definition, the estabilishment of Nicene Creed can be said as reformational. Peter Opitz in his book, The Myth of the Reformation says, "For many, the word reformation immedietly evokes heroic memories of determined German Agustinian friar defiantly hammering his challanges to Roman Catholic Church...it was used (reformation term) in the time of church father to signal that Christian and Church are contiunally in need of reformatio in melius per Deum." Opitz then further argue, even the term reformation already circulated in the early church, the term begin to acquire weight in Medieval time as Benedict of Nursia did not create monasticsim but reformed it. 

Pondering the reason why revival and reformation are important, one theologian once says, "The reason the world is in a mess is because the church is in a mess’. But I always continue, ‘And the reason the church is in a mess is because you and I are in a mess’. We must begin with ourselves." The mess here if we would like to translate in my close context (Beside that we are sinful being) further is perhapss, what we usually call as the lack of marturity. Marturity here can be seen in two dimensions. First, spiritual. Second, doctrinal. There are tendency of people emphasizing the first but diminished the second or also the other way round. I often hear the complain from minister about how their congregations love to read the Bible and follow every Bible study everywhere but in real life, they do not show a good testimony of faith. This is immaturity in the first meaning, spiritual. The other complain is about Christian who is kind, loving and care for others but they think there is no use to learn and study the Bible deeper. Christianity is about pratical dimension. This is immaturity in the second meaning, doctrinal.

The burification between spiritual and doctrinal can happened if someone living out the Christian faith, base on their preferences and modes of being rather than following what God has commanded and excpect from the believers. An active and proper teaching, or education from the church might help, but sometimes its not good enough. For the first problem, there is urgent need of revival. For the second problem, there is an urgent need of reformation. In term of ways, revival can happened if Christians intentionally put their knees before God and pray. When we pray, it shows that we are hopeless and God is the source of hope. Praying for revival is what Church leader needed today. Like Habbakuk in his time, pray for revival as it was desperately needed (Habakkuk 3:1). This is the first step, for there will be no reformation without revival. Revival always need to come first before reformation. If the revival is the foundation, reformation is the super-structure. For the reformation, as the second step after revival, the key element is only one, return again to the sources (Ad Fontes), The Word of God. Psalms 42:1 best expessed the cry of the soul that long for the reformation, "In the same way the stag is drawn back to the sources of water, so my soul is drawn unto you, O God.” In order church can be the salt and light to the world surround, both are needed. It is not either or situation but both-and!