When I started preaching a long time ago, small, but strong country churches dotted the landscape. One thing those country churches had in common was an annual revival. Some of them even had one in the Spring and another in the Fall, but all had at least one week of what the old timers called "a protracted meeting." Now, most churches today do not have revivals. In fact, churches respond to the word as if it speaks of something which only belongs in the church history books. As far as most churches are concerned, revivals are a phenomena of the past and are no longer needed.
It was different back then. A revival would start on Sunday night and go through Friday night. People tended to put their regular stuff aside and make an effort to attend. Prayer meetings were often held ahead of the meetings. Revivals were regarded with a seriousness that is unknown to the current church that entertains from the corner. Prayers were offered for those who had made no public profession of faith in Christ. Long invitational hymns provided more than enough time for those in need to make their way to the altar after the preaching was done. In those country churches revivals were moments prayed for ahead of time and remembered long after the last benediction.
One song that was always sung at any respectable revival was known as "Revive Us Again." It actually had another name, but no one knew it. It was a full of life song with a chorus that had folks singing, "Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Hallelujah! Amen. Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Revive us again." Most revival meetings started with a spirited up-beat singing of this hymn written back in 1863. Those words, "Revive us again." are like words of a prayer from the church. No one doubted such a prayer needed to be offered back in the days when revivals swept the ecclesiastical landscape. Unfortunately, it is a different day today. Maybe no one is having revivals anymore, but that does not change the great need the church has for one that sweeps across it from one end to the other.
One song that was always sung at any respectable revival was known as "Revive Us Again." It actually had another name, but no one knew it. It was a full of life song with a chorus that had folks singing, "Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Hallelujah! Amen. Hallelujah! Thine the glory. Revive us again." Most revival meetings started with a spirited up-beat singing of this hymn written back in 1863. Those words, "Revive us again." are like words of a prayer from the church. No one doubted such a prayer needed to be offered back in the days when revivals swept the ecclesiastical landscape. Unfortunately, it is a different day today. Maybe no one is having revivals anymore, but that does not change the great need the church has for one that sweeps across it from one end to the other.
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