From: jonh@david.wheaton.edu (Jonathan Hayward)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: A call to prayer, a call to action
Date: 1 Sep 92 07:46:57 GMT
Organization: Wheaton College, IL

I'm starting to attend Wheaton as a freshman, after a long while of wandering
here and there as the son of a professor.  I'd like to share what I found in the
chapel service Saturday night, both to your edification and for your prayer
that the fire will not die.

It started with a prayer, and then some singing mingled with the greetings of
the person who seemed to be in charge, who opened the microphone for other
people to share what the Spirit was speaking through them.

And it was most definitely the Spirit who was speaking.  There was a feeling of
power and light throughout the meeting, and the sense of being on fire that
cuts through all callousedness, all weariness, and all excuses.

I was the first person to speak (or perhaps I should say to let God use my lips
and experiences to speak).  I spoke of some of the more spectacular ways in
which I have been blessed, and of how awesome of a blessing lies ahead to the
one who will simply open his or her hand to what God has to offer.  I mentioned
a time, much later at night than my littlest (7 year old twin) brothers are
usually awake, when I made a silly comment and then saw from the hurt in my
brother's eyes that he had not taken it as the banter I intended: I told him
that I was sorry, that I shouldn't have done that, and gave him a hug.  That
was what let him really know that I meant the second thing I said, and not the
first.  I challenged each person present not to go to bed without first
likewise embracing one friend and one complete stranger, to each saying "In
Christ I love you."

Many other people came after me, continuing to speak in the power of the Holy
Spirit.  One person spoke of the tapestry God weaves through random-looking
events and encounters.  Another spoke of the need to have "soft eyes": to see
others in love, and reserve being judgemental to God (she had the courage to
admit that she felt God telling her to come up and speak, but had no idea what
she was going to say until the words came to her).  Yet another of the dozens
of young men and women plainly said that, if he ever becomes comfortable and
stops looking for ways to move and shake, to solidly admonish him.

This was most definitely the right way to start things.

The concern that exists for me is that the fire that was so plainly visible at
the chapel does not go out.  Satan's crushing defeat was plainly visible at
that service - but it is not Satan's nature to leave people alone when there is
any chance to do otherwise, and there is no way that a threat of that magnitude
to the kingdom of Hell will be left alone.

Already I have seen fear starting to slow things down.  A part of the reason
that I said "one friend and one complete stranger" was that it is extremely
intimidating to walk up and hug a stranger.  Sometimes it is a challenge that I
have taken the strength to master; others it has been one that has mastered me.

Please, when you are praying, keep those of us who were at that service in mind.
Pray that we remain on fire, that we do not let fear stifle what is happening,
that we see and learn from our weaknesses.  We need it.

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# "God, give me mountains # "But the greatest   # Jonathan Hayward             #
# to climb and the        # of these is love."  # Jonathan_Hayward@wheaton.edu #
# strength for climbing." # I Corinthians 13:13 # jhayward@imsa.edu            #
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