On October 17, 2021, the Church began a two-year process called the Synod on Synodality. One goal of the synod is to listen to the voices of the people of God. It directs us “to hear the voices of other people in their local context… including people of other faith traditions.”
Last week, news headlines first reported on a small Christian college in Kentucky. At Asbury Christian University, what started as a regularly scheduled hour session of praise and worship has continued nonstop for two weeks. Students, faculty and believers from all over the world have come to worship at this service. Many wonder if this could be the start of a religious revival in the United States similar to those that have occurred in the past. For example, the Great Awakening of the 19th century was a religious revival in this country that began on college campuses.
When questioned about the authenticity of this service, both students and faculty have stressed the importance of a genuine personal encounter with Christ as a mark of its authenticity. If this will be a true revival, they say, then it will lead to a deep love of Jesus Christ and an enduring obedience to Him in every area of life. Anything else will be a counterfeit movement.
The Synod on Synodality hopes to revitalize the Church by listening to those around us. Listening to the voices of these fellow Christians reminds us what the marks of a true revival will look like.
