Life's rhythms

Have you ever noticed how our life is about rhythms?  There is an ebb and flow to just about everything we do.  For instance, we live in a world of seasons.  No matter how hot summer may be in August, we know what is heading our way in January (usually).  It’s what I love most about living in this part of the country — we move in and out of seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.  You don’t have to live too long with one, before another comes back around.  It creates a rhythm for us, an expectancy.

Other rhythms come back around based on the calendar:  New Years, Easter, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  These too become rhythms of life for us.

Others are more personal.  For instance, I take a vacation with my wife every summer, go bow hunting every October, celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas with family, and vacation over spring break at the same spot in Florida the first week of March.  These create rhythms for my family.  You and your family have them too.

Many of life’s rhythms are based on what could be considered traditions.  We have them here at Olivet:  Ollies Follies, the Block Party, Homecoming, Recess, Mr. ONU and TCW, to name a few.  These are a part of what we call life at Olivet.    

There is one other tradition we have around here that I’d like to mention.  It comes around early in the fall and spring semesters.  It was here when I was a student and when many of your parents were students.  We call it revival.  Revival is a part of the rhythm of life here at Olivet.

It’s a week for renewal, awakening.  It’s a time we set aside to focus our attention, to turn our ears, to listen intentionally to the things that God is saying to us.  I believe God is already moving on our campus this semester.  We don’t limit God to dates on a calendar or the clock.  But revival is our way of saying, like Samuel, “Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening.”  It is a time as a campus community we all “gather in” to see what God wants to say to us in new and fresh ways.  It’s a time when we expect God to have a new word for us.  Revival is a rhythm of life for us.  We could call it a practice.

Here at Olivet, we believe that God still speaks.  We believe He speaks on our campus.  We believe that when faculty, staff and students alike set everything else aside to focus on what He is saying, then we “will hear from heaven.” 

Will you join me this week, as we “listen in” once again?  Will you join me in praying for revival?

·         Pray for Dr. Warrick, our speaker.

·         Pray for Fred Meadows and the worship band that will be leading at College Church Sunday morning, and Monday through Wednesday evening. 

·         Pray for Jonathan Burkey and the worship band that will be leading our morning chapels.

·         Pray for our campus, that we listen and obey.