Come and Hear some camp-meeting flavour copyright Doug Blair, Waterloo, ON, 2016
Summer Meeting Remembered Our friends were new to this experience, but it had not taken much courteous coaxing. A poor second crop. A dear neighbour found dead in a hot summer field. A part-time job disappearing with the closing of the lumber yard in town. A teenage son in rebellion and mixing with some undesirables, despite warnings. The music began, complete with fiddles, banjo, drums, accordian and trombone. The old favourites brought a comfort and an encouragement. “Got Any Rivers? You think are uncrossable. Got any Mountains? You can’t tunnel through. God specializes in things thought impossible. He’ll do for you what none other can do.” An old saint was called up from the crowd to give a testimonny. Ravaged early life. Drugs, dealing, break and enter, jail, divorce, unemployment. But then in a lonely
dilapidated boarding house, a visit with Glory for the asking, and a new beginning at age 48. He spoke of the particular power of a portion from the Psalms: If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. (Psalm 130: 3,4) And then the message from Brother Fuller. Parts of it remain still now, clear in the memory, filled with promise, and filled with the thrill of our young friends stepping forward in response to the call of Jesus: “Enough, friends, to be in His family; To relish in the engagement of real, caring prayer; To know that His Testament bequeathes us Life, unburdened conscience and new spiritual power. To sense foretastes of Heaven. Enough, to see His artistry at break of day; To hear His serenade in the turtledove; His optimism in a youngster’s laugh. To thrill at His power in the thunderbolt, In the stinging wind over dry fields, In the deluge that fills the watercourses In mere minutes. Enough, to hear his words of rebuke To the Enemy, the Slanderer, And his underlings who whisper, threaten or foreclose; To understand His assurance that no man, no devil Shall take a child out of His hand. This is our Father, As represented by our Elder Brother. This is salvation, and This is forever.”
The gathering and the ushering away of new converts. The singing of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee”. The dismissal of the assembly from the tent to the clarity of a sparkling late-summer night sky. The scenes remain vivid and awe-inspiring to us, some thirty-five years later.
Brother Fuller Overflowing
His voice almost an auctioneer’s His tone assured, authoritative His words convicting Pure scripture many times And with joy unspeakable: “We are beholders, containers Of the supernatural, my friends. Time and again Pentecost comes Perhaps not with the grandeur Of that First Church But warmly, honestly And with the fragrance of Christ. We know of our roots, our journey Our cleansing Unavoidable trials Certain destination. We have been called We remember the Spirit’s wooing We know not why We only rejoice Circumstances notwithstanding.
That oppressive world says We are tied up in knots By rules and by fear. In so saying they are part wrong and part right No not rules but constraining love Not dread of the Almighty But holy compunction never to disappoint. Love’s captives we are. And thankful for it. We take the abuse Forgive at all costs Share what little we have Speak the good report Stop at the gutter To uplift the tear-streaked ones. It’s the life force of Jesus Nothing of our manufacture And isn’t it wonderful? Unlike any other known joy? There are some here Who need the transaction They know it You know it…Brother…Sister…Child. The invitation will be given shortly.” _________________________
Just then the choir Off to the side in that summer’s tent
Began singing: Tell me the old old story Of unseen things above Of Jesus and His glory Of Jesus and His love.
Contented
Your very life is in this flock You cannot come and go No turning for another path You need this Shepherd so. And green may seem some other field You wonder if to break Would open grazing glorious Hold fast, for goodness sake. The wolf is there and waiting The hot sun burns the ground And wretchedness you never knew Repent and turn around! And run into His fond embrace And walk beneath His staff And treasure, Sheep, His every word And thrive and grow and laugh.
John 6: 66-69
Compassion
T.L. Osborne, missionary-evangelist tells the wonderful story of his wife Daisy after a tent meeting in the Far East. The crowds had been dismissed after a long session of praise, preaching and personal ministry, but Daisy could not leave the tabernacle because the presence of the Lord had been so rich. She walked the rows meditating until she noticed a young mother seated with blanketed baby in arms and sobbing quietly. When approached, the young woman could only blurt out, “She has died.” Daisy saw the limp form of the little girl and asked to take it from the woman. She began to walk around gently hugging and rocking the child, praying softly for the Father’s mercy and citing reasons why she believed that this innocent little one should be given back life. When prayer with the understanding seemed finished, she launched into quiet prayer in the Spirit, sensing an inner leading to continue. After several minutes the baby stirred and cuddled closer for warmth. Daisy returned the child to her mother, whereupon the woman let out an exhausted, breathy scream. “What was wrong?” “Oh, woman of God, assuredly my baby lives! But my baby was blind. This one sees!”
Here we have it! An example of the Lord doing “exceedingly abundantly above all that we might ask or think.� This marvelous grace had been preceded by compassion, submission, courtesy, some uncertainty and the absolute acknowledgment that only God could work. By comparison, how brazen, insensitive and man-honouring some of our so-called revival or renewal meetings appear.
Faith Under a Big Tent: 1972
It's tonight folks And you have been well primed. The praise of the saints Fills this tent. The man of God has been Deep in prayer all afternoon With some of your pastors. The needs out there Are imposing, The expectation...electric. And Jesus knows, He knows your deepest need, And as many as touch Him Get their answer. Have you touched Him? Have you felt The pull of His Spirit In the songs? Have you smiled At gleeful looks Of excitement On faces of your neighbours? Have you waited long In faith's craning pause? Well get ready: Some are gonna walk Outa here on new legs. Some are gonna see That loved one for the first time. Some are gonna sense
Tumours shift and dissolve. Some are gonna kick The needle or the flask. Or the back-alley's business. But don't look unto This speaker, Heavens NO. Look unto the Master. Touch Him. See what a prayer of faith can do. And your life has been Such a prayer...for years. Now's the time. And if you have committed Any sins, They may be forgiven you. (James 5:15) In the name of the Crucified One. Who is alive now. And for evermore. Come Lord Jesus. Work your work For these dear people. It is all of your mercy. We come like the leper Wanting to be made clean And whole. And all the people said: AMEN.
Move of God
I remember seeing a painting of George Whitefield (1714 - 1770) preaching to a crowd in an English village. The faces of those in attendance registered every possible reaction – mild interest, polite boredom, awkward smirks, heckling, distraction toward the activity of others and some in heavy conviction and mourning for sin. The face of the preacher showed only severe focus on the Word being preached. He was not scanning the crowd for their reaction or trying to tailor his presentation for sake of persuasiveness. He modeled the dedicated, humble messenger of the simple seed of the Word. I saw nothing of debater, salesman or distinguished celebrity.
How often do we hear of the ministries of “great men or women of God” wielding some “mighty anointing”. It is as if the sweet ministry of the Holy Spirit and His fruit have been reduced to a commodity like baking powder available for better effect. I am convinced that we are seeing the eclipse of “great personalities” in ministry. God is jealous for His glory. One of a messenger’s greatest fears in service or testimony should be the fear of the praise of men and its debilitating effect. The sower simply, obediently and faithfully scatters the seed. God gives the increase. I am expecting a groundswell of grass-roots love and sharing to be in the next outbreak of revival. We must all be prepared to give the glad report and to offer hands of help.