Have you lived through a revival?

In the land of revival

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to visit the Isle of Lewis, off the west coast of Scotland, for some meetings.  I went there keen to be involved in the meetings, but also fascinated by the fact that the Outer Hebrides have seen a number of revivals, the latest being in 1949.  I stepped off the plane in Stornoway thinking, “it was here that it happened . . .”

The 1949 revival is well documented in books and videos, so I knew some of what had happened.  But it was a tremendous privilege to sit and chat with a lady who had lived through the revival – I hung on her every word.

Stepping aside

The revival is associated with the preaching of Rev. Duncan Campbell, but what I didn’t know was that he had been invited to Lewis by a minister on the island, Rev. James McKay.  This struck me - James McKay invited Duncan Campbell to come and preach in his church, and then saw Duncan Campbell have a very fruitful ministry.  How many of us are willing to step aside like that and see someone else be used by God in a significant way?  I was told that McKay didn’t care how revival came, so long as it came.

I was also struck by something else I heard, that James McKay was encouraged to invite Duncan Campbell by two elderly sisters, one of them blind, who had been praying faithfully for revival.  There it is – prayer!

Conviction of sin

Two elderly sisters praying.  Not in the limelight.  I can’t even tell you there names.  But faithfully praying.  They spoke to James McKay.  He invited Duncan Campbell, and humbly stepped aside to allow him to preach.  Duncan Campbell’s preaching was used by God and revival came to the Outer Hebrides with a supernatural conviction of sin.

It was D. L. Moody who said, “Every great movement of God can be traced to a kneeling figure.” 

I was touched when the lady I was speaking with asked me, “have you lived through a revival?”  I replied, “No . . .  not yet.”