I suspect that on reading the title of this blog your immediate thoughts go to the events of last Thursday as we heard and discussed the report of the theological forum. However this is not the place for that discussion. The controversy I am thinking of took place much earlier in the week with the report of the Council of Assembly. The deliverance that accompanied their report had at the top, after receive the report, this second part:- “Issue a call to the Church of Scotland to pray that God will do a fresh work amongst us as God’s people and instruct Presbyteries and Kirk Sessions to consider how best to respond to this call.”
This I think caused more discussion on Facebook than any other part because for some people it was wonderful that they had emphasized the need for prayer and renewal, especially given the state of the church today, while others were a bit horrified that the Council felt a need to issue this call, especially given the state of the church today!
I must admit I found myself in the first camp regarding this. I think for many people in the church today, they see what is happening and they want to pray, but they just don’t know for what they should pray. This is specific, God do a fresh work amongst us. The Church of Scotland definitely needs for God to do a fresh work in us. We need renewed and refreshed, we need a new vision. We need the courage to embrace a new vision of what God is doing and is blessing so that we can be a part of that outpouring of God’s Spirit.
Should we need to be reminded to pray? I would hope not. Do I think it is good for us all to pray for this specific blessing? I definitely think so. I would hope that this prayer becomes part of every prayer meeting, every worship service, every prayer constituting a meeting and every private devotion of every member of the Kirk, for then surely God will answer our call and we will be ready to listen.