The Revival that Never Comes
Many people come to this area of the country, Northampton Massachusetts and the Connecticut River Valley because of it’s rich history, some of the oldest in our country. Church history on a more specific front because our green pastures of valleys, hills and mountains are speckled with the likes of DL Moody and Jonathan Edwards to name a few. Why do people find church history in this area so fascinating enough to want to visit Northampton? Many will explain that a Great Awakening happened here in the 1730s that was rooted in the preaching of several people like George Whitfield, but more importantly in Northampton was the ministry of Jonathan Edwards. This has fascinated me, as someone who loves history and theology all wrapped into one lovely morsel to study. Part of that fascination with the Puritan church is that my 10th great grandmother was martyred by her own church and community for being a “witch” in Salem Massachusetts. She was neither witch, nor heretic but a 70 year old bedridden woman, Rebecca Nurse who was wrongly accused by religious insanity. The puritan church in New England before our independence was a colony, and the church governed the land and our liberty looked very different than modern American context yet we look back to these same foundational fathers both in country and church desperately trying to hold a similar passion in patriotism and religious tradition. It still fascinates me that people within the church today look up to Jonathan Edwards, try to duplicate this supernatural happening that we know as the Great Awakening that reached as far as Scotland and the depth of our new country as New Jersey.
Many church planters and missionaries, come to Northampton inspired with what Jonathan Edwards did because since that Great Awakening Northampton but New England has succeeded in being the most “unchurched” area of our country, per capita over and beyond the Pacific Northwest. Why is this so? What happened in the last 200 or so years that this area has become dark, dim and ever so seemingly hopeless since that dawn of a great spiritual revival that sounded across our country?
In doing some research over the years of my residence here in the Pioneer Valley something that might be surprising is the fact in history that Jonathan Edwards preached on several very hardline subjects. For one, he preached on the doctrine of Hell. Dare I mention Rob Bell here? For another he preached on Grace. See, during this time, many “denominations” were starting to take sides on doctrines and creeds within this country. Jonathan Edwards most likely got into deep doo doo when he attacked Arminianism first and claimed God’s Divine Sovereignty and choice. He was a Calvinist.
On July 7, 1731, Edwards preached in Boston the "Public Lecture" afterwards published under the title "God Glorified — in Man's Dependence," which was his first public attack on Arminianism. The emphasis of the lecture was on God's absolute sovereignty in the work of salvation: that while it behooved God to create man pure and without sin, it was of his "good pleasure" and "mere and arbitrary grace" for him to grant any person the faith necessary to incline him or her toward holiness, and that God might deny this grace without any disparagement to any of his character.
By 1735, revival spreading in Northampton was so severe that businesses were at stake. But we must note that 300 people were admitted into the church, not thousands as the population was quite low compared to Boston and New York. Many New Englanders also accused Edwards in leading his flock to fanaticism. From what the records show, there also were several suicides, 2 were from his church. This was not taken lightly, but pressed the local Congregationalist churches to put pressure on Edwards’. I personally think they got some bad rye, much like during the Salem witch trials. It was not uncommon for Puritans to flop about in the “spirit” to prove their “election”. While something we don’t think in context to the puritan church, in order to “prove” your salvation you had to have a personal “encounter” or divine revelation in order to become a full fledged “member” of the church and I would mention that this was heavily emphasised on “experience” not by simply stating “I am believer”. This gave you rights to vote in the congregation. When Jonathan Edwards preached his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” this was in Enfield, CT the shock waves were felt as far as England and Scotland. Many historians “brand” this sermon as “fire and brimstone” but in actuality it had more theological content that was softly spoken and in emotive love than the Max Mclean CD I have seems to evoke.
The fact is, Jonathan Edward preached on Grace and Predestination. This statement might make someone reading this a bit antsy, if they are on the Armenian side of theology. But I believe the reason the Great Awakening happened was Jonathan Edwards was anointed and gifted in the teaching and preaching of grace. And that rocked the boat to the point that it confronted their Congregationalist traditions. He wasn’t a screamer, a legalist, nor an uneducated man by any means.
“He moved his audience slowly from point to point, towards an inexorable conclusion: they were lost without the grace of God.”
The above description of Jonathan Edwards preaching “style” doesn’t sound fundamentalist even by today’s standards. He also was a postmillennialist, but a literal “millennialist” nonetheless. In today’s modern terms, he most likely was like a John Piper or a David Platt. Popular, passionate, and Reformed, but maybe some Charismatic thrown in for good measure but literal in his prophetic view of the Kingdom of God to come. None of these “Calvinist” nor “literal millennial” doctrines were ever considered “weak or anemic” theologies, nor were they “fringe” teachings to the Puritans that saw the opportunity to spread the gospel to the native tribes their call and motivation over and above their escape from the royal crown. After all, the natives helped the first pioneers survive this bitter and harsh climate and didn’t demand cultural obedience in the depravity of winter when they were starving on the banks of Plymouth, MA. When your near death and starvation...you’ll eat anything. The natives taught them to till the ground, and the Puritans were grateful to God peacefully to commune with them and spread the gospel in peace, not demanding obedience to their puritan ways.
Northampton has given way since those days to many multicultural, polytheistic cultures like first century Israel’s existence. Many yoga studios, hip hemp stores, smokers, pot heads, homeless, caffeine addicts, and rainbow flags decorate this town and praise God they do! They would be the gentiles in relation to Israel, them... and us. Not much different than the tribes that once speckled the valley that lived here thousands of years before Christ came to earth. Does a rainbow make me less of a disciple that is willing to cross barriers to preach the gospel of grace? No less than my deep motivation to seek the Kingdom and to proclaim it’s coming! I believe we are required to have both in mind as we walk the streets in Northampton.
When I walk the streets of Northampton, for years I’ve asked myself, “what changed?” Or better yet, “..have we changed at all?” The fact is that Jonathan Edwards was in high demand as a preacher, but he also was rejected by his peers eventually because he became unpopular because he held tightly to his beliefs, and eventually was forced out by other Congregationalists because of the results in the awakening didn’t continue in their preconceived packaged expectations. In short, members declined, and things went back to "normal" whatever that is. His theological standing was not in Congregationalism as a governing force but in the Scriptures, rooted rather in Calvinism, and the Kingdom of God would be proclaimed by the Gospel would going forth to every tribe and tongue, a final regathering of Israel would occur and Christ would come to rule over the earth in a literal sense and reality. He had something to say about eschatology in his: Dissertation Concerning the End for which God created the World. He certainly didn’t remain quiet on his perspective and lived out of these systematical theological truths which were widely popular in the Puritan church. This fueled the Puritans in their worldview to spiritually claim the New World in a very literal sense forging towards a Golden Age before Christ returned. The problem with that, is that Christ never came after their great awakening or golden age and the members declined. God always has the bigger picture in mind!
Some of these theological terms might at this point be making your head spin, (see link below) but we can’t ask ourselves where is this Postmillennial “golden age” is or another last revival that many have been expecting for years since Jonathan Edwards long spoke his words at First Churches, or trying to duplicate this event without looking at our church history and facing facts. The fact is that Jonathan was booted out of his church by the governing forces at the time. He went the way of Luther, Calvin and others that were persecuted by their own brethren within the church. He was not scalped by the native pagans! The truth is, the same man that preached grace, and love of Christ as a pioneer in that great awakening was voted out of his church, not for his immorality or scandals. But because he simply held firm a faith in his systematic belief in these things, the doctrine of a literal hell, predestination, salvation by grace alone, and a literal return of Christ that he became an unpopular in the other side of the Great Awakening that also produced foreign doctrines that seeped into the church. He still held to the idea that the lost that lay but by the sovereign grace of God, they dangle by a thread over the fires of Hell. In fact, when he was completely tossed on his skids for preaching against the corrupt traditions of hierarchy of seating in the puritan church. This still did not stop Edwards in his life's call, however and he went onto minister to the native Americans until his death. A tribute to his postmillennial eschatological view pushing forward the Gospel to every tribe and tongue. In the end, he was a faithful servant and held to his personal convictions of the Truth of God’s Word even to his last breath.
Many a church in this Valley have rich traditions and history, but no person in our history here is more notable than Jonathan Edwards because of that Great Awakening that occurred. But we need to be careful in thinking that Jonathan Edwards was received because he preached the “middle” road of interdenominationalism or post modernism that we have today. He was very well educated, his wife was his inspiration in being devoted to the Scriptures but the fact is he took a strong stand against the human “will” producing any obedience apart from God’s Sovereign grace. That grace was by God’s choosing and not any will of our own. He was very much Pauline and yet he preached to his own brethren, the Puritans who loved law and covenants. They eventually rejected him. I would venture to say, that it created a spiritual vacuum here in the Pioneer Valley that the church has never been able to fill that void with any new modern hip churchy program or outreach because they miss the point in doing so without knowing the facts. They also miss the point in thinking choosing a road somewhere in the middle or all inclusive will bring about any great revival to this area.
So, in a recent conversation with a person who is thinking of moving to Northampton to start a church, I was reminded of how caustic our environment is here, yet how high the expectation of church leaders view preachers even within themselves. “...looks like Northampton hasn’t changed.” he said. To which I say, “Don't look for Northampton to change, hearts change and lives are transformed when hear the message of Grace and His Sovereign choosing of them.”
Who will wander the fields and speak Grace to that depraved, lost sheep wandering the streets looking for fulfillment in self justification? We need more Jonathan Edwards in this town, but make no mistake...you can’t put new wine in old wineskins because they just might run you out of town into the rich harvest of the natives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmillennialism
http://firstchurches.org/?page_id=5
“He moved his audience slowly from point to point, towards an inexorable conclusion: they were lost without the grace of God.”
The above description of Jonathan Edwards preaching “style” doesn’t sound fundamentalist even by today’s standards. He also was a postmillennialist, but a literal “millennialist” nonetheless. In today’s modern terms, he most likely was like a John Piper or a David Platt. Popular, passionate, and Reformed, but maybe some Charismatic thrown in for good measure but literal in his prophetic view of the Kingdom of God to come. None of these “Calvinist” nor “literal millennial” doctrines were ever considered “weak or anemic” theologies, nor were they “fringe” teachings to the Puritans that saw the opportunity to spread the gospel to the native tribes their call and motivation over and above their escape from the royal crown. After all, the natives helped the first pioneers survive this bitter and harsh climate and didn’t demand cultural obedience in the depravity of winter when they were starving on the banks of Plymouth, MA. When your near death and starvation...you’ll eat anything. The natives taught them to till the ground, and the Puritans were grateful to God peacefully to commune with them and spread the gospel in peace, not demanding obedience to their puritan ways.
Northampton has given way since those days to many multicultural, polytheistic cultures like first century Israel’s existence. Many yoga studios, hip hemp stores, smokers, pot heads, homeless, caffeine addicts, and rainbow flags decorate this town and praise God they do! They would be the gentiles in relation to Israel, them... and us. Not much different than the tribes that once speckled the valley that lived here thousands of years before Christ came to earth. Does a rainbow make me less of a disciple that is willing to cross barriers to preach the gospel of grace? No less than my deep motivation to seek the Kingdom and to proclaim it’s coming! I believe we are required to have both in mind as we walk the streets in Northampton.
When I walk the streets of Northampton, for years I’ve asked myself, “what changed?” Or better yet, “..have we changed at all?” The fact is that Jonathan Edwards was in high demand as a preacher, but he also was rejected by his peers eventually because he became unpopular because he held tightly to his beliefs, and eventually was forced out by other Congregationalists because of the results in the awakening didn’t continue in their preconceived packaged expectations. In short, members declined, and things went back to "normal" whatever that is. His theological standing was not in Congregationalism as a governing force but in the Scriptures, rooted rather in Calvinism, and the Kingdom of God would be proclaimed by the Gospel would going forth to every tribe and tongue, a final regathering of Israel would occur and Christ would come to rule over the earth in a literal sense and reality. He had something to say about eschatology in his: Dissertation Concerning the End for which God created the World. He certainly didn’t remain quiet on his perspective and lived out of these systematical theological truths which were widely popular in the Puritan church. This fueled the Puritans in their worldview to spiritually claim the New World in a very literal sense forging towards a Golden Age before Christ returned. The problem with that, is that Christ never came after their great awakening or golden age and the members declined. God always has the bigger picture in mind!
Some of these theological terms might at this point be making your head spin, (see link below) but we can’t ask ourselves where is this Postmillennial “golden age” is or another last revival that many have been expecting for years since Jonathan Edwards long spoke his words at First Churches, or trying to duplicate this event without looking at our church history and facing facts. The fact is that Jonathan was booted out of his church by the governing forces at the time. He went the way of Luther, Calvin and others that were persecuted by their own brethren within the church. He was not scalped by the native pagans! The truth is, the same man that preached grace, and love of Christ as a pioneer in that great awakening was voted out of his church, not for his immorality or scandals. But because he simply held firm a faith in his systematic belief in these things, the doctrine of a literal hell, predestination, salvation by grace alone, and a literal return of Christ that he became an unpopular in the other side of the Great Awakening that also produced foreign doctrines that seeped into the church. He still held to the idea that the lost that lay but by the sovereign grace of God, they dangle by a thread over the fires of Hell. In fact, when he was completely tossed on his skids for preaching against the corrupt traditions of hierarchy of seating in the puritan church. This still did not stop Edwards in his life's call, however and he went onto minister to the native Americans until his death. A tribute to his postmillennial eschatological view pushing forward the Gospel to every tribe and tongue. In the end, he was a faithful servant and held to his personal convictions of the Truth of God’s Word even to his last breath.
Many a church in this Valley have rich traditions and history, but no person in our history here is more notable than Jonathan Edwards because of that Great Awakening that occurred. But we need to be careful in thinking that Jonathan Edwards was received because he preached the “middle” road of interdenominationalism or post modernism that we have today. He was very well educated, his wife was his inspiration in being devoted to the Scriptures but the fact is he took a strong stand against the human “will” producing any obedience apart from God’s Sovereign grace. That grace was by God’s choosing and not any will of our own. He was very much Pauline and yet he preached to his own brethren, the Puritans who loved law and covenants. They eventually rejected him. I would venture to say, that it created a spiritual vacuum here in the Pioneer Valley that the church has never been able to fill that void with any new modern hip churchy program or outreach because they miss the point in doing so without knowing the facts. They also miss the point in thinking choosing a road somewhere in the middle or all inclusive will bring about any great revival to this area.
So, in a recent conversation with a person who is thinking of moving to Northampton to start a church, I was reminded of how caustic our environment is here, yet how high the expectation of church leaders view preachers even within themselves. “...looks like Northampton hasn’t changed.” he said. To which I say, “Don't look for Northampton to change, hearts change and lives are transformed when hear the message of Grace and His Sovereign choosing of them.”
Who will wander the fields and speak Grace to that depraved, lost sheep wandering the streets looking for fulfillment in self justification? We need more Jonathan Edwards in this town, but make no mistake...you can’t put new wine in old wineskins because they just might run you out of town into the rich harvest of the natives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmillennialism
http://firstchurches.org/?page_id=5
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