Towards a New Awakening: Bringing People to Spiritual Birth with No Money

No Money

Last time I was at our denominational national executive meeting (the Council of General Synod, or CoGS, for short) there was a report from our Anglican Council of Indigenous Peoples (also known as ACIP—we Anglicans love our acronyms) which said they are having to find ways to do ministry in remote places with no money at all; with no paid staff and no buildings. As they go through this discernment process, National Indigenous Bishop, Mark McDonald, also described how important it is for them to remember that they are a spiritual enterprise and that they, therefore, must develop communities, not necessarily of administrative or financial or organizational coherence, but of people who can give spiritual birth to people.

A Spiritual Birth

That really impressed me because at that meeting, in my diocesan council and in my own parish we spend a great deal of time, perhaps most of it, dealing with money, buildings and things. While good, faithful stewardship of the those resources is important, I think developing the spiritual resources Bishop McDonald and ACIP  talking about are more important. Especially when I think of what Peter had to offer the man crippled from birth at the temple one afternoon:

Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk. Taking him by the hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. (Acts 3:6-7)

Money was immaterial. It was the power in the Name of Jesus of Nazareth which was important. Moments later the man was “walking and jumping and praising God” (Acts 3:8). That sounds like a spiritual birth to me.

Being a Spiritual Enterprise

We need to develop what Peter had. That’s what Bishop Mark and his people are doing. That’s what prayer for revival and awakening is for.

See something from Bishop Mark on revival in this post.

If you need prayer points visit all my postings on revival here.