From the Outside to the Inside: Reflections on Awaken ’26

I enjoyed the amazing photographs my father took on his trip of a lifetime with my mother in 1990. I had watched several documentaries on wildlife that filled the oceans surrounding the southernmost continent. The March of the Penguins mesmerized me in 2005. Finally, being in Antarctica with Stephanie in February of 2023, I experienced for myself the most profound level of the glory and beauty of God’s creation. I was on the “inside” rather than watching from the “outside.” There in person, I beheld the other worldliness of Antarctica.

Being part of Awaken ’26 felt similar. After a year of preparation, I knew the scheduled lineup of handpicked and carefully coordinated speakers. I had crafted the small group discussion questions and exercises, worked with our music team to arrange times of prayer and worship, and even chose Joy to the World as our first hymn to set the tone for the weekend. The food was ordered, and 300 people were organized into small groups. Yet none of that preparation could replicate what it was like to be there together and experience the movement of the Spirit among us. As our Awaken prayer states, “Awaken your Church, O Lord, to renewal and revival as we gather in Christ.” We gathered, and we were awakened by the Spirit!

On Thursday night in the Church, after a time of worship, the Rev. Dr. Michael Lloyd delivered one of the finest explanations of Pentecost, explaining what it meant in the purposes of God at that time and what it still means for us today. Afterward, Susanna Wright spoke about the excitement of prayer, using humor and accessible language to take us into the heart of a meaningful prayer life. You can watch these and other Awaken '26 talks here.

Friday evening, as we did last year, we gathered in our small groups for dinner and reflected on the previous evening, discussing who the Holy Spirit is and in what area of our lives we wanted God to awaken us. Moving into the Hall Life Center, we prayed and sang together before the Rev. Canon Carrie Boren Headington showed us how exciting it is to share the good news of Christ with others in an approachable, engaging presentation. If you have never heard Carrie speak before, you will really enjoy listening to her talks.

The climax of the weekend was the Saturday morning and evening sessions. Starting with breakfast tacos in our small groups, we discussed these four questions: 1) Do you feel that you have received the gift of the Holy Spirit? 2) How does the Holy Spirit make a difference in your life? 3) Who has shared their faith with you? And 4) How have you shared your faith with others? We did not just scratch the surface of our faith but went deep.

Our Awaken prayer states, “Awaken your Church, O Lord, to renewal and revival as we gather in Christ.” We gathered, and we were awakened by the Spirit!

After two more sessions with Carrie and Susanna on witnessing to hope and praying in the Holy Spirit respectively, we ate lunch together in our small groups and shared the history of our own spiritual lives in relationship to our walk with Jesus and our experiences with the Holy Spirit. We then took the afternoon off before returning for an evening of some of the best modern worship many of us have experienced at St. John the Divine before Jeanne McDowall, who had led us in 40 Days of Prayer preparing for the weekend, prayed for the Spirit to come and fill us with his presence. For many, it likely was one of the most intimate encounters they have had with God. Those who participated were awakened to the greatness of the Lord’s presence, being renewed and revived!

For those unable to participate in the Awaken Weekend, I have a suggestion for how best to get a feel for the experience of actually being there. When you sit down to watch the five presentations, set that time apart from other distractions. Begin by asking the Lord to fill you with his Spirit and to grow you in knowledge and wisdom of him that you too may be awakened to renewal and revival in your life, not only as an individual but as a vital member of the church that desires to be a light for the city.

The Awaken Weekend was a team effort. It takes a church staff and many volunteers to put on a weekend like we had. If I were to list all the people who worked so diligently to make it happen, I would leave too many names out.

What perhaps gratified me most was what I heard afterward from all our speakers. They appreciated how they grew in their own faith over the weekend. They were not just “hired” professional Christians paid to do their part. They were part of us, part of the body of Christ that is St. John the Divine. Each of them loves our church and wants to come back. Thanks to all who participated and shared this time with your sisters and brothers in the Lord.

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Watch the Videos
Revisit the teaching from Awaken ’26 or experience the sessions you missed.

See the Photos
Look back at a weekend of worship, prayer, learning, and fellowship.

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