JACKSONVILLE — Something amazing and wonderful happened last weekend — the walls of about 15 Jacksonville churches fell down and their members gathered together in one location to worship and praise as one.

The revival started as a vision of Pastor Sedrick Moore of St. Paul’s Baptist Church. Many of you probably read the story I wrote about it a few weeks ago.

His vision, he explained to me, was for the churches to go beyond themselves and their walls and reach out into the streets of Jacksonville, to touch those lost souls who might not otherwise hear the Gospel.

Those two nights of worship meant a lot to a lot of people.

Not only were the sermons amazing, but the music was awesome.

And to be honest, it was absolutely beautiful to see so many people of so many different churches come together and worship.

There were no colors that night — there was only a sanctuary full of God’s people, praising his name together.

I’ve been trying to decide just how to describe this event in a news story like we normally print.

It didn’t take me long to realize that anything I wrote along those lines would fall far short of doing the revival justice.

I decided a column would be the only way to even begin to get across the message of the weekend.

And so, on a personal note, I was thrilled when I learned my church, Central Baptist, was to be a part of it all.

Now, I have to admit something I’m a bit ashamed of — I entered the first night of the revival with lots of preconceived notions.

Oh sure, when it comes down to it, I know all of God’s children are basically the same.

I’ve been saved since I was 9. I grew up in a Baptist church. I’m semi well versed in the Bible.

Well, sort of anyway.

And I have always thought of myself as a basically well-rounded person when it comes to other cultures — well, as much as someone who grew up in an all-white town and went to an all-white high school can eventually become.

I’m not prejudiced. I have friends of all colors, creeds, ethnicities, and every other sort of division that can be made between people.

I took African American literature in college, after all, and wasn’t a bit shy or intimidated that I was the only white person in the class of 35.

So I hope you will forgive me when I admit I was very excited that first night of the revival, but I was also a bit nervous.

I knew that the style of music, of praying, preaching and praising were all going to be very different than anything I have ever encountered.

I really didn’t know what to expect, though, and I guess I am only human because we all tend to fear, or at least get nervous at the thought, something new to us that is unlike anything we have ever experienced.

Friday night was great. We all gathered together and greeted the folks we knew.

There seemed to be a little bit of a buzz in the air as we waited for the service to begin.

And then it did.

The first act up was a rap group called Meekness.

I don’t really like rap. So of course I was a bit turned off at first.

Sure, they may have been rapping about the Lord, but it was still rap.

After the first song, though, one of the group’s members spoke. And his words amazed me.

This young man quoted scripture. He wove the messages I have studied and read and believe into the lyrics he and his partner spoke.

It didn’t take me long to be completely enthralled.

In addition to Meekness was DJ Civil Rightz and Stephen Crow. This wasn’t at all the sort of thing I’m used to. If we had been anywhere but there that night, their messages wouldn’t have made a difference to me. I honestly think I would have tuned them out or possibly even walked out.

These young men have testimonies that will absolutely blow your socks off, though.

And they’re not just performers who spout their testimonies and go on their merry way.

They’re men of action, who put feet to their messages. They go out into the world and do what all Christians should — spread the joyous message of what Christ did to save us from sin.

In fact, during the invitation that night a young man came forward who had been witnessed to by Stephen Crow at Jack in the Box, and was saved as a result.

What a blessing!

I was — and still am — so in awe of these guys for their faith, their love of the Lord, and their resulting works because of that love.

Don’t believe me? Check out my Facebook profile. I videoed the performances of DJ Civil Rightz and Stephen Crow Saturday night and posted links to the videos.

The message of the revival was not to learn and appreciate Christian rap, or learn and appreciate how someone else worships and praises God, though.

The message was Christians have been given a gift — the ultimate gift — of salvation through Christ’s sacrifice of himself on a cross so that his blood would cleanse us of our sins. It’s the only way to make it to heaven.

But that gift is not a static gift meant to be accepted then held onto.

The message of that gift — the power and glory of it — is meant to be shared.

We are commanded by Christ, the very one who saved us from sin, to take his message out into the world and share it with any and everyone.



“Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’”

Matthew 28:16-20



It was an awesome experience to see so many people from so many different churches all come together and worship as one body, one church.

I was changed and moved by those two nights — and I will never be the same.

On those nights, cultures, races, perceptions, and (I hope) prejudices fell away so that believers could actually be The Church that God means in his word.

But beyond that — beyond the warm fuzzy feelings and smiles, the fun music and hand clapping — there remains that message.

It’s the message that we’re all taught in church, but really so few of us live by: Go out into the world and teach the good news of Christ’s gift to us. Teach it so that every one has the chance to hear it.

Seems like such a tall order. The world is such a big place, after all.

Jacksonville’s not, though. Cherokee County isn’t either. We could even say “all of East Texas,” and it’s still not that big.

Start with your neighbor, your family, a stranger in line at the checkout.

Start here at home.

I challenge you.