Cymbala traces the history of his church, The Brooklyn Tabernacle, from a down-and-out, nearly dead meatlocker of a church where the "frozen chosen" simply waited for the inevitable closing to a vibrant powerhouse that is packed out every weekend for multiple services. This first half of the book outlines the basic struggle Cymbala and his wife faced as they sought God and cried out for Him to work a miracle in their perishing parish.
This first section of the book reads like any pastoral biography: filled with inspiration, miraculous occurances, and hankie-grabbing stories of prodigals restored and lives touched. Despite being soul-stirring, this is not the part of the book that grabbed me.
About halfway through, the book changes entirely in tone. The authors shift the emphasis to what is happening in churches across the world. At this point the message becomes more pastoral and enlightening.
The message that prayer should be the backbone of the Christian life comes through as Cymbala calls the Church to reevaluate its focus. The fallacies of chasing after church growth and the current trends are pointed out with alarm. It is here that the book picks up power and focus. Cymbala blasts church leaders for forgetting their first love, Christ, amid all the trappings of modern, cultural Christianity. It's not about marketing techniques or clever theologies, but about wholehearted devotion to the Lord of the Universe. The authors' heart for true revival comes through like a laser and is just like the fresh wind and fresh fire of the title.
Along the way, Cymbala is not afraid to step on toes. His is a radical revisioning of discipleship, yet has its feet firmly planted on the backs of those associated with the Welsh Revival and its "children". You'll see several references to spiritual greats like Leonard Ravenhill and Duncan Campbell sprinkled through the text - a pleasure for me for certain. Cymbala's unrelenting pleas for sanity to be restored along with a fresh wind of the Holy Spirit rings true in the hearts of those who can accept what he has to say. We need humility, uncompromising faith and commitment to Christ, and a mightiness of spiritual power born of hours on our faces before God, allowing Him to make us the spiritual change agents He so desperately wants us to be.
If I didn't know better I'd say that this book was written in the 1950's at about the same time Ravenhill was writing "Why Revival Tarries". It carries the same forcefulness of message. And it is a message we desperately need today as the church finds itself far too ensnared by sentimental Christianity and the pop culture around us.
This book would have warranted five stars if it were not such a hydra. It's really two books in one. Being as small as it is - 185 pages in a trade paperback size, though a hardback - there should have been enough here for two good sized books. While I understand that the biographical section does illustrate the points the authors make later, it still feels as if one book starts and another stops part way through the book.
Still, two really good books in one may be perceived by some to be a blessing. And no matter how you look at "Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire" it is just that; a great addition to any Christian library.
My favorite thing about this book is his focus on prayer. It's importance and significance. This inspires me to pray, to cry out to God, and then to take some action when He calls for it.
A MUST READ