Martin’s Memorial Church in Stornoway has released a song calling for revival of Christianity in Scotland.

The song, Why Not Here? Why Not Now? was written by the church’s worship team some years ago. It has been recorded at the request of attendees at the Hebrides Revival Conference in September, and is available on the church’s YouTube channel.

The Rev Tommy MacNeil, minister of Martin’s Memorial, said the song had become ‘something of an anthem’ for the church. “The heart of the song is to cry out to God to come again with a fresh outpouring of his Holy Spirit. It’s not about asking God to replicate what He’s done in the past, although of course He could do that if He chose to. It’s more about releasing a fresh cry in our day and generation for Christ’s Kingdom to come and for us to see people coming to faith in Christ and being healed by Him.”

Around 200 people gathered for the conference, which followed an inaugural event in 2019 commemorating and giving thanks for the Hebrides Revival of 1949-52. As well as the main conference sessions led by the Martin’s Memorial teaching, pastoral and worship teams, there was a youth session and a time of prayer for the nation. Mr MacNeil said: “After the conference a number of ourvisitors asked about the song and where they could access it in order to bring it back to their own churches and towns and cities where they would echo the cry to God of Why Not Here, Why Not Now? (We) recorded the song over the weekend and are pleased to share it with the wider church so that it might give voice to the deepest cry and greatest longing of all our hearts.”

Next year’s conference is planned for the weekend of June 14-15, when the church will welcome Pastor Jon Tyson of Church of the City New York.

For more information visit www. hebridesrevivalconference.com

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