215 years ago,
give or take a week,
some seekers met in a meeting house,
with hearts so soft and meek.

A preacher-man sat ready,
to preach the Holy Word.
He thought about what Peter said;
what ancient Pentecostals heard.

Barton Stone stood up,
and preached a simple plan,
for unity and purity
in religion from God to man.

The people agreed “our religion’s a mess;
like a twisting, pointless maze.”
They pledged to cast off man-made faiths,
and leave the divisive haze.

A movement they say was born that day
a “Second Great Awaking.”
But Truth be told, all they sought
was a simple old Restoring.

“Back to the Bible” the call rang out;
“just rightly divide its words.”
And far and wide the people flocked,
and studied, thought and heard.

215 years later,
give or take a week,
the simple call is still a fair one;
it needs only those who’ll speak.

Preach unity and restoration,
and leave division behind.
Those who do will fulfill Christ’s prayer
for oneness “for us and Thine”