Zach Meerkreebs
10 min read ⭑
“As I travel and speak, lead workshops or write, I experience God through the Spirit’s empowerment and activation by relying deeply on a demonstration of God’s power instead of flexing my own giftedness.”
On Feb. 8, 2023, Zach Meerkreebs gave a routine sermon at Asbury University, ending with a call to respond: “Do not leave here until you experience the love of God so that you can pour it out.” Zach may have expected God to work in several students’ hearts that morning, but he didn’t expect unending waves of people to come to the front of the sanctuary for worship and prayer. As this continued for 16 straight days, the crowd grew to an astounding 65,000 people, creating a phenomenon that came to be known as “the Asbury Outpouring.” Zach shares his experiences and insights into this movement in his latest book, “Lower: Igniting Spiritual Awakening Through Radical Humility.” Whether in churches, campuses, conferences or friends’ living rooms, Zach finds great joy and satisfaction in watching God move as believers humble themselves.
Today, we’re diving into what life looks like as a traveling speaker and writer, how humility unleashes the presence of God, the power of simplicity over self-importance, and the books and prayers that ministered to Zach and his wife through painful losses.
QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT
The meals we enjoy are about so much more than the food we eat. So how does a “go-to” meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind your web bio?
Epic soundtrack ballads or neoclassical tunes blast loud as the chef tinkers with dishes, maybe jogging outside to the grill and back, as he yells, “Welcome!” over his shoulder. You might hear kids laughing, and you’ll definitely be welcomed by a very eager and hairy host, our Goldendoodle, Rufus.
Friday nights at my house have become my favorite spot to meet with friends for a slow, yummy meal. My sabbath dinner, on Friday nights most weeks, has become a staple for many in our community over the last several years. Like a “JV” hipster supper club in a metropolitan city, sabbath dinner at the Meerkreebs is a highlight for us as we host friends, discuss our weeks, and wrestle with how we want to rest well and delight in the Lord.
As I have begun to travel quite a bit, a delicious dinner at home with my girls (my wife and two daughters) seems the most lavish. The opportunity to invite friends and have me move slowly enough to cook for them is a prize after a full week. When I finally place the food on the table and sit down (with the agreement I do not have to clean anything or do dishes afterward), I breathe deeply, sighing with gratitude to be home for dinner.
Charles Sims; Unsplash
QUESTION #2: REVEAL
We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activity do you love engaging in that also helps you find essential spiritual renewal?
Some people love hiking and enjoying nature while others sink into a chair and enjoy a good book. Me? I marvel at the way somebody has perfectly roasted these exotic beans in such a way that when you crush them and press hot water through the grounds, you enjoy the distinct flavor of espresso. The smell, as it brews, can take over a room, like the cool shop in whatever city I’m in that week or my own kitchen before my family wakes up.
The craft of coffee and preparing a good dry cappuccino has become a quirky hobby and sabbath ritual for me to stop, breathe and delight in the Lord. Thank you, Lord, for the beautiful mountains my friends can gaze at and the beauty and creativity of poetry my other buddies enjoy — but most of all, thanks for bougie coffee for me to discover and enjoy slowly in the city where I’ve found myself.
QUESTION #3: CONFESS
Every superhero has a weakness; every human too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re all broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you deal with it?
What do I need to do to make the team?
How do I never feel left out again?
If I were __________, he would pay attention to me.
Whether it was regarding my dad, one of my stepdads, a coach or a mentor, I’ve often struggled with the question, “Do I belong?” After my dad left and other stepfathers seemed to follow suit, I began to make agreements and wrestle with difficult questions — starting as early as third grade. This has led me to sacrifice convictions, integrity or boundaries just for that elusive thing: belonging. When I don’t feel secure relationally, I have to be on guard and be aware of the ways I can sacrifice who I am and who I want to be.
Praise God for a great counselor (Shout out to Dr. Palmer), a wonderful wife, compassionate and aware friends and, most of all, a faithful God who knows my kryptonite and is helping me day by day.
QUESTION #4: FIRE UP
Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your current obsession? And why should it be ours?
After guest preaching a sermon I didn’t think was very good at a small Christian university called Asbury, I got to be a part of a unique encounter with the Lord. For 16 days, I was one of the preachers and primary leaders of what some people know as the Asbury Outpuring (February 2023). Since those days on campus, people have asked me what I can share from that time to encourage others — a question I’ve been wrestling with as well. Although I have no prescription, I might have a description from those days (and from many other days prior and since) of how to experience personal or corporate renewal through encountering God. The best answer — although it’s not sparkly or what many Christian conferences or books often teach — is to go lower in humility.
Humility seems to be the most countercultural and compelling characteristic one can express in this cultural moment. Because of this, I decided to write a book, “Lower,” to unpack and provoke readers to pursue the “wild goose” of humility. In his book “Humility,” Andrew Murray writes, “When rain falls, it collects in the lowest places.” What might we experience if we explore the virtue of humility by engaging its perfect example, Jesus Christ?
The Asbury Outpouring catalyzed more movements, so even though our gatherings have ended in Wilmore, Kentucky, I’m honored to have a front-row seat to many encounters with God around the world. Campuses, churches, conferences or living rooms of believers all collide with God’s presence and power when people humble themselves. This usually looks like people leading differently, lingering and waiting in worship, and praying in reliance and desperation for God to move. Be encouraged (see Gal. 6:9) — God is on the move.
QUESTION #5: BOOST
Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?
One of the most impressive Christian leaders, thinkers and communicators approached church planting in the influential city of Corinth a little differently. Instead of making a big splash, trying to blow everyone’s hair back by preaching, posting pithy and compelling phrases or blasting the community with marketing strategies, this church planter decided to surrender all of his speaking prowess and forget things he had studied for one essential point: Christ and him crucified. Because of this, with godly sincerity and integrity (see 2 Cor. 1:12), there was a demonstration of the Spirit of God and his power, driving the Corinthian church to have confidence in God and not in man, that is, not in the apostle Paul.
As I travel and speak, lead workshops or write, I experience God through the Spirit’s empowerment and activation by relying deeply on a demonstration of God’s power instead of flexing my own giftedness. I never thought I would speak or write vocationally. Although I am tempted to craft, sharpen, perfect, tweak and more, I have often seen God show up when I simplify and rely deeply on him. Because of this, like Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, those I have the gift of sharing with often grow in confidence in God instead of leaving impressed by me and my message. I would much rather a room grow in dependence on and awe of God’s power than be moved by the words coming out of my mouth.
QUESTION #6: inspire
Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied habits that open our hearts to the presence of God. So let us in. Which spiritual practice is working best for you in this season?
When I sit in my blue chair, I often imagine it as a potter’s wheel.
I sit quietly, often reading the first 22 verses of Psalm 139 and meditating on how intimately known I am by the Father. I cannot hide from him. Then, in my living room, I sit on the “potter’s wheel” and walk through the psalm’s three introspective requests: search me, O God, and know my heart, try my anxious thoughts and point out any harmful way. The regular rhythm of allowing God to confront me in my desires and passions helps him shape my heart to look a bit more like him by bedtime that night.
This space also lets God point out the thoughts that stir up anxiety and worry for my day ahead (maybe a difficult conversation or a task I’m just not that good at) and allows him to address and renew my mind (see Rom. 12:2). As the potter interacts with his clay (see Is. 64:8), God engages my mind and heart. I try to get practical and let him point out any habit and practice that does not honor him. After I sit, ask and listen, I close by inviting him to “lead me in the way of the everlasting” while I get up and make breakfast for my daughters.
This practice helps me engage the one I deeply desire to look like — Jesus.
QUESTION #7: FOCUS
Looking backward, considering the full sweep of your unique faith journey and all you encountered along the way, what top three resources stand out to you? What changed reality and your heart?
Although it is not the most flattering title for folks to see you reading at the local coffee shop, “Managing Leadership Anxiety” by Steve Cuss helped identify and narrate a multitude of unhealthy habits in my everyday life and leadership. As I recognized porous boundaries, undifferentiated emotions, and undealt-with elements of my origin story, the book guided me in getting healthier and allowing myself to be human (check out his podcast “Being Human” as well).
The authentic liturgies and prayers on Strahan Coleman’s Instagram page, @commonerscommunion, along with his prayer volumes taught me that I did not need to pray politely anymore. These liturgies came at the perfect time as Strahan pastored me from afar (in New Zealand) when I lost my daughter Esther tragically four years ago.
“Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy” by Mark Vroegop served as a manual for my grief when my wife and I lost Esther. Not only did it help narrate and coach us in the difficult work of lament, but it also acted as a tool to woo multiple friends back to Christ and the church, giving them permission to name pain and process disappointment.
We all have things we cling to to survive (or even thrive) in tough times like these. Name one thing you’re savoring and/or finding indispensable in this current season, and tell us what it’s doing for you.
With prayer and meditation guides peppered with testimony, encouragement and Scripture, the app Lectio365 has helped me pause and engage God in the morning, noon and evening in a new way where I don’t have to think, process or lead — just listen and follow. Whether while I’m lying in bed in the dark before getting up or walking through the airport toward my gate, this app has been a gift. “Lectio for Families” is also part of my daughters’ bedtime most nights!
QUESTION #8: dream
God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?
I recently sat around a table with leaders I love and look up to. One leader asked a brilliant question, “What do I need to know about you right now for me to love you well?” We took turns answering this vulnerable question. The majority of the answers centered around some sort of discouragement and loneliness — not flexing wins, delivering cutesy Christianese insights or hiding hurt. They were honest about how difficult this season has been. Staff leaving abruptly, wayward children, huge financial hills to climb and conquer or just deep calling questions.
At that moment, I realized most leaders don’t need another white board session or a brilliant workshop at a conference; they need encouragement, friends and fun. This has only been further emphasized as I’ve traveled and met leaders faithfully serving in diverse contexts and communities. This has led me to start dreaming about a ministry that fights for fun and doesn’t downplay encouragement as a cherry on top but upholds it as the main dish. What would it look like to be a lavish and generous Barnabas for the apostle Pauls of this world?
We appreciate Zach’s vulnerability as he shared some of his deepest struggles and fears in today’s interview — specifically his struggle with the soul-gnawing question, “Do I belong?”
Truth be told, we all ask this question in one way or another. Social disconnection plays a significant role in this need, with 58% of women and 63% of men reporting feelings of loneliness. Another study revealed two-thirds of U.S. adults lack a sense of belonging in at least one area of their lives, such as:
The workplace (64%)
The country (68%)
The local community (74%)
God created us to thrive in community with a sense of shared belonging and care. No wonder the lack of such connection is linked to poor health while people who feel they belong often have an easier time managing stress and coping with hardships.
However, how we seek to fulfill this deep need will dictate a lot about who we are. Will we compromise our convictions to fit in with those around us? Will we lash out if we feel excluded? Will we hide our imperfections in an attempt to appear more likable?
Or will we approach God and his people with utter vulnerability and openness, allowing him to satisfy this inner craving the way he sees fit?
Zach Meerkreebs is the grateful husband of Kristin and proud dad of three girls: Eden, Esther and Mercy. He currently serves as pastor in residence at Asbury University, which gives him a home base as he travels to speak, encourage and write around the world in churches, campuses, conferences and friends’ living rooms. Zach recently published his first book, Lower: Igniting Spiritual Awakening Through Radical Humility, which he would love to share with you (but does this a bit timidly, laughing at himself, as it’s hard to hustle a book on humility!).
