Month: October 2024

It’s Not An Escape Route

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

I have not looked up the social science data to back up my premise, but I strongly suspect that the pervasive perception of Evangelical Christianity – at least of American Evangelicals – is that we are far “more heavenly minded than of any earthly good.”

That’s a caricature, I know. But it is an understandable caricature. The influence of certain eschatalogical (i.e. “Last Things, or “End Times”) theories over the past one-hundred-plus years, and the corresponding popularity of fiction like the Left Behind series, has caused many people – both outside and inside the Church – to assume Christianity, or at least Evangelical Christianity, is more concerned about escaping this fallen and broken world than living redemptively in it.

But, even if I am accurate about my assumption of the perception of escapism, I do not believe that the perception itself is accurate. At least, it is not true of me; nor is it true of most of my friends.

Through the past several months, the church where I presently serve has been engaged in a sermon series study of the Book of Revelation, led mostly by my colleague, J.D. Funyak. Throughout this study I have been reminded, time and again, that the Bible really does not present us with an escapist mindset. Even the Book of Revelation, with all the apocalyptic imagery, when considered in proper context, paints a very real and down-to-earth picture of living life in this world. Therefore, since the Bible does not teach anything like an escapist mindset, Christianity does not – or should not – hold to any kind of escapist mindset.

As Christians, we are to develop our Worldview, our theological systems and theological emphases, and our corresponding practices, to be in accord with what is taught in the Scriptures. And the Scriptures do not teach us an escapist eschatology. Rather, I am convinced, that a proper biblical understanding of End Times is:

  • … more focused on preparing for Christ than for an anti-Christ;
  • … more focused on the Mark of the Lamb than the mark of the beast;
  • … more focused on engaging and preparing for the redeeming of the world than escaping it;
  • … and, more focused on Hope than fear.

For those who might want to explore a little more into this subject, I suggest the following articles:

A Guide for Personal Prayers of Confession

/ Dennis Griffith / Leave a comment

Perhaps the most common expression of a prayer of confession is the following:

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your  Name. Amen.

The key elements in this prayer include:

  • Knowing who God is: “Most merciful God.” 
  • Acknowledging internal and external sins: “We confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed.”
  • Acknowledging sins of commission (doing what you shouldn’t): “By what we have done.”
  • Acknowledging sins of omission (not doing what you should have): “And by what we have left undone.”
  • Acknowledging sins against God: “We have not loved you with our whole heart.”
  • Acknowledging sins against our neighbor: “We have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.”
  • Expressing true remorse: “We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.”
  • Appealing to Christ’s work: “For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us.”
  • Resolving to change: “That we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.”

For those who might want to delve more deeply into the practice of Prayers of Confession, you might find the following books and articles to be of interest and benefit: