The revivalism of the American frontier in the 1800s was marked by a fervent conviction that sinners must really come to feel the weight of their sins. The concept was that if indifferent men and women could be made to understand that the sword point of God’s justice was right behind them, it would cause emotional anxiety. Played rightly, this could bring folks to do whatever the revival preacher instructed.
These revival services would culminate in a rather chaotic climax of people rushing forward to what came to be known as the anxious bench. This practice became quite widespread within American religious life. Many churches simply incorporated the anxious bench as the liturgical high point of their services. Billy Graham crusades, with the hymn Just As I Am inviting folks to come forward and decide for Christ, is very much a part of this earlier legacy.
Now, you’ll notice that the culmination of our service is a table full of bread & wine. This isn’t a place where emotions comes to die. Rather, it’s where emotions come alive. The revivalism of the 1800s sought to singe off eyebrows with fears of hell-fire. Modern churches have careened off into a similar error of thinking that moody chord progressions will rouse people to encounter God in some life-changing way. In both cases, it’s hoped that emotions will precipitate faith.
But on this table we see the opposite: faith leads to right emotions. God hates your sin so much that He crushed His own Son; thus, this meal should compel you to despise your sins, and flee from them to Christ. Likewise, God delights in His Son so greatly, that in Christ you receive only welcome from Your heavenly Father. Here is a table where we can rightly feel, with reverence and joy, the horror of our sin and the glory of our Savior.
So come in faith and welcome to Jesus Christ…
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