Our topic for the week had been confession and repentance. Caleb, our DTS leader, was teaching this week. Friday was to be the application for our teaching. Many people were nervous that day. We were doing something that was kind of radical. In the morning we finished the teaching for the week's topic and then we were given a half an hour break for us to prepare our hearts before God.
When we came back the classroom had been completely changed. Chairs had been placed around the room in a circle and in the center of the room mattresses were laid down, in case people wanted a more comfortable experience. In the front of the classroom there were three chairs. We had a bit of worship before we began.
This day we were given the opportunity to openly confess our sins to God in prayer to Him and before our class. The three seats in the front were for you, your small group leader, and the third for Caleb who would both pray for you after your confession was over.
The application was completely optional. No one is forced to do it, but one by one we all go up. Most of us break down when we get up there. You are completely exposed and vulnerable. The Holy Spirit works and you don't hold back. In front of sixty people (40 girls 20 guys) you ask God to forgive you and you release those who you've been withholding forgiveness. After the two leaders are finished praying for you, you take your sins which you have written down and nail them to a cross which has been waiting in the back of the room.
I don't know if it's because I'm a little older and I have come to terms with what I've done or whether it was because I've been in an accountability group for years but I felt like I had the courage to go up first but I ended up tenth in line.
There are two great things that come of this. One is that you have completely opened yourself up to your fellow classmates. There's no more pretenses, no more masks. You've confessed your deepest and darkest secrets to them which means you can't hide from them. Secondly, it prepares you for the ministry God is going to do through you. You're not carrying anymore the burden of unconfessed sin. To all of those of who are reading this, we did what the church has really yet to be able to do and that is become a place of safety where people can openly confess and repent of their sins without the thought of rejection from others.
We continued throughout the night. We finished at one o'clock in the morning.
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2 comments:
I needed to get a therapist to do that for me. Sounds like your having a great time.
Hey Heesh,
I remember that week! We actually meshed it in with the Father Heart of God week. It was probably the most intense experience we had on our DTS, and it really bonded our group together. Our group was definitely a lot smaller, something like 20-25 people total, but it still took a night and most of lecture time the next day. I am glad that your experience was good, I know that it really changed the way our group looked and felt afterward.
Always good to hear about God doing amazing things!
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