Barely Adventist

Wishing for the World to End is Selfish

In Adventist circles, we talk easily about the “blessed hope.” We read Revelation, we sing about Jesus coming soon, we remind each other this world isn’t our home.

But the hope of Christ’s return can start to feel less like restoration and more like escape.

It shows up in small ways. The quickness to write off ...

 

One of the real strengths of Adventism is that it takes truth seriously. Doctrine matters. Belief matters. Conviction matters. A church without conviction does not stay a church for long. It drifts into something softer, more performative, more shaped by mood than meaning.

But strengths, left unexamined, can quietly harden into weaknesses.

Early Adventis...

Every church says it listens to everyone. But every church develops a quiet hierarchy of who actually gets heard.

Adventism is no exception.

There’s no formal system. No written ranking of voices. But over time, one forms anyway—through habit, culture, and repetition.

It shows up in who gets invited into decision-making spaces, and who gets thanked afte...

For generations, many Adventists assumed the church was destined for unstoppable growth. Huge evangelistic campaigns, booming institutions, and rapid expansion across the Global South created the impression that Adventism’s trajectory was permanently upward. But today, the picture feels more complicated.

In my part of the world — Sweden and much of Northern Europe — i...

Adventists have used that word for generations. The remnant. The faithful few. The people with “the truth.” And while there’s something inspiring about believing God has called us for a purpose, let’s admit it: the term can also come with a dangerous amount of spiritual swagger.

“We are the chosen ones” can quietly turn into “everyone else is spiritua...