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PREACHWITHCLARITY:PROPHETIC PREACHING THAT MOVES THE SOUL AND MAKES A DIFFERENCE
AT THE 2016 INTERNATIONAL PASTORS &LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE #PL2016
Dr.AntipasL.HarrisAssociate Professor, Regent University
President, GIELD, Inc.
@drantipaswww.antipasharris.com
WHAT IS“PROPHETIC PREACHING?”
ClarifyingtheDefinition
PropheticUtterancesVersus
PropheticPreaching
PropheticChristianity“…PropheticChristianity...isthecallforrenewalandtranformation inthequesttoresistempireandestablishalternativespheresofpeace,justice,reconciliation,hope, andredemption intheworld....Itisatheologyofdifferencerootedinthepropheticcallforjusticeandreconciliationinthechurch andsociety.”
JohnnyBernardHill,PropheticRage:APostcolonialTheologyofLiberation
PropheticMinistry“Thetaskofpropheticministryistonurture,nourish,andevokeaconsciousness,andperceptionalternativetotheconsciousnessandperceptionofthedominantculturearoundus.Thus,Isuggestthatpropheticministryhastodonotprimarilywithaddressingspecificpubliccrisesbutwithaddressing,inseasonandoutofseason,thedominantcrisisthatisenduringandresilient,ofhavingouralternativevocationcooptedanddomesticated.”
WalterBrueggemann,PropheticImagination
TheProphet“Theprophet issomeonewhoisonfireforjustice,hypersensitivetothesufferingofothers,especiallytheweak,thevulnerable,thefatherless,motherless…Apropheticpersontellsthetruth,exposeslies,bearswitnessandthen,usually,ispushedtothemarginsorshotdead.”
CornellWest,BlackPropheticFire
PropheticPreaching“Propheticpreachingisdangerouswork,notonlybecauseithasasubversiveedgebutbecauseitrequiresanepistemologicalbreakwiththeassumedworldofdominantimagination.Thisepistemologicalbreakmakesusawareofourassumptionswehavenotrecognizedorreflectedupon.”
WalterBrueggemann,ThePracticeofPropheticImagination
PropheticPreachingiswhenYouTellitLikeitI-S…IS!
•Propheticpreachingisclear preaching:•Clearconviction– don’tleavepeoplewonderingwhatyoubelieve.•Clearmessage– morethanagreatdelivery;everybodyneedstoknowwhatthemessageis.•Cleararticulation– tellitwell.Maketheirearsstandup!
EXAMPLES OF GREATPROPHETIC PREACHING
IsabellaBaumfree (SojournerTruth)wasapropheticpreacher.TheSpiritstirredherup.Shewasfullofaboldconvictiontopreachanunpopular butclearmessage.Herdictionwasnotclearbuthermessagewasarticulate– “Ain’t IaWoman?”
“IfthefirstwomanGodevermadewasstrongenoughtoturntheworldupsidedownallalone,thesewomentogetheroughttobeabletoturnitback,andgetitrightsideupagain!Andnowtheyisaskingtodoit,themenbetterletthem.”SojournerTruth,“Ain’t IaWoman?”
ThismessageborethefullweightofanoffensivebutliberatinggospelamidstAmericanmisogynyandblackoppression.
FrederickDouglasswasapropheticpreacher.TheSpiritstirredhimup.Hewasfullofaboldconvictiontopreachanunpopular butclearmessage.He“criedloud”againsttheestablishedchurchthatdidnothingtobreakthebackofslaveryandprejudiceagainstblacksformanyyears.
CornelWestsuggeststhat,“IdaB.Wellswas‘prophetic’lookedAmericanterrorismintheface.Shelookedlynchingintheface.ShewasrunoutofTennessee— bountyonherhead— andthenwenttoEngland.Shewaswillingtospeaktruthsatthecostoflife.”
Isaiahwasprophetic.Hetestifies(Isaiah6:1–8),Intheyearthat KingUzziah diedI sawtheLordsittinguponathrone,highandliftedup;andthetrain ofhisrobefilledthetemple…And thefoundationsofthethresholdsshookatthevoiceofhimwhocalled,and thehousewasfilledwithsmoke. AndIsaid:“Woeisme! ForIamlost; forIamamanofuncleanlips,andIdwellinthemidstofapeopleofuncleanlips;formyeyeshaveseenthe King,the LORD ofhosts!”…AndIheardthevoiceoftheLordsaying,“WhomshallIsend,andwhowillgofor us?”ThenIsaid,“HereIam!Sendme.” 9Andhesaid,“Go,andsaytothispeople…”
Paulwasapropheticpreacher.InActs9hetestifies,
“Nowashewentonhisway,heapproachedDamascus,andsuddenlyalightfromheavenshonearoundhim. Andfallingtothegroundheheardavoicesayingtohim, ’Saul,Saul,whyareyoupersecutingme?’ Andhesaid,‘Whoareyou,Lord?’”
TheLordJesuswasprophetic.InLuke4:18-19Jesussays,
“‘TheSpiritoftheLord isuponme,becausehehasanointedmeto proclaimgoodnewstothepoor.
Hehassentmetoproclaimlibertytothecaptivesand recoveringofsighttotheblind,tosetatlibertythosewhoareoppressed,to
proclaimtheyearoftheLord'sfavor.’”
“AstudyoftheprophetsofIsraelmusttrytotakeintoaccountboththeevidenceoftheOldTestamentandthecontemporarysituationofthechurch.WhatweunderstandabouttheOldTestamentmustbesomehowconnectedwiththerealitiesofthechurchtoday.”
WalterBrueggemann,PropheticImagination
“Idecidedthatitwasnotwisdomthatenabledpoetstowritetheirpoetrybutakindofinstinctorinspiration,suchasyoufindinseersandprophetswhodeliveralltheirsublimemessageswithoutknowingintheleastwhattheymean.”
Socrates
ThePrivilegeofPropheticPreaching
ACALL TO ACTION“PropheticministryconsistsofofferinganalternativeperceptionofrealityandinlettingpeopleseetheirownhistoryinthelightofGod’sfreedomandhiswillforjustice.”
WalterBrueggemann,PropheticImagination
TheProblemofPropheticPreaching
“‘Propheticpreaching,’undertakenbyworkingpastors,isprofoundlydifficultandleavesthepreacherinanambiguousandexposedposition.
TheProblemofPropheticPreachingThetaskisdifficultbecausesuchapreachermustatthesametime‘speaktruth’whilemaintainingabudget,amembership,andaprograminacontextthatisoftennotpreparedforsuchtruthfulness.Indeed,giventheseductionsandaccommodationsofmanycongregations,nottomentionlargerjudicatoriesinthechurch,suchvenuesareoftennotreadilyvenuesfortruth-telling.”
WalterBrueggemann,ThePracticeofPropheticImagination
TheProblemofPropheticPreaching(Cont’d)
MarvinMcMickle explainsthreethingsthathavecontributedtothedemiseofpropheticpreaching:1. Anoverzealouspreoccupationwiththeplaceof
praiseinsomechurchesandservicesofworship(whichhasresultedinpastors’downplayingorignoringthepainandsufferingofourworld);
TheProblemofPropheticPreaching(Cont’d)
2. Afalseandnarrowviewofpatriotism(thathassometimesequatedunqualifiedpraiseofcountrywithloveofcountry);
3. Afocusinpreachingonpersonalenrichmentthemesoraprosperitygospeltotheexclusionordetrimentofthegospel’sbroadersocialjusticeclaims.MarvinMcMickle,WhereHavealltheProphetsGone?
TwoExtremesinPropheticPreaching
CONSERVATIVES:Thereisacommonconservativeassumptionisthattheprophetsweremerelypredictors,thosewhotellthefuture,withparticularreferencetopredictionsofthecomingChrist.
WalterBrueggemann,PropheticImagination
TwoExtremesinPropheticPreaching(Con’t)
“Aproblemwithconservativesisthattheybootstraptopartypoliticalagendas,assumingthattheyhavethegreatestadvantageforsocialimpact.ConservativeChristiansdefinethemselvesmoresoalongthepoliticalveinof‘familyvalues’andabortionandignoringotherimportantjusticeissues.“
MarvinMcMickle,WhereHavealltheProphetsGone?
TwoExtremesinPropheticPreaching
LIBERALS:Thereisacommonliberalassumptionthattheprophetsweresocialactivistswhoworkedtoestablishsocialjustice.However,theancientprophetsonlyrarelytookupanyconcretesocialissue.
WalterBrueggemann,PropheticImagination
TwoExtremesinPropheticPreaching
Aproblemwithliberalsisthattheybootstraptopartypoliticalagendas,assumingthattheyhavethegreatestadvantageforsocialimpact.LiberalChristians,then,definethemselvesprimarilyinaccordancewithhumansexualityandgayrightsandignoringotherimportantjusticeissues.
MarvinMcMickle,WhereHavealltheProphetsGone?
PropheticPreachingintheContextofPropheticChristianity“ThetraditionofpropheticChristianitystillrepresentsoneofthemostpowerfulaspectsoftheChristiannarrative.ItistheelementofChristianitythatdemandconstantrenewalandreform,thatrefusestorestwithdoctrinesandcreedsalone,butcallsforimmediateandunrequitedjustice,love,peace,healingandreconciliation inGod’screation.”
JohnnyB.Hill,PropheticRage
