The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth in a society that lives in illusion, grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope in a society that lives in despair. — Walter Bruggeman
It is easy to imagine that prophetic work is the work of individuals – preachers, theologians, educators, politicians, writers, and the like – and perhaps there is some truth in that. In the 21st century, however, I’m convinced that prophetic work is far more likely to be the work of community, and I’d posit that it is particularly the work of communities of faith, and more specifically for us, the work of the Church.
Walter Bruggeman said, “The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth in a society that lives in illusion, grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope in a society that lives in despair.” This sentence has captured my attention in my search for the role of the Church in this particular time in the life of the citizens of the United States of America.
I’ve tried to articulate my understanding of the continuing role of First Presbyterian Church of Evansville, Indiana, as a prophetic voice and presence through my preaching and leading in this first year of my work here. I hope my challenge to you has been clear: our commitment to life in this community of faith is one of the most effective acts of resistance that exists. Let’s look at Bruggeman’s words about the prophetic tasks of the church.
Tell the truth in a society that lives in illusion.
That we are part of a society that lives in illusion seems obvious. One possible reason this congregation has experienced consistent growth this year could be our commitment to telling the truth about what’s happening in the world – particularly what’s happening in this country – in our worship services (in our prayers, our liturgy, our music, and in the preaching). It seems that many congregations these days are dancing around the truth of this day and time. Some say they are privileging preaching the Truth of Jesus Christ as they avoid talking about anything that could be considered political. Jesus was political. Jesus lived in a time when the empire was threatened by his very presence. A few people have asked me if I’m afraid (or they seem to think I should be afraid) when I preach. I’m not. I haven’t always been fearless, and I will avoid being reckless, but I really don’t know of any other way to live into this particular calling. In case you haven’t been around very long, here’s an example of truth vs. illusion:
| Truth: | “Christian” nationalism is sin. Christianity was never intended to be subservient to one’s citizenship. We can talk about things that are political without becoming partisan in the way we understand faith. |
| Illusion: | “We are a Christian nation.” “The founders of this nation were overtly Christian.” “The idea that there should be a separation of church and state is a misreading of the founding documents.” [To be clear – these statements are false!] |
Grieve in a society that practices denial.
If you are awake, you are aware of the deep divisions among the citizens of this country, and you realize that a significant number of our families, co-workers, and neighbors not only practice denial but also live in it. The idea that it is prophetic to grieve may seem counterintuitive. But until we acknowledge what we have lost, what we are losing, what we may lose, we cannot grieve those losses. People who would deny that democracy is in danger can live in an imaginary world that labels the changes that have happened and are happening in our nation as necessary to “save” democracy. People who would privilege single-issue thinking at the city, county, state, or national level can imagine that their “issue” is in and of itself more important than all the accompanying unintended consequences of that tunnel vision. We all may practice some level of denial. But there comes a point where we must identify loss so that we can grieve and eventually heal (not “get over it”!)
Express hope in a society that lives in despair.
Despair hangs heavy in the air this November. Even as courts have ruled that SNAP benefits must continue (using the funds already set aside in case of a government shutdown), this has simply moved us more quickly into urgency about food insecurity. The loss of federal and state resources has meant that the non-profits that provide food are working hard to meet more needs with less money. As we move toward winter, more and more people will be forced to choose between keeping their electricity on, purchasing medicine, and eating. And still, we talk about hope; not hope the feeling but hope the action.
It may seem ridiculous to talk about a 2.5-million-dollar Campaign for Our Future to fund our ongoing budget of operations and to fund dreams and needs for the Future Hope of this congregation. It is not ridiculous. This congregation has an urgent responsibility to come alongside folks in need in our community and world. This congregation has an amazing opportunity to grow into the future in a way that can ensure its faithful presence, ministry, and mission fifty years from now, one hundred years from now. We are called to do both. In truth, we must do the amazing now so that we can continue to meet urgent needs in the future.
What is urgent may shift – it may expand and contract – but urgent needs will always exist. Every church building or property has value, and it could be argued that the sale of buildings or properties could provide “x” number of meals, etc. For some congregations, that may be the only way forward. For First Presbyterian Church, however, that would be incredibly short-sighted. And that is why this congregation decided decades ago to stay on the corner of SE Second and Mulberry. We can certainly figure out ways to more effectively use and share our space, and we can continue to grow as a congregation into the future.
So, are we ready?
As a community of faith, we are ready to embrace the prophetic work to which God calls us. In many ways, this has been the role of this congregation throughout its history. One of my favorite new hymn texts is “Hope Will Not Fail” by David Bjorlin (see below). The text is a powerful reminder that hope, peace, joy, and love will not fail. We’ll be learning it in the coming weeks and will use it during Advent. Today, we are learning and becoming the congregation God intends us to be. Today, we continue as a people who are growing in grace, rooted in faith, and reaching for legacy as God leads us toward a future and a hope. And that hope will not fail.
Peace and Presence from your pastor,
MB
Hope Will Not Fail (text by David Bjorlin)
Hope will not fail, no, hope will not fail.
Though anguish and apathy seem to prevail,
no, hope will not fail; hope, hope will prevail.
Peace will not fail, no, peace will not fail.
Though vengeance and violence seem to prevail,
no, peace will not fail; peace, peace will prevail.
Believe in the coming, the coming of peace!
Though vengeance and violence seem to prevail,
no, peace will not fail; peace, peace will not fail.
Joy will not fail, no, joy will not fail.
Though mourning and misery seem to prevail,
no, joy will not fail; joy, joy will prevail.
Love will not fail, no, love will not fail.
Though hatred and hopelessness seem to prevail,
no, love will not fail; love, love will prevail.
Believe in the power, the power of love!
Though hatred and hopelessness seem to prevail,
no, love will not fail; love, love will prevail.Romans 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8