Prophetic Preaching: A Pastoral Approach

“Phillip Wogaman in his book ‘Speaking the Truth in Love’ [1] gives a broad definition of prophetic preaching. He writes. ‘To be prophetic is not necessarily to be adversarial, or even controversial. The word in its Greek form refers to the one who speaks for God.’ He goes on to ask, ‘What does it mean to speak for God?’ Wogaman says, ‘To speak for another is to grasp, first, the mind of the other… genuinely prophetic preaching draws people into the reality of God in such a way that they cannot any longer be content with conventional wisdom and superficial existence.’” [2]

Dawn Ottoni-Wilhelm’s definition of prophetic preaching is, “In accordance with the prophetic tradition of Israel and the ministry of Jesus Christ as recorded in Scripture, prophetic preaching may be understood as divinely inspired speech enlivened by the Holy Spirit in the gathered community of faith. Prophetic preaching proclaims God’s Word from within the Christian tradition against all that threatens God’s reconciling intention for humanity and for all that creates and sustains a vital and necessary ministry of compassion to neighbors near and far. Because it is not exclusively either moral exhortation or predictions regarding future events, prophetic preaching envisions past, present, and future concerns within the context of the reign of God realized in Jesus Christ and empowered by the Holy Spirit.”

“Ottoni-Wilhem names three essential elements of prophetic preaching that can be discerned from considering Jesus’ own prophetic words and deeds. First, prophetic preaching voices God’s passion for others. It incarnates and gives voice to God’s love for the world revealed in Christ Jesus and using the language of lament, voices God’s deep sorrow over evil and injustice. Second, prophetic preaching proclaims the promises of God. The prophet announces the coming reign of God, which has already broken into our midst in Jesus of Nazareth and gives assurance that God’s promise of a new day of justice and peace and equality will surely come to pass. And third, prophetic preaching points the way to new possibilities. Using the language of imagination, it invites us to envision the new day God intends and to discern how God would creatively use us to help bring that day to completion.” [3]

Walter Brueggemann offers his own definition of prophetic ministry in his now-classic book “The Prophetic Imagination.” “The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the conscious and perception of the dominant culture around us.” [4]

“Prophetic witness consists of human acts of justice and kindness that attend to the unjust sources of human hurt and misery. Prophetic witness calls attention to the causes of unjustified suffering and unnecessary social misery. It highlights personal and institutional evil, including the evil of being indifferent to personal and institutional evil.”

“The especial aim of prophetic utterance is to shatter deliberate ignorance and willful blindness to the suffering of others and to expose the clever forms of evaluation and escape we devise in order to hide and conceal injustice. The prophetic goal is to stir up in us the courage to care and empower us to change our lives and our historical circumstances.” [5]

“Prophetic preaching is countercultural and challenges the status quo.”

“Prophetic preaching is concerned with the evils and shortcomings of the present social order and is often more focused on corporate and public issues than on individual and personal concerns.”

“Prophetic preaching requires the preacher to name both what is not of God in the world (criticizing) and the new reality God will bring to pass in the future (energizing).”

“Prophetic preaching offers hope of a new day to come and the promise of liberation to God’s oppressed people.”

“Prophetic preaching incites courage in its hearers and empowers them to work to change the social order.”

“Prophetic proclamation requires of the preacher a heart that breaks with the things that break God’s heart; a passion for justice in the world; the imagination, conviction, and courage to speak words from God; humility and honesty in the preaching moment; and a strong reliance on the presence and power of the Holy Spirit.” [6]

“In her book ‘Transforming the Stone’ Barbara Lundblad contends that fear is often at the root of resistances to prophetic preaching. People fear change and the things it might require of them. But Lundblad reminds us that fears do not go away if we sweep them under the rug and refuse to talk about them. It is only as we begin to name them – honestly and forthrightly – and acknowledge the hold they have over our lives that we are able to take the first step toward moving beyond fear to faith and to embracing the whole Gospel God has entrusted to us.”

“Theologian Scott Bader-Saye reminds us that courage is not the absence of fear. Rather courage is the capacity to do what is right and good in the face of fear. We become courageous when we learn to live for something that is more important than our own safety.” Bader-Saye continues: “The courageous person feels fear but is not overcome by it. The courageous person recognizes danger but refuses to let fear get in the way of doing what is right, good, and necessary.”

“By honestly naming our own fears before God and others, we also open ourselves to the Holy Spirit, who alone can give us the courage we need to confront and act in the midst of our fears.” [7]

May the Lord grant us the courage to preach prophetically! God’s heart and passion is for social reform that includes repentance of sin, transformation of character, and love for one another.

[1] Ephesians 4:15
[2] Leonora Tubbs Tisdale Prophetic Preaching: A Pastoral Approach, Westminster John Know Press, 100 Witherspoon, Louisville, KY, 40202-1396 © 2010, p. 4
[3] Ibid, p. 5
[4] Ibid, p. 6
[5] Ibid, p. 9
[6] Ibid, p. 10
[7] Ibid, pp. 17-18