Steve Gayle | June 8, 2010
Isaiah and our Modern Culture.
I thought about our Isaiah community and its mission- praying and working for love and justice in the world. As I thought about Isaiah the 8th century BC prophet, the word, “Prophecy” came to my mind. So today I want to explore with you the concept of “Prophecy.”
Three Saturdays ago, I was a deanery day meeting and we were busy discussing the Strengths, weaknesses of the various parishes in our deanery and two recurring themes of the meeting, were the declining numbers in my our churches and the cost of maintaining these buildings. I left the meeting feeling a little sad and wondered, if the church which I loved dearly was dying and we were presiding over the last rite.
After thinking and praying, I came to the conclusion that the church was not dying but rather struggling to understand the implication and power of gospel for a modern fast changing 21st century world. So when God’s people in the Bible failed to understand the implication of the covenant, out of this context (crisis) came a prophet. Of the Thirty Nine books in the Old Testament, nineteen are titled Prophetic books. So prophecy played an important part in life of the people of Israel.
When many discuss the word “Prophet” or “Prophecy” the meaning one gets is the impression that the Biblical prophets gazed into God’s crystal ball and predicted the shape of the things to come. Such a definition is far too narrow and fails to understand properly and appreciate fully the remarkable spiritual legacy of prophecy.
A prophet is not one looking in God’s crystal ball and predicting events that are to come. The prophets understood the times –the exploitation and oppression of the poor, idolatry and called God’s people to act. They were primarily concerned not with the past or with the future but with present. Their task was to communicate God’s message for now and to summon the people to respond today.
The path of history is covered with prophets, people who understood their times and call and challenge the structures to live out the implications of their belief.
In the early 13th century Francis of Assisi (a deacon) who by his lifestyles called a very wealthy Church to live out the implication of its belief. Work to serve the poor and the needy.
In the 16th century Martin Luther, the German Monk, who was very angry with the church selling indulgences. That salvation could be brought.
There was 19th century William Wilberforce who campaigned entirely for the abolition of the slavery. So that my great grandfather in the Caribbean could be freed the injustice of slavery and opposition
In the early 20th Century there were the suffragettes who campaigned for the right of women to vote.
In the 1970/80s and the early 90s, there were the various women who picketed Lambeth Palace for women to be admitted into priesthood. So that women today could be minsters of God’s word and sacrament.
The struggle continues today in 2010 for equality, fairness and justice in today’s community. As Christians we all share in this task of prophecy in our daily life, by firstly putting our beliefs into practice and secondly challenging any structure or organization that fails to live out the implication of its belief.
Today we pray and work for women 2010 to be welcomed to the fullness of priesthood and the office of bishops.
Today we pray for all multinational corporations and think their communal responsibilities to people and the environment.
Today we pray and work for an inclusive Church that welcomes and celebrates the contributions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender. Today we pray and work that each church will further open its door and look outside ward to stranger
Today, we pray and work for a church that will make itself relevant and modern in this fast changing world
And we have done this then Isaiah 58: 8
“Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.”
I thought about our Isaiah community and its mission- praying and working for love and justice in the world. As I thought about Isaiah the 8th century BC prophet, the word, “Prophecy” came to my mind. So today I want to explore with you the concept of “Prophecy.”
Three Saturdays ago, I was a deanery day meeting and we were busy discussing the Strengths, weaknesses of the various parishes in our deanery and two recurring themes of the meeting, were the declining numbers in my our churches and the cost of maintaining these buildings. I left the meeting feeling a little sad and wondered, if the church which I loved dearly was dying and we were presiding over the last rite.
After thinking and praying, I came to the conclusion that the church was not dying but rather struggling to understand the implication and power of gospel for a modern fast changing 21st century world. So when God’s people in the Bible failed to understand the implication of the covenant, out of this context (crisis) came a prophet. Of the Thirty Nine books in the Old Testament, nineteen are titled Prophetic books. So prophecy played an important part in life of the people of Israel.
When many discuss the word “Prophet” or “Prophecy” the meaning one gets is the impression that the Biblical prophets gazed into God’s crystal ball and predicted the shape of the things to come. Such a definition is far too narrow and fails to understand properly and appreciate fully the remarkable spiritual legacy of prophecy.
A prophet is not one looking in God’s crystal ball and predicting events that are to come. The prophets understood the times –the exploitation and oppression of the poor, idolatry and called God’s people to act. They were primarily concerned not with the past or with the future but with present. Their task was to communicate God’s message for now and to summon the people to respond today.
The path of history is covered with prophets, people who understood their times and call and challenge the structures to live out the implications of their belief.
In the early 13th century Francis of Assisi (a deacon) who by his lifestyles called a very wealthy Church to live out the implication of its belief. Work to serve the poor and the needy.
In the 16th century Martin Luther, the German Monk, who was very angry with the church selling indulgences. That salvation could be brought.
There was 19th century William Wilberforce who campaigned entirely for the abolition of the slavery. So that my great grandfather in the Caribbean could be freed the injustice of slavery and opposition
In the early 20th Century there were the suffragettes who campaigned for the right of women to vote.
In the 1970/80s and the early 90s, there were the various women who picketed Lambeth Palace for women to be admitted into priesthood. So that women today could be minsters of God’s word and sacrament.
The struggle continues today in 2010 for equality, fairness and justice in today’s community. As Christians we all share in this task of prophecy in our daily life, by firstly putting our beliefs into practice and secondly challenging any structure or organization that fails to live out the implication of its belief.
Today we pray and work for women 2010 to be welcomed to the fullness of priesthood and the office of bishops.
Today we pray for all multinational corporations and think their communal responsibilities to people and the environment.
Today we pray and work for an inclusive Church that welcomes and celebrates the contributions of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender. Today we pray and work that each church will further open its door and look outside ward to stranger
Today, we pray and work for a church that will make itself relevant and modern in this fast changing world
And we have done this then Isaiah 58: 8
“Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.”
