Pastors of the Word

I believe that clergy who value the Word as inspired and authoritative, and particularly the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as the revealed will of God in the New Covenant of Grace, need to stand up, speak out and directly address injustice, speaking truth to power.

 

Ezekiel 3:18-21 has always been a powerful passage for me, in informing me of the seriousness of my prophetic role of speaking God’s Will with God’s people, especially when addressing injustice.

 

When you stand with the oppressed, you inevitably stand against oppression.  It may seem “radical” or even risky to speak out about issues of injustice and oppression, but it is just as risky to be a pastor of the Word and leave it irrelevant in the face of injustice, and just as risky to be a prophet and NOT speak the truth of God to power.

 

We are called to lend our power to the powerless and voices to the voiceless.  Somebody’s got to stand with them, for THEIR sake!  That is a part of living Jesus’ commanded Agape Love (active commitment on behalf of the other)!!!!

 

It is also for the sake of the oppressors that we speak, in order that they might find or rediscover God’s Grace and Jesus’ command to live Agape Love in the world without judgement.  It may be critical for them to hear or hear again of God’s will that the most vulnerable not be exploited, but necessarily given aid by any who would claim to be people of God.  Somebody’s got to tell them, for THEIR sake!  That is a part of living Jesus’ commanded Agape Love!!!!!

 

Being commissioned with the sharing of the Good News, and as people who responsibly value the contexts of language, literary critique, history and culture in understanding it, it is vital that WE share openly and boldly a FAITHFUL understanding of what God’s Word says and does not say to us. When other believers or pastors selectively use God’s Word to hurt others not like them (i.e. homosexuality, abortion), when they use it to exploit others and get more for themselves at their expense (i.e. church growth strategies, prosperity theology) or ignore very numerous and clear admonishments regarding hurtful behaviors (i.e. Greed, lust for power, hatred), then out of Agape Love, somebody’s got to speak out! 

 

When government, business or church discriminate against children of God or hurt them, especially the most vulnerable among us, out of Agape Love, somebody’s got to speak out!

 

It is the call of people who follow Jesus to live and share the Good News in the world around us, in THIS PART of God’s Kingdom, so…

 

The time for trying to please all of your “constituents” is over, and the time to speak truth to the people of God is here.

The time for disassociating the Good News of Jesus from political, economic and ecclesiastical practices is over, and the time to address them with the Gospel is here!

The time of giving over the Word to those who misuse it for their own prejudices and personal gains is over, and the time to spread the truth of the Gospel is here!

The time of “having itching ears” and “being blown by every wind of doctrine” that pleases us, reflecting the world in the church is over, and the time for addressing the world with the Gospel of Jesus AS THE CHURCH, is here!

The time for pastors, who are also called to be prophetic, being silent and compliant is over, and the time to address this part of God’s Kingdom with the Gospel is here!