Reclaiming our prophetic and evangelistic voices
In order to grasp the significance of reclaiming our prophetic and evangelistic voices, it is crucial to consider these concepts from the perspective of God, the life of Jesus, our biblical texts, the Wesleyan Quadrilateral, and our lives as Christians within the Wesleyan tradition as its embodied in The United Methodist Church.
As believers in Jesus Christ following the Wesleyan tradition, we are committed to the values of "social holiness" and "personal piety." These values combine the prophetic and evangelistic voices, compelling us to engage with all communities, including those under bridges, in rough parts of town, or in the wealthiest neighborhoods. We seek to advocate for those in need and take part in solving pressing issues in all areas. By integrating faith with action, we aim not only to speak about Jesus, but to also emulate His actions.
John Wesley's Position on Social Holiness
John Wesley stated, in "Hymns and Sacred Poems" published in 1739, “The gospel of Christ knows of no religion but social; no holiness but social holiness.” This statement highlights Wesley's belief that Christian holiness does not exist in isolation, but must be lived out in communities and relationships with others. We are called to actively live out our faith in the public square, being a voice of mercy and justice with acts of love, helping the underserved, marginalized and oppressed, so that our societies become better, stronger, and more fruitful.
Feeding those who are hungry meets an immediate need today, but what about tomorrow? What is the root cause of the problem, and why are people or communities unable to feed themselves? Let's work together to thoroughly solve these issues at its roots, so that the need for our aid diminishes. Our faith is not stagnant but alive and moving forward, which is why it is important to engage in small groups, and Bible studies outside the wall of church buildings. These practices allow us to hold one another accountable, encourage truth-telling, and help society witness our faith through our actions in the public square.
Personal Piety: A Daily Christian Discipline
According to John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist movement, personal piety involves how we live as Christians on a daily basis. Living as a Christian daily requires staying centered in Christ through our disciplines of prayer, worship, reading and meditating on scripture, fasting, and service. Steph Curry didn't become the greatest three-point shooter in the history of the NBA overnight; it was because of his disciple unwavering focus, sacrifice, and spiritual fortitude, that enabled him to transform the game of basketball. Our own spiritual discipline requires daily commitment and is a journey of a lifetime. From my view of Wesley, I believe he emphasized that while we are not yet perfect, we should strive to do our best for the sake of Christ, aiming to be the "GOAT" (Greatest of All Time) in His service.
The Urgent Call to Reclaim Prophetic and Evangelistic Voices
The twin cornerstones of social holiness and personal piety are not just historical ideals but urgent calls to action in a world yearning for hope, justice, and transformation. Some people are saying, “We need to hear even more voices, from church leaders, in this season of polarization, and mistrust. It sometimes feels like the voices of the church is growing faint.” The need to reclaim our prophetic and evangelistic voices are more pressing than ever, both for the renewal of the church and for the healing and restoration of the world.
A Prophetic Voice: "Shines a Bright Light on Injustices"
The prophetic traditions in Holy Scripture involve a bold dedication to truth, justice, and fulfilling God's purpose for humanity. Prophets like Amos, Ester, Isaiah, and Jeremiah fearlessly challenged the status quo and denounced injustices, even when it meant opposing powerful political and religious establishments. Similarly, The founder of the Methodism, John Wesley, understood theassignment to be a prophetic witness in the world. The people of God, in the United Methodist Church, today, is also called to be a prophetic and evangelistic witness in the world, advocating for the marginalized, dismantling systemic injustice, and demonstrating the love and righteousness of God in our private and public witness.
Reclaiming a prophetic voice requires us to first acknowledge where we have been silent, hesitated to speak out against injustice because of fear of controversy. This is not an easy witness, but it is what we are called to do as followers of Jesus Christ. It is in our alone time with the God, during our evening examining prayers, meditation time, fasting and reading scripture where we listen for God. Through daily examination of self ask, "Lord have I allowed the comfort of institutional security to temper my zeal for righteousness, to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with you God?”
A prophetic voice demands that we rise above our “spirits of fear,” speaking truth to power with Holy Spirit boldness, in love and compassion, even when it costs us. Our prophetic witness must be deeply rooted in love and humility. The prophets were not just social critics; they were God's messengers, calling people back to holy faithfulness and communion with one another. Our prophetic voices has the power to invoke the Holy Spirit for restoration—restoring relationships, communities, and ultimately, humanity's relationship with God. It is our Prophetic and Evangelistic voices, through the power of the Holy Spirit, that calls us to repentance, grace, and hope.
The Evangelistic Voice: Grace, Love, and Good News
The the etymology of the word "evangelism"comes from the Latin words “evangelismus” which means spreading of the gospel. The Greek translation is "euangelion," means “Good News” or “gospel.” In the United Methodist tradition, evangelism is not about increasing church membership; it is about taking part in God's mission to redeem the world. We have a tremendous opportunity to reclaim the Pentecost Spirit, of Jesus’ evangelistic mission of the church. Acts 1:8 reminds us, “But you will receive power, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.” Sometimes our evangelistic mandate can often times be overshadowed by a fear of the other, seen as too dogmatic, possibly uncomfortable, and if we are really honest, there is simply not a vision, or is it a priority of the church, for whatever reason. It’s time to reclaim our Evangelistic DNA. Jesus showed compassion for the woman accused of adultery, challenging the crowd to self-reflection with His words, "He who is without sin, cast the first stone." This call for self-examination is a model for evangelism that is bold yet filled with grace. Reclaiming our evangelistic voice means being bold in our proclamation of the need for personal conversion and discipleship while addressing systemic systems that harm individualsand communities. Our evangelistic voices is holistic, addressing both the spiritual and personal self-examination, systemic systems and basic human needs.
A United Voice: The Intersection of Prophecy and Evangelism
In the Bible, God communicated through biblical prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Moses, Elijah, and Amos, and John the Baptist. Historical prophetic and evangelistic voices include Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Fannie Lou Hammer, Barbara Jordan, Billy Graham, and Shirley Chisholm. Modern-Day prophetic and evangelistic voices like, Candance Lewis, Gary Mason, Howard John Wesley, Joy Moore, Motoe Yamada Foor, Sunny Ahn, Charity Goodwin, Kylan Pew, Kevin Kosh Jr., Olu Brown, Bishop Tracy Smith Malone, Bishop Latrelle Easterling and Bishop Ken Carter to name a few. Even today, we can engage in ministry with both our prophetic and evangelistic voices. John Wesley recognized that genuine evangelism must address the social conditions of our oppressed and dehumanizedsiblings. Similarly, our prophetic testimony must be rooted in the Good News. Luke 4:18-21 says, “The Spirit is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. Sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free.” We are, you and I, are called to be the voices, hands and feet for justice, peace, and reconciliation. Jesus Christ, the ultimate prophetic and evangelistic voice, established the standard.
As United Methodists, it is imperative that we hold these two voices together in tension, ensuring that neither drowns out the other, or that we are silent. The prophetic and the evangelistic mantle are not separate callings but deeply interconnected. When we say we are disciples of Jesus Christ, we use our Prophetic and Evangelistic voices to illuminate the problems in the world and in ourselves. The Great Commission reminds us, “Go, and makes disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of God, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded, and I will be with you, to the end of the ages.” My book, I co-authored, Doing Justice Together, reminds us, that we can have challenging conversations together, with the hope and the promises of God. Revelation 7:9 reminds us “there will be a day, when every tongue, tribe, nation, and people will be worshiping God together.” Matthew 6:10 casts the vision in prayer, “Gods kingdom is coming, Gods will be done, (It will occur) on earth just like it is in heaven.” Since it will occur on earth - Ready, Set, Let’s GO and reclaim our Prophetic and Evangelistic voices, in our churches, neighborhoods, sports events, bars, restaurants, parks, schools, families, shopping centers, sports arenas, business, civic organizations, the political landscape, and in Jerusalem, Judah, Samaria and the ends of the earth. Let’s GO!