Exercise: Prophetic Imagination

As a Jesus Freak, I think using our “prophetic imagination” is vital. I read Shane Claiborne’s book- Jesus for President, and the way he described how various Christians and communities are using this gifting, inspired me! Learning and understanding the “prophetic imagination” confirmed what was going on within my Spirit, and helped me better explain what I feel called to do.
Anyways, I just finished reading The Prophetic Imagination by Walter Brueggemann. A great read!
To give a quick definition of what I understand the prophetic imagination to be, it is simply, using our minds to express the message that burns within us the same way the prophets of old did. Consider Isaiah walking naked to prophesy against Egypt (Isaiah chapter 20), Ezekiel cooked with human feces to display a message, and even our Messiah ransacked the temple which was being abused...Why? To get the message across!
“Concrete, passionate, and imaginative, prophetic in its form, prophetic speech is nonetheless “a sharp sword”, conveying a vision “designed to shock rather than edify”. Moderation is a delusion, and only extremists are in touch with reality”. Wow that puts things quote bold, I mean truly though, How much does this message (the Gospel) burden you or even more just fill you with so much joy you cannot help but be “freaked-out”??
Here goes a quote that confirms me (laughs) “...prophetic must be imaginative because it is urgently out beyond the ordinary and reasonable”.
Church- “…a community of peculiar discourse with practices of memory, hope, and pain that keep healthy human life available in the face of all the “virtual reality” now on offer in dominant culture”.
REALLY, WHAT WERE THE PROPHETS UP TO???
“The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish, and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture”. - Prophetic imagination isn’t about specific issues but more so the awakening of the people of Christ to WAKE UP.We have become way too domesticated. CALLED TO- CRITICIZE THE CONCIOUSNESS, AND ENERGIZE THE PEOPLE!!!(We have eternal life and even more, the presence of God).
“…assault of the consciousness of the empire, aimed at NOTHING LESS THAN THE DISMANTLING OF THE EMPIRE BOTH IN ITS SOCIAL PRACTICES AND ITS MYTHIC PRETENSIONS”.
WOW, SOCIAL PRACTICES……MYTHIC PRETENSIONS…
To energize is to provide hope, look at the old covenant and then look at what the new covenant through Christ Jesus offers. Do I need to energize us at all? What is our hope in?
Even as I read through my notes, I am being energized by the radical way of Jesus Christ. Is that what we exhibit? The book continually terms it “alternative”; I sit and think, what alternative are we offering to the world? What do they see through us, the body of Christ?
The book says it well; anyone that knows me knows that I am a bit of a rebel. I love the word and anything associated with it. A good point the book makes though, is that we are not going against any certain thing, but rather the false consciousness that is being given by dominant society (and I hate to break it to many, but that could even mean mainstream church, yes I said it).
A good contrast the book makes is between the Solomonic transformation if Israel and similarly how we can see it through the Constantine rule of the church. We have been watered down! Yes, I’m yelling it, can you hear me??
Criticize present= energized future!
“…imagination is danger. Thus every totalitarian regime is frightened of the artist. It is the vocation of the prophet to keep alive the ministry of imagination”. ATTENTION FELLOW MINISTRY LEADERS!!! WE WONDER WHY PEOPLE ARE NOT DOING MINISTRY, OR ARENT LEAVING THE PEWS DOING ANYTHING. WE MUST TEACH THEM- IMAGINE AND ARTICULATE!!
“…where passion disappears there will not be any serious humanizing energy”.
“What a commission it is to express a future that none think imaginable”- the call of a Christian! I am not of this world, with my God, all things are possible!
“The actions of Jesus are a scandal, for they violate propriety, reason, and good public order”- Make a Scene for the Lord!!!
A NEW POSSIBILITY- “The alternative community is to be shaped from the poor, hungry, and grieving is called to DISENGAGE FROM THE WOE PATTERN OF LIFE to end that other ordering, and TO EMBRACE THE BLESSING PATTERN”.
Our hope? The use of our imaginative consciousness, energy, and passion to “turn this world upside-down”, this makes all things possible, a whole new way to the obvious misery and incompleteness of the things of this world.
Well thanks for reading through this. Now if you ever have any questions about me, Michael Miano or Freaked-Out Fellowship, you can refer to this post. Well explained. Also, I would once again like to make mention of Shane Claiborne’s book – Jesus for President! A great example of prophetic imagination.
With knowledge of Him, and passion in pursuit of Him,
Michael Miano
http://www.freakedoutfellowship.weebly.com