BREAK THE CHAINS OF OPPRESION AND THE YOKE OF ...

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PREAChing who believe that “those at the top” will do what they feel like doing anyway? I believe that everyone, in fact, has the potential to do something. But only when the preacher is prepared to go beyond ageneral appeal, “earths” it and comes up with some concrete ideas as to how the congregation can follow up this directive concretely: through asking such questions as: “What do you pray for?”, “For whom do you vote?” and “Is the maxim ‘learn to share’ part of the way in which you bring up your children?” One more comment on this: we should avoid playing off the different ways of taking action against one another (as many of us, including myself, have done in the past): active struggle against contemplation, political action against local initiatives, missionary work against social commitment. Instead, in learning from the New Testament teaching on talents and gifts we should encourage each member of our congregations to discover their own gifts and potential and to use these on the path of justice. 6 2. Anyone admonishing his or her congregation should reflect on the likely consequences. I have never forgotten the following incident: as a young minister, I spoke with great conviction and in fiery words in calling on my congregation to boycott products from the apartheid regime. This included silver Krugerrands being offered at the time in our banks. A woman who helped out at the weekly children’s services, called me up to ask: “After applying for 50 jobs, I now have the chance of a job with the Deutsche Bank; should I take it? If I do, I will have to sell those coins you spoke about in the church on Sunday.” This scene set me thinking and made me ashamed of myself. Our purpose should not be to rob our directives of all their essential clarity and radicalism. But as preachers, �we should � be �aware of what we �are �expecting of our congregations. It does not cost a theologian much (at least not in my context) to commit him/herself to economic and ecological justice. On the contrary, in return for simply showing sufficient commitment, he or she might even be awarded a church commission and get the chance to meet lots of interesting people throughout the world. For the members of our congregations, however, a similar commitment may be a matter of life and death. We must be aware of this, and an appreciation of their difficulties must also be perceptible in our preaching. I have left the most important aspect to the end: even where the sermon is focusing on the obedient action of the people, it must not cease to speak about God. For, according to biblical and Reformed understanding, it is not only our justification that is the work of God alone, but our sanctification too (cf. 1 Cor 1:30; 1 Pet 1:2). Of course, this sanctification does not occur without us: God has 6 In this respect, the “Plan of Action” is very helpful, as it demonstrates the whole variety of what can be done. �� – PREACHING ON JUSTICE – 21
PREAChing chosen us, after all, as his partners in covenant; he wants our co-operation and, in this, our free and self-responsible action.But yet, it is God who effects this will and work in us (Phil 2:137) . The sermon on repentance, of changing one’s ways, does not take its power from the volume of its ethical appeal, but from the encouragement that God believes us to be capable of much (Mt 28:20), from the discovery of our God-given potential (Romans 12), from the recognition of the power of the Spirit with which God has equipped us in our battle against the powers of evil (Mk 16:17f.; Eph 6:10-17). Whether the preacher is counting on the power of the Spirit will be demonstrated not least in whether he or she is capable of discovering its traces in the life of the congregation. The letters of the apostle Paul are full of the grateful recognition, appreciation and articulation of all the good that is being done in the congregation. Reformed preachers, specifically, should learn a lesson from him. For, in this respect, I found many of the lectures and documents from the General Council to be quite simply substandard. An outsider could have gained the impression that we were talking about congregations and churches which, without exception, were stuck on the path of injustice, and thus had to be called on to take the very first step in a new direction. We have a way of practicing criticism which has nothing to do with modesty or humility, but shows contempt for the many encouraging acts of justice also to be found within our churches. A sermon on justice which is unable to recognize fruits of the Spirit is desolate. Part of the skill of preaching is the art of praising. Let us do so in following Paul’s example: We always �give �thanks �to God for all of �you �…constantly remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labour of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thess 1:2f.). Peter Bukowoski (1950) studied Theology and Music in Berlin, Bonn and Cologne. He is the Director of the Reformed Seminary in Wuppertal and teaches homiletics and pastoral care. Since 1990 he is Moderator of the Reformed Alliance Germany and currently Member of the Executive Committee of WARC. 7 So Barmen II too: our service to God’s creatures arises out of his act of liberation �� 22 – PREACHING ON JUSTICE –
Page 1 and 2: eak the chains of oppresion and the
Page 4 and 5: BREAK THE CHAINS OF OPRESSION AND T
Page 6 and 7: PContents REAChing Preface There is
Page 8 and 9: PREFA ce There is No Unjust Communi
Page 10 and 11: PREFA ce Let us remember: there sho
Page 12 and 13: PREFA ce ed, stripped bare, when th
Page 14 and 15: PREAChing 1 Preaching on Justice: T
Page 16 and 17: PREAChing message of the free grace
Page 18 and 19: PREAChing come aware of how abundan
Page 20 and 21: PREAChing I draw attention again to
Page 24 and 25: EnGAGEMEnT 2 Commitment after Accra
Page 26 and 27: EnGAGEMEnT which has become spiritu
Page 28 and 29: EnGAGEMEnT worries more, is more ea
Page 30 and 31: Europe’s Discussion about Justice
Page 32 and 33: were being seen - because of this -
Page 34 and 35: Discus sion Church and State are fu
Page 36: The Reformed tradition with the ope
Page 39 and 40: DEMoc rAcy However democracy is sti
Page 41 and 42: DEMoc rAcy of the homo politicus -
Page 43 and 44: viewers, the programme is “cut to
Page 45 and 46: DEMoc rAcy Finally it would natural
Page 47 and 48: point modern democracies are open t
Page 49 and 50: DEMoc rAcy Naturally, in many cases
Page 52 and 53: cove nanTi ng 59 Europe’s Road to
Page 54 and 55: cove nanTi ng Western neighbor coun
Page 56 and 57: cove nanTi ng focused on. On the on
Page 58 and 59: 5 pE o H 6 Theology of hope in time
Page 60 and 61: At the bottom of these enormous ent
Page 62 and 63: The question has to be raised wheth
Page 64 and 65: in the communio with Christ. In thi
Page 66 and 67: anity has been closely related to e
Page 68 and 69: world: the oppressed, the poor, the
Page 70 and 71: 8 p EM ire 7 Empire - Provocation w
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EMpire thors also supply an ambitio
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EMpire Aspects of a difficult relat
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governments in southern countries e
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EMpire Talk of empire, as this exam
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EMpire hand, and realpolitik talk a
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Ethics two? Globethics.net proposes
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Ethics 2. Performance-related justi
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Ethics difficult to implement all o
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Ethics instrument, which correspond
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Ethics tice. In some cases it may s
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Ethics 6. The Principle of Transpar
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Ethics to others what we ourselves
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Litur gy 49 The Liturgy of Holy Com
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Litur gy chosen was that one of the
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Litur gy stronger weighting towards
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Litur gy It may be argued that few
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Litur gy but here particularly so.
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Litur gy turn out to be. For if we
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For the shaping of the liturgy the
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PRojec ts The scope of the children
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DiaLo g ic analyses which already e
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DiaLo g suppression as a power-alli
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DiaLo g Dreaming a Different World
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DiaLo g We remember together the in
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The Further Development of the Conc
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DiaLo g come to stand: do they belo
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DiaLo g dividuals who come into vie
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EXPLoita Tion formation and counsel
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there is emerging here a specific i
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EXPLoita Tion wealthier lands in No
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study 5 of children’s attitudes t
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EXPLoita Tion Christian understandi
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EXPLoita Tion gal prosecution of cr
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these questions. An approach that r
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of governments for the regular fina
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We recommend EXPLoita Tion The orga
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Hope in God’s Future: Christian D
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FuturE I Approaching God in the con
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FuturE All of these changes will ha
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FuturE ship; God’s sacrifice in C
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FuturE between rich and poor becomi
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FuturE Reflection 5 Low-lying count
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gry and those now first finding the
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FuturE Even to sinners like us, God
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FuturE UK Government Committee on C
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FuturE Reflection 11 “A commitmen
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FuturE Alertness to disproportionat
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FuturE set out on a journey of free
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seeking 2. It has become much more
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seeking tions and in the Synod, was
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LEArnin G Praying for growth Food,
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we, with 20% of world-population, a
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LEArnin G hunger, but sooner from a
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LEArnin G And they wonder: what doe
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LEArnin G The richer the USA and Eu
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A Globalance - Christian Perspectiv
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A GLoB LAncE uence on political and
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Recommendations The position paper
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Pov y ert 17 „Don’t Leave Us Ha
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Group Children’s Summit 2006” r
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Pov erty our doorstep as relatively
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Pov erty This well-founded option f
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All these rights could be provided
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Pov erty The action “Hiding is no
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