The purpose of this thesis was to work with prophetic preaching in the hope of finding a way to meet and deal with what happens when a congregation goes from being relatively homogeneous and introverted to be a diversity of nationalities and cultures and at the same live in an era of polarization, increasing xenophobia and social injustice.
The prophetic task in this context, as I see it, is to show that God can and will demonstrate an alternative future, beyond polarization and xenophobia. A future of diversity and community. I formed the main question for this thesis based on the prophetic task. I wanted to find out what prophetic preaching is and if the using of a prophetic sermon method can take on the prophetic task and make it relevant in my context. Another question that concerned the first, but more briefly as is how people with non-church background takes on the prophetic task in their context and what we can learn from each other.
To answer the main question I have through literature studies approached prophetic preaching as a method, both from a historical perspective as well as via the theologians Christine M. Smith, Barbara K. Lundblad and Walter Brueggemann through which I have carved out four themes central to prophetic sermon in my context. The first is to reflect on our own role, both as a preacher but also according to our position in society. The other is that for change to be possible, change must begin in grace. The third is to point out social injustice. The fourth gives a direction forward, where we show the possible ways to the future, the realm of God and community.
This I have since tried practically through two sermons in the fall of 2016. I have then with a church project, supervisor Niclas Blader and through own reflections evaluated the sermons. In the conclusion I came to understand that I can partly answer my main question. I have preached prophetically on basis of a method. But based on the evaluation of both the parish project as the supervisor Niclas Blader and my own evaluation I became more uncertain about how the prophetic speech landed with them. However, through the book the Pradikenen som det tredje rum (The sermon as a third room) written by the priest Marianne Gaarden I could point the reason for the uncertain answer regarding the prophetic speech. She means that all sermons have a new meaning when the sermon meets its listeners. She believes that there will be a new meaning and significance that is more than worship the visitor experience and more than the preacher's words. She notes that 1 + 1 = 3.78.
The idea of the third room gave me answers as to why I also wanted to consider how non-religious people take on the prophetic task and what we can learn from each other. Based on this, I had open conversations with three people, two journalists and one artist where they told me what drives them and how they see their mission. I reflected our conversations through the four themes of the prophetic sermon method I have found and could see that there were similarities but also differences. The future-oriented was central and the will to change and point to social injustice, but grace and God's will for our future where not in focus. I landed in that we can learn from each other if we allow our roads meet, there in the third room, at the boarders where something new can be added.
