SIMON PHIPPS

In my experience prophecy has often been about encouraging words. In my time I have been called a jug, an aeroplane, a lion and many others, all in the name of prophecy. But the definition of prophecy is far wider than this narrow view. What Is A Prophet? The word prophet is translated from two words in hebrew: ‘ to call ’ and ‘ to see ’. The call was that from God which validated their role as a prophet. The seeing was that which God had shown them – of the things that people were blind to now, and the things that had not yet been seen. Walter Breuggermann in his book The Prophetic Imagination * describes the message of the prophet as one who criticises , and one who energises . We see this throughout the scriptures. The prophets criticise . They criticise their leaders, they criticise their nation, and they criticise the nations around them. They call them out for their neglect of the orphan and the widow, for their apathy when surrounded by injustice, for thei...

There has been much talk lately on social media about how we should behave on the internet . What is the line between debate and hate speak. What divides critique from trolling. The Hebrew scriptures are full of critique of the nations around, but the most cutting critiques are reserved for Israel itself. This is an idea called ‘ critique from within ’ and was a major part of hebraic spirituality, even the religious and political leaders were not beyond reproach. Micah 3:1-3 states: "Then I said, “Listen, you leaders of Jacob , you rulers of Israel . Should you not embrace justice, you who hate good and love evil ; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones; who eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?” As Christians we stand in this prophetic tradition, to critique the bride of Christ, in all its various contexts, this is a health...