The Prophetic Imagination

Praise the Lord! Let my whole being praise the Lord!

I will praise the Lord with all my life; I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.

Don’t trust leaders; don’t trust any human beings— there’s no saving help with them! Their breath leaves them, then they go back to the ground. On that very same day, their plans die too.

The person whose help is the God of Jacob— the person whose hope rests on the Lord their God— is truly happy!

God: the maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.

God: who is faithful forever, who gives justice to people who are oppressed, who gives bread to people who are starving!

The Lord: who frees prisoners. The Lord: who makes the blind see. The Lord: who straightens up those who are bent low. The Lord: who loves the righteous.

The Lord: who protects immigrants, who helps orphans and widows, but who makes the way of the wicked twist and turn!

The Lord will rule forever! Zion, your God will rule from one generation to the next!

Praise the Lord! (Psalm 146, CEB)

I recognize this is a larger portion of scripture than we typically engage in a weekly devotional. Yet, this is the passage that was brought to my attention today.

You may have heard that a somewhat famous Old Testament biblical scholar named Walter Brueggemann died earlier this month at the age of 92. Brueggemann was a prolific writer, penning over 120 separate titles. Perhaps his most well-known book was The Prophetic Imagination. I was glad to have had an opportunity to hear Brueggeman speak once in person. Though I may not have agreed with every word the man wrote, his impact on the study of the Old Testament is notable.

In remembrance of Brueggemann, one podcast replayed a past interview with him. The interviewer asked Brueggemann to read something from the Old Testament that was significant to him. He chose Psalm 146.

This Psalm contrasts how it generally goes for the people who trust in God versus those who trust in themselves or other humans.

At its core, in his writings Brueggemann’s exploration of the prophetic imagination invites each of us to look beyond the present reality and trust that God is in fact bringing into existence his preferred future, a new reality. At the same time, we are called to join God in bringing about this imagined future.

For me personally, for some time I have been captured by this idea: I want my own imagination to reflect the prophetic imagination of God. Here the word imagination does not mean conjuring up make-believe stories, it means stretching and shaping what I believe is possible. At my core, I believe that God is working in the world to make things right and bring about his future. At my core, I believe I am called to join with God in bringing about his future. For me, this is what it means to have a prophetic imagination.

The Psalmist describes God’s actions: freeing prisoners, giving sight to the blind, lifting up those who are down, and protecting the vulnerable. We too are invited to reflect the actions of God by engaging in these same practices, aligning our lives with God’s works of justice and mercy.

Psalm 146 serves as a powerful reminder of this call, urging us to place our trust in God’s enduring faithfulness and to participate in God’s transformative work. With this reminder, we are each invited to have a prophetic imagination.

I invite you to pray with me:

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your faithfulness and Your justice.

Jesus’ own story of life, to death, to new life is a signpost of this new reality which is both already here and yet is still coming.

By your Spirit, help us to place our trust in You alone, knowing that You are the source of our hope and true happiness.

 Guide us to live in a way that reflects Your love and mercy to those around us. Working with you to bring about your reign of justice.

 In the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, we pray. Amen.

-Pastor Shawn