Performing for Captives

Following up on the quote I posted a couple of days ago from Jordan's Handwriting on the Wall concerning the prophecies that Israel would have been receiving from the prophets already in exile:

Ezekiel is already in exile while Jerusalem still stands. He is taken to Jerusalem in the Spirit (by his hair! - 8:3) to see the abominations that are being done there (Ez. 8-11). But apparently he is carrying out most of his antics in exile. So for example, he returns to those in captivity (Ez. 11:25) from his vision of the glory of the Lord leaving Jerusalem in Ez. 11, and in Ez. 12, he does his theatrical rendition of the inhabitants of Jerusalem going into captivity. But apparently he's doing this for those who are already in captivity.

He's acting out what will happen to those are still back in Jerusalem. This seems to add another layer of embarrassment to Ezekiel's calling. Poor guy has to do tons of weird and awkward stuff and it's not actually for the audience he's performing in front of. This underlines Jordan's point that almost certainly the reports of Zeke's antics are getting transmitted in some form back to Jerusalem. Given the limitations of sixth century technology, we know that the "signs" of Ezekiel would then have been delivered to the inhabitants of Jerusalem by word (written or spoken).

The purpose of Ezekiel's charades would then have been an encouragement to those already in captivity. He's saying in effect, you people in captivity should be thankful that you aren't back there in Jerusalem.

This seems to suggest some place for prophetic preaching in the Christian Church which isn't necessarily directly aimed at the congregation being preached to. A pastor who preaches against immorality, abuses, evil out in the world is carrying on a ministry like Ezekiel's. And those who are gathered together in the congregation who aren't perpetrating those particular evils can be encouraged that they have been delivered from the judgment of God sure to fall on the wicked. And of course it's problematic if a preacher never addresses the sins of his own particular congregation.

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Word as Sacrament

Word is as sacramental as the sacrament is "evangelical." The sacrament is a manifestation of the Word. And unless the false dichotomy between Word and Sacrament is overcome, the true meaning of both Word and Sacrament, and especially the true meaning of Christian "sacramentalism" cannot be grasped in all their wonderful implications. The proclamation of the Word is a sacramental act par excellence because it is a transforming act. It transforms the human words of the Gospel into the Word of God and the manifestation of the Kingdom. And it transforms the man who hears the Word into a receptacle of the Word and a temple of the Spirit...

-Fr. Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World, 33.

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No, You're Not

"Some of the neo-Puritans have apparently determined that the purpose and essence of Christian preaching is to persuade people that they do not in fact, believe. The subtitle of each of their sermons could accurately be: 'I Know You Think You Are a Christian, but You Are Not.' This brand of preaching constantly suggests that if a person does not always love attending church, always look forward to reading the Bible, or family worship, or prayer, then the person is probably not a believer." - T. David Gordon, Why Johnny Can't Preach, 83.

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