Would That All the Lord’s People Were Prophets

In this workshop, we’ll look at Biblical stories of the prophets—how they perceived (and sometimes struggled against) their leadings from God, and how they found the courage to share uncomfortable truths about their societies and point to the possibility of a more loving world. Reflecting on their experiences, we’ll consider how we might be called…

Workshop Description

In this workshop, we’ll look at Biblical stories of the prophets—how they perceived (and sometimes struggled against) their leadings from God, and how they found the courage to share uncomfortable truths about their societies and point to the possibility of a more loving world. Reflecting on their experiences, we’ll consider how we might be called to tap into our own prophetic imaginations, and what that might look like in our creative and practical lives.

We’ll learn about how early Friends drew inspiration from the Bible, but we will also explore other perspectives on Scripture—including the womanist theologies of Dr. Wil Gafney, Ashley Wilcox, and others; the recently published First Nations versions of the New Testament and the Psalms, which draw out Indigenous perspectives on Christianity; James Cone’s vision of Black Liberation; and Christian socialists such as Andrew J. Wilkes and Phil Christman.

With those perspectives under our belt, however, we are first and foremost interested in cultivating what Walter Brueggemann called the “subversive, revolutionary, and anticipatory” energy of the prophetic imagination within ourselves! It may feel to us like the gods of this world have never been more powerful, and more oppressive, than they are at this hour; what can we do to maintain our commitment to the blessed community promised to us by Spirit? Like the ancient prophets, we may not believe we possess the writing or speaking skills to share Spirit’s message; how can we embrace our creative strengths and let Spirit speak through us? And, being Quakers, who want to walk the walk as full-heartedly as we talk the talk, how can we incorporate the outpourings of our prophetic imagination into our daily lives?

This workshop will likely be of interest to Friends with a zeal for writing, especially personal non-fiction, and there will be frequent opportunities within the workshop to discern our leadings through creative expression. Ultimately, though, it’s for anyone who wants to dig deeper into themselves and find out what they’ve been given to share with the world, in whatever form that may take.

Leader Experience

Ron Hogan is the audience development specialist for Friends Publishing Corporation and webmaster for Quaker.org. He writes a weekly Scripture-based message for the Friends Journal newsletter called “Look to the Light.” He is also the author of Our Endless and Proper Work, a guide to cultivating a consistent and rewarding writing practice.