Prophetic Voice: A Diaconal Gift to the Church
Prophetic Voice:
A Diaconal Gift to the Church
by Suzanne Watson Epting
In the Spring of 2002
I had the privilege of participating in one of EPF’s first “From Violence to
Wholeness” training events, now known as “Creative Peacemaking.” It was the
gift of a practical tool that would help me reinforce and also share who the
church has called me (and other deacons) to be -- not only outside the church’s
walls, but also within them. One cannot live out the vows and charges of a
deacon’s ordination without a careful and willing examination of the use of
power and the vision of God for a just and loving world.
At a recent gathering
of Deacon Formation Directors and Archdeacons, the main topic of discussion was
prophetic voice. While the topic may be
a sign of our troubled times in the world and in the church, I also suspect such a topic involves the
church’s desire to lift up the specific ministry of the diaconate which not
only provides direct service, but also invites others into diaconal ministry.
It is an expression of ministry that invites friendship with the poor, looks
for the roots of injustice, and examines the use of power, wealth and
resources.
There is an important
charge that we hear at our ordination as deacons that I believe is at the very
core of our call to exercise a prophetic or interpretive voice. “As a deacon
you are to interpret to the church the needs, concerns and hopes of the
world”(BCP, page 543). Over the years, I’ve heard many people describe deacons
as a bridge between the church and the world.
This is true. However, the focus
of this charge is more direct. A deacon
is to interpret to the Church the needs, concerns and hopes of the world. The path is clear, direct, one way. Yet, despite this clarity, a deacon’s
interpretation to the Church may be the one charge for which many deacons are
least prepared, and the one that is the most difficult for the church to
accept. Yet it is the community which
affirms the desire, through the order of the diaconate, for living reminders
that the Church is called not only to provide teaching, sacramental sustenance
and fellowship, but also to be the church outside the walls in mission, seeking
justice and dignity for all persons.
Most of us may still
lean toward what I call the “What-is-your-diaconal-ministry Syndrome.” When Commissions on Ministry, Vestries,
Bishops and others ask, “What is your
diaconal ministry?, they expect answers like “Prison ministry,” or “Anti-racism
education,” etc. What they may not
expect to hear, however, is “To serve as an interpreter to the church, sometimes as a prophetic voice,” or “To
expand the meaning of our baptismal covenant, especially in striving for
justice and peace and respecting the dignity of every human being” (BCP, page
305).
Now why all this about
the diaconate? Because I am a woman
seeking peace, and because my sisters
and brothers in the larger body have asked me and others to pursue ways of
bringing the hurts of a whole world into our midst, to remind the community
that there is always work to be done.
The “text” that deacons are called to translate to the church is that of
needs, concerns and hopes. The interpretation
that we offer is enhanced by specific skill sets:
·
The ability to facilitate dialogue
·
The ability to advocate
·
A deep knowledge of the
·
Prophetic Tradition
·
The ability not only to act and to bring others to action, but
to reflect theologically on those actions and to look at the roots of
injustice.
Finally I return to
“Creative Peacemaking,” a program that teaches us to recognize the many forms
of power, how power is used and how power is abused. “Creative Peacemaking” trains us in
alternative visions, as well as giving us the actual skills for making those
visions a reality. It is impossible to
live out our baptismal vows without questioning the use of power, wealth and
resources. That includes their use
within our own church. Let us give thanks that through our Baptismal Covenant,
as well as through the ministry of deacons and the gift to the
Susanne Watson Epting,
a deacon and director of the North American Association for the Diaconate, and
is currently working with the Office for Women’s Ministries as Editor of the
Beijing Circles Resource Booklet, which addresses Millennium Development Goal
#3 through the lens of the Beijing Platform for Action. She has also
facilitated a course on the Prophetic Voice of the Deacon through the Center
for Anglican Life and Learning at CDSP.)
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