Hope for the Future
The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth in a society that lives in illusion,
grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope in a society that lives in
despair.
– Walter Bruggeman
Are We Ready?
It is easy to imagine that prophetic work is the work of individuals – preachers,
theologians, educators, politicians, writers, and the like – and perhaps there is some
truth in that. In the 21st century, however, I’m convinced that prophetic work is far more
likely to be the work of community, and I’d posit that it is particularly the work of
communities of faith.
Walter Bruggeman said, “The prophetic tasks of the church are to tell the truth in a
society that lives in illusion, grieve in a society that practices denial, and express hope
in a society that lives in despair.” This sentence has captured my attention in my search
for the role of the Church in this particular time in the life of the citizens of the United
States of America.
I’ve tried to articulate my understanding of the continuing role of my congregation, First
Presbyterian Church of Evansville, Indiana, as a prophetic voice and presence through
my preaching and leading in the first year of my work there. I hope my challenge has
been clear: our commitment to life in this community of faith is one of the most effective
acts of resistance that exists. Let’s look at Bruggeman’s words about the prophetic tasks
of the church.
Tell the truth in a society that lives in illusion.
That we are part of a society that lives in illusion seems obvious. One possible reason
the congregation I serve has experienced consistent growth this year could be our
commitment to telling the truth about what’s happening in the world – particularly what’s
happening in this country – in our worship services (in our prayers, our liturgy, our music,
and in the preaching). It seems that many congregations these days are dancing around
the truth of this day and time. Some say they are privileging preaching the Truth of
Jesus Christ as they avoid talking about anything that could be considered political.
Jesus was political.
Jesus lived in a time when the empire was threatened by his very presence. A few
people have asked me if I’m afraid (or they seem to think I should be afraid) when I
preach. I’m not. I haven’t always been fearless, and I will avoid being reckless, but I
really don’t know of any other way to live into this particular calling. In case you haven’t
been around very long, here’s an example of truth vs. illusion:
Truth: “Christian” nationalism is sin. Christianity was never intended to be
subservient to one’s citizenship. We can talk about things that are political without
becoming partisan in the way we understand faith.
Illusion: “We are a Christian nation.” “The founders of this nation were overtly
Christian.” “The idea that there should be a separation of church and state is a
misreading of the founding documents.” [To be clear – these statements are false!]
Grieve in a society that practices denial.
If you are awake, you are aware of the deep divisions among the citizens of this country,
and you realize that a significant number of our families, co-workers, and neighbors not
only practice denial but also live in it. The idea that it is prophetic to grieve may seem
counterintuitive. But until we acknowledge what we have lost, what we are losing, what
we may lose, we cannot grieve those losses. People who would deny that democracy is
in danger can live in an imaginary world that labels the changes that have happened
and are happening in our nation as necessary to “save” democracy. People who would
privilege single-issue thinking at the city, county, state, or national level can imagine that
their “issue” is in and of itself more important than all of the accompanying unintended
consequences of that tunnel vision.
We all may practice some level of denial. But there comes a point where we must
identify loss so that we can grieve and eventually heal (not “get over it”!).
Express hope in a society that lives in despair.
Despair hangs heavy in the air in this season. Even as courts ruled that SNAP benefits
must continue (using funds already set aside in case of a government shutdown), this
has simply moved us more quickly into urgency about food insecurity. The loss of
federal and state resources has meant that the nonprofits that provide food are working
hard to meet more needs with less money. As we move into winter, more and more
people are being forced to choose between keeping their electricity on, purchasing
medicine, and eating. And still, we talk about hope; not hope the feeling but hope the
action. We are called to both meet needs in the present and to prepare to be the
community of faith God has called us to be, both now and in the future. In truth, we must
do amazing – potentially unimaginable – things now so that we can continue to meet
urgent needs in the future.
What is urgent may shift – it may expand and contract – but urgent needs will always
exist. Every church building or property has value, and it could be argued that the sale
of buildings or properties could provide “x” number of meals, etc. For some
congregations, that may be the only way forward. For the congregation I serve,
however, that would be incredibly short-sighted. And that is why the congregation
decided decades ago to stay where they are and to do the work of the church in this
community where we have been planted. We can certainly figure out ways to more
effectively use and share our space, and we can continue to grow as a congregation
into the future.
So, are we ready?
As communities of faith, are we ready to embrace the prophetic work to which God calls
us? For many faith communities, this is in the DNA. One of my favorite new hymn texts
is Hope Will Not Fail by David Bjorlin. The text is a powerful reminder that hope, peace,
joy, and love will not fail. Our work is simultaneously ongoing and just beginning. As we
look to the future, we can actively work to be light in the midst of darkness and a
prophetic witness amidst those who would conflate faith and hyper-nationalism. God is
calling. Are we ready?
Hope Will Not Fail (text by David Bjorlin)
Hope will not fail, no, hope will not fail.
Though anguish and apathy seem to prevail,
no, hope will not fail; hope, hope will prevail.
Peace will not fail, no, peace will not fail.
Though vengeance and violence seem to prevail,
no, peace will not fail; peace, peace will prevail.
Believe in the coming, the coming of peace!
Though vengeance and violence seem to prevail,
no, peace will not fail; peace, peace will not fail.
Joy will not fail, no, joy will not fail.
Though mourning and misery seem to prevail,
no, joy will not fail; joy, joy will prevail.
Love will not fail, no, love will not fail.
Though hatred and hopelessness seem to prevail,
no, love will not fail; love, love will prevail.
Believe in the power, the power of love!
Though hatred and hopelessness seem to prevail,
no, love will not fail; love, love will prevail.
– Romans 5:1-5; 1 Corinthians
13:1-8
Originally written November 2025, adapted December 2025
by Rev. MB McCandless,
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church, Evansville, Indiana