|
Praxis for
Pentecostals
An
excerpt by Anthia Butler
"In describing what the Praxis of Pentecostal
Spirituality and Justice consists of, the Korean term "Minjung"
is helpful. Minjung means in Korean 'mass of the people' or the
'masses'. These
are the everyday people, the ones who suffer and work constantly,
struggling on a day to day basis. When evangelists came to Korea and
began to work with the Minjung, they soon realized that they were
not getting through to the Koreans. Their language and perceptions
of life were different from those they sought to convert. In order
to communicate, they had to live and work with the Minjung, to live
as they did. The Minjung began to show the missionaries by
re-reading the Bible, that the Gospel is for the Minjung: the poor,
weak, the lowest, the crippled, blind, and captive. The mission
workers discovered the reality of the Minjung in the Bible, their
place in the justice and compassion of God.
"Minjung, or the masses of the people is a way of
thinking about how Pentecostals practise Spirituality and Justice.
Although people from many different social locations and
geographical locales may call themselves Pentecostal, any
Pentecostal at any time could be a member of the Minjung - the
downtrodden. Socio-cultural alienation, economic exploitation, and
political suppression are all aspects of being a part of the Minjung.
Pentecostals in various locales practise Minjung Spirituality and
Justice. What is important to Pentecostal Praxis is that the
individual needs are first and foremost focus of Justice through
Spirituality. Those needs may include, but are not limited to, food,
clothing, shelter money, health concerns, job concerns, family
issues, finances and others. The next layer of Spiritual Justice
issues focuses on oppression of individuals and groups in the
community. Examples are racism, sexism, and class schisms. Finally,
political and world issues would occupy the last sphere of
Pentecostal Spirituality and Justice. How these spheres work in
different Pentecostal churches depend on their locale and emphasis.
Two examples that are representative of Pentecostal pursuits of
Spirituality and Justice come from very different Pentecostal
churches in the United States. ...
"Spirituality and Justice issues are integral
to the praxis in The House of the Lord Church. Protest is considered
to be as important as evangelization. In December 1987, Rev.
Daughtry led a blockade of the Brooklyn Bridge and New York city
transit lines to call attention to acts of violence and
institutionalized violence against Blacks in New York.
The church's involvement in political, social and
spiritual issues is a wholistic environment that embodies the action
of the Holy Spirit to mobilize and energize the church. This is
carried out in the church services, where women and men play equal
roles in the service. Spiritual gifts are manifest and evident, and
issues of justice and equality preached from the pulpit. The church
exemplifies the example for linking Spirituality and Justice issues
in Pentecostalism. The Holy Spirit not only energizes spiritual
life, it directly confronts the Principles and Powers of the age. By
working together as a congregation and a community, effective change
is achieved."
For complete examples and the entire paper by Anthea
Butler.
|
CSCO, P.O. Box 60123, Dayton, OH 45406; email: