Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? Joel 2:17

Lent as a time of personal renewal summons and prepares us to avoid the coming day of darkness and gloom (Joel:2:2). Joel provides a helpful reflection and example of the Voice of prophetic Lent as a wake up call to repentance and true worship. The first part of the book of Joel points to the crisis of God’s judgement hence, the people were called to repent. Joel emphasised repentance as turning to the Lord in true worship: “Blow the trumpet in Zion; sanctify a fast; call a solemn assembly” (2:15).

Voice of prophetic Lent calls people to true worship, a call to cry to ‘blow the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm on my holy mountain.’ Voice of prophetic Lent beyond the quest for miracle is about Gospel message, ‘the announcement that the day of the Lord is coming, it is near’ (2:1). To his community, Joel’s prophetic announcement that the Lord is coming was not the good news they had expected, but bad news. Just as people today do not want to hear about the call to holiness, repentance, the Second Coming of Jesus, the reality of hell and heaven, ‘the people of Israel looked forward to the day of the Lord as a child today looks forward to Christmas.’ Voice of prophetic Lent goes beyond what people want to hear. Voice of prophetic Lent provides divine alarm, a warning to the people against “a day of darkness and gloom” (2:2). Voice of prophetic Lent calls us to a true worship service of repentance: “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning” (2:12). The prophetic ministry is a fundamental aspect of the church and leadership renewal because without a prophet, a church and its leadership are prone to sin and decline. Without a prophet, a church will be weak in vision, evangelism and at risk of sinfulness.

Prayer: O Lord, help me not to take your Good News as bad news.