Mission with Prophetic Power: The Journal of John Woolman (SRSC 12)

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Mission with Prophetic Power: The Journal of John Woolman

I find great encouragement in the story of “Herrnhut” (meaning “the Lord’s protection/care”). In the midst of the tensions of Post-Reformation Europe, Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf (AD 1700–1760) offered land, asylum, and a community of Scripture study to a variety of persecuted Christians (followers of Huss and Schwenkfeld, Anabaptists, Catholics, and others). Over time, tensions between these groups increased until 1727 when the community experienced a powerful work of the Holy Spirit which brought them together in unity. They communicated their sense of unity in a “Brotherly Agreement” which set a framework for their continued communal harmony. The Moravians (the name by which we know them today) have served as a catalyst for powerful movements of prayer and missions ever since their foundation. 9 Essentials for Talking When It Is Tough We know that navigating difficult conversations is important and that peacemaking can be successful. But how do we go about doing this? How do we practice talking when talking is tough? Here are three lessons I have learned from Woolman. One way we can facilitate godly success in difficult conversations is to give some time to the conversation ahead of time. It is so easy to rush from one meeting to the next, or from errands, to meetings, to dinner. But 9 See, for example, Edward Langton, History of the Moravian Church (London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1956); A. J. Lewis, Zinzendorf: The Ecumenical Pioneer: A Study in the Moravian Contribution to Christian Mission and Unity (Bethlehem, PA: Moravian Church in America, 1962). (1) Prepare Prayerfully Before the Conversation