A Different Kind of Power (S13 Episode31)

Friends, there are only nine Sundays left in our season, just enough time to sneak in two short series and a special Sunday or two. We are going to close the season with a series on the sacraments, which I am incredibly excited about. I can hardly wait to get to that. Before that though, a series I am far less excited about—a series on power.

You see, if you were to take a panoramic view of the church in North America, over say the past decade, the scene doesn't look so pretty. Morally failed leaders, sexual abuse, lawsuits and NDAs, congregations sucked into ugly politics, and a slew of books showcasing overt racism and misogyny baked into many Christian traditions. Why does this keep happening in the church?

It seems to me we are well beyond the point of thinking this is just about a few bad apples. Rather, it would seem there is something deeply entrenched in the church in North America that keeps leading to scandalous and harmful failings. What is happening? I am inclined to think it all stems from how the church, and its leaders, understand power.

The good news, or bad news, depending on how you see it, is Christian struggles with power have existed from the start. So, we would do well to dive into the dynamics of how power works and why Jesus calls to us a radically different understanding of power.

Fear not, the series and this Sunday won't be bleak. There is still a lot of fun to be had along the way. Further, if you are looking for a reason to revisit the Lord of the Rings trilogy of films, this three-week series is the perfect excuse. The film conveys in fantasy what Jesus has been trying to teach the church about power for millennia. So, I hope you will join us Sunday for A Different Kind of Power?