A MESSAGE FROM REV. KAREN KINNEY: WHERE OUR POWER FLOWS FROM
Grace and peace to you,
This Sunday, we examine leadership through the lens of power. How do we redeem the concept of power when all around us we see power used to abuse, humiliate, harm and to pile injustice on top of injustice? Even in the church we see power used this way as witnessed by the docuseries, The Death of the Pastor’s Wife currently playing on Netflix. I wonder if this is why so many of us in church shy away from power – having it, using it, embracing it.
A Biblical definition of power might be this: 
the divine ability, strength, and authority to act, create, and produce an effect. Divine – our power flows from our relationship with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. And, in Jesus our power takes on a form of humility – we don’t exercise power for power’s sake but usually on behalf of someone else – acting on behalf of someone who doesn’t have a voice in our wider world.
This is why it is so important to think about how we define the Trinity. Who is Jesus to us? Who is God to us? Who is the Holy Spirit to us? Do we define these three persons from a lens of love and use the power gifted to us through that lens?
Or do we define these three persons from a lens of judgment and use the power gifted to us through that lens? Do we see how that matters and why we need to get comfortable with the power we have been given to lift up and address matters of injustice, harm, abuse, hatred, etc.
Martin Luther King, Jr, in his autobiography wrote this: “Power, properly understood, is the ability to achieve purpose. It is the strength required to bring about social, political, or economic changes. In this sense power is not only desirable but necessary in order to implement the demands of love and justice. One of the greatest problems of history is that the concepts of love and power are usually contrasted as polar opposites. Love is identified with a resignation of power and power with a denial of love.
What is needed is a realization that power without love is reckless and abusive and that love without power is sentimental and anemic. Power at its best is love implementing the demands of justice. Justice at its best is love correcting everything that stands against love.”
Power is the ability to achieve purpose. And what is our purpose? Our mission statement reads: To welcome an inclusive and joyful community of Christ’s followers into actively exploring how God’s gracious love gives meaning to our lives and faith, and inspires us to address the needs of our changing world. Through our learning, service, and grateful worship, God fills us with purpose, compassion, courage, and love. Maybe we should add that God fills us with power.
We often think we are too powerless against the abuses of empire – against the abuses we witness every day from our current national government. This Sunday, we will explore those who used what power they had to implement the demands of justice against Pharoah’s empire. We will look at how Peter defined who Jesus was and why it matters even today.
Why are we so uncomfortable thinking about the power we actually do have to achieve our purpose? Come and see! Come and explore this Sunday.
Blessings,
Pastor Karen