Power in Weakness: Pauls Transformed Vision for Ministry

Envisioning cruciform community built on resurrection hope After Pauls encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he turned from coercion and violence to a ministry centered on the hope of Christs resurrection. In earthly terms, Paul had traded power for weakness. Butas he explained in his subsequent lettersthis weakness was actually the key to flourishing community that is able to experience Gods transformation, restoration, and healing. What would it mean for pastors today to take seriously Pauls exhortation in 1 Corinthians 11:1 to imitate me as I imitate Christ and lead their congregations in this way? Instead of drawing leadership principles and practices from the worlds of business, education, and politicswhich tend to orient churches around institutional power and image maintenanceTimothy Gombis follows Paul in resisting the influence of the present evil age by making cruciformity the operating principle of the church. Gombis guides the reader through practices and patterns that can lead a congregation past a focus on individual salvation, toward becoming instead a site of resurrection power on earth.