Power in Weakness: Paul's Transformed Vision for Ministry

Envisioning cruciform community built on resurrection hope After Paul;s encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he turned from coercion and violence to a ministry centered on the hope of Christ&;s resurrection. In earthly terms, Paul had traded power for weakness. But;as he explained in his subsequent letters&;this ;weakness; was actually the key to flourishing community that is able to experience God;s transformation, restoration, and healing. What would it mean for pastors today to take seriously Paul&;s 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 politics;which tend to orient churches around institutional power and image maintenance;Timothy 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.