I just started reading “Myth of a Christian Nation” by Gregory Boyd. I have heard good things about it, and wanted to quickly share a quote that goes along with what has been said elsewhere in my part of the blogosphere (i.e., blogs in my blogroll). In chapter 1, he discusses the “power over” kingdom, by saying:
“Wherever a person or group exercises power over others – or tries to – there is a version of the kingdom of the world. While it comes in many forms, the kingdom of the world is in essence a “power over” kingdom.” He later says “Laws, enforced by the sword, control behavior but cannot change hearts”.
How true is this? There has been a lot of talk about leadership, and how the church should be, compared to how we see it today. I think this book will give a very clear picture that the traditional church model, with its pastors and elder groups, is a “power over” kingdom, and thus not of the kingdom of God. As discussed elsewhere, the function of an elder in the body is a life of service, or “power under”, a term he may use later, but I can’t swear to it. I haven’t gotten that far into it. I think it will be an interesting read.
