Slideshow image

Power Within

By Pr. Lisa Rygiel

Father Richard Rohr examines different ways of understanding and using power in his Monday, Sept. 8 publication.

It is precisely the parts of the body that seem to be the weakest which are the indispensable ones. —1 Corinthians 12:22

How ingeniously you get around the commandment of God in order to preserve your own traditions! —Mark 7:9

The epigraphs above are two subtle scriptures that I hope illustrate both good power and bad power. In the first, Paul encourages his community to protect and honor those without power. In the second, Jesus critiques the religious leaders for misusing tradition to enhance their own power.

If we watch the news, work on a committee, or observe some marriages, we see that issues of power have not been well-addressed by most people. When we haven’t experienced or don’t trust our God-given “power within,” we are either afraid of power, or we exert too much of it over others. Enduring structures of “power over,” like patriarchy, white supremacy, and unfettered capitalism, have limited most individuals’ power for so long that it’s difficult to imagine another way. Only very gradually does human consciousness come to a selfless use of power, the sharing of power, or even a benevolent use of power—in church, politics, or families.

Good power is revealed in what Ken Wilber calls “growth hierarchies,” which are needed to protect children, the poor, the entire natural world, and all those without power. Bad power consists of “domination hierarchies” in which power is used merely to protect, maintain, and promote oneself and one’s group at the expense of others. Hierarchies in and of themselves are not inherently bad, but they are very dangerous for us and others if we have not done our spiritual work. Martin Luther King Jr. defined power simply as “the ability to achieve purpose” and insisted that it be used towards the growth of love and justice. He wrote, “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.”

A prime idea of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is its very straightforward critique of misuses of power. From the very beginning, the Bible undercuts the power of domination and teaches us another kind of power: powerlessness itself. God is able to use unlikely figures who in one way or another are always inept, unprepared, and incapable—powerless in some way. In the Bible, the bottom, the edge, or the outside is the privileged spiritual position. This is why biblical revelation is revolutionary and even subversive. The so-called “little ones” (Matthew 18:6) or the “poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), as Jesus calls them, are the only teachable and “growable” ones according to him. Powerlessness seems to be God’s starting place, as in Twelve-Step programs. Until we admit that “we are powerless,” Real Power will not be recognized, accepted, or even sought.

September 14, 14th Sunday After Pentecost
10 a.m. Sunday Worship

Announcements

  • Fellowship: Join us after worship on Sunday for coffee and conversation.
  • Guest Pastor: We are grateful to the Rev. Dr. Becky McNeil for serving as our guest pastor on Sunday, Sept. 14, while Pr. Lisa is on vacation. For pastoral care, call or email the church at 719-846-7785 or send an email: zionsluth@gmail.com. You also may contact Church Council president Mike McNeil.
  • God’s Work Our Hands (GWOH) 2025: Thank you to everyone who helped with our GWOH projects as well as with last Sunday’s worship in the Park.
  • Bible Study Resumes: Beginning at 10 a.m. on Thursday, Sept. 25, (and repeated at 12:30 on Saturday, Sept. 27). Pastor Lisa will lead a new Bible Study entitled By What Authority: Rethinking Early Christian History. Presented in a combination video and study guide format (no books required), the sessions give participants a chance to see how the drama of the early church’s formation affects our lives of faith today.
  • Save the Date: Our annual Blessing of the Animals will be at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 4, in the fenced lawn adjacent to the Fellowship Hall.

E-formation – 14th Sunday After Pentecost, Sept. 14, 2025

This coming Sunday we will hear about the ancient Israelites, St. Paul, a lost sheep, and a lost coin, all of which receive God’s merciful attention. Come to worship, asking for forgiveness, and celebrating the community of repentance.

Luke 15:1-10

Luke dedicated half of his gospel, written in perhaps the late 80s, to Jesus’ last journey to Jerusalem, the lead-up to his crucifixion and resurrection. Halfway into this last journey come the parables of the lost sheep and lost coin. Characteristic of Luke, these parables address God’s welcome to the outsider and the forgiveness of sin in parallel stories that feature males and females (think, for example, of Zechariah and Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna). Sheep separated from the flock would be eaten by wild animals. The coin, a drachma, is worth one day’s wage. Both parables conclude with the community gathering in celebration, as did the early Christians that Luke is addressing.

Exodus 32:7-14

The record of the exodus, which may have occurred in the thirteenth century 1250 bce, was compiled from previous sources in probably the fifth century bce. This excerpt concludes the story of the golden calf, likely a Jahwist explanation for the later condemnation of the cult of Jeroboam (1 Kings 12). Both the Egyptian deity Apis and the Canaanite deity Baal were depicted as a bull: perhaps the narrative’s use of “calf” intends to diminish the power of the image. Moses is pictured as the prophet who can mediate between the sinful people and the righteous God, and God is a deity who can be convinced back to mercy.

1 Timothy 1:12-17

1 Timothy was written probably in the late first century by a disciple of Paul who understands himself as continuing Paul’s legacy, although differences between the two are evident. Timothy had been a co-worker with Paul and in this letter is described as a leader of his local church, which by that time was challenged by false teachings. As an illustration of God’s mercy to the sinner, these initial sentences present the biography of Paul as a persecutor who accepted the grace of Christ.

Zion's Lutheran Church

A Reconciling in Christ Community
zionsluth@gmail.com
719-846-7785