Power and Relationship

Ana Draper reflects on the importance of relationship and the complications of getting the balance right if we are to be church in an effective and correct way (in Jonny Baker's Curating Worship p. 117/8).  Conversion is part of following God, but we need to remember that it is God who does the converting - that is not our task.  So she talks about "a relational theology that looked to walk alongside and be with rather than convert."

She also describes the challenge of dealing with the power thing.  "We tried to address power differential - the 'them and us' stuff that often happens.  I sometimes think that church can seem like it is saying, a la Animal Farm, that 'we are all equal before God, just some are more equal than others.'  So we tried to practise a way of being that was about exploration, discovery and being in the moment."

It is hard to use power in the right way, and so easy to use it wrongly.  It is also very easy to think that we haven't got any, when we have got loads.