Power

Several years ago, there was a movie called "The Witches of Eastwick," based
on a popular novel. It had big name stars and was a big hit. Jack Nicholson
played the part of Satan, and in one scene he goes into a church to cause some
mischief. All of the good church people are sitting there, but they are powerless
to cast Satan out of their midst. The three women whom Satan has befriended
conspire against him and manage to cast a spell that gets him out of the church.

At the time I was shocked and appalled. How dare they show the Christian
church in such a negative light? How dare they portray Christians as powerless
while three secular women with good intentions but no discernible faith in God
manage to defeat the devil? It made me uncomfortable and it made me angry. I preached against that movie and encouraged people not to see it (which, of
course, made them want to see it all the more).

Over the years I began to see that my anger was misplaced. The movie was, in
fact, an accurate reflection of how many (if not most) people in American society
view the Christian church. And their view is based on their own personal
experience. Many of them have been to church and seen for themselves that
nothing much happens. In most churches today there is precious little evidence
that God's power is present.

I am somewhat amused (though saddened) about the continuing debate over the
existence of God. "Does God exist?" people ask. I mean really!! When you see
a flood, do you debate the existence of rain? I don't think so. The flood is all the
evidence you need. When God's power is poured out in a mighty way, no one
wastes time debating God's existence. The manifest power of God is all the
evidence we need. The problem is that God's power is not manifest in most
churches today.

History has a way of repeating. I was watching a "Buffy" rerun the other day
where vampires, in an attempt to face their fears, had gone into a church and
were holding the parishioners hostage, threatening to eat them. Who saved the
day? Was it a believer in the risen Christ, standing up, taking authority over evil
and casting it out of their presence? Well, no. It was secular Buffy and her
friends, nice kids all, but not an active Christian among them. It has been 10,
maybe 15 years since "The Witches of Eastwick" and society's view of the
church hasn't changed all that much. In fact, church attendance as dropped
about 20% over that time.

When did we give away our power? When I read stories of the early church in
the scriptures, I read about people being healed and raised from the dead and
demons being cast out and miracles, signs and wonders taking place. When did
we decide that the time for signs and wonders was over? When did we decide
that miracles were for other people? When did the church stop being powerful
and start being polite?

Saints, the problem is not with the purveyors of modern culture. The problem is
with the church. We were given spiritual authority and we chose not to accept
that mantle. I'm not all that sure why. Perhaps it is because with authority
comes responsibility and we didn't want any of that. Perhaps it happened when
we got more concerned with maintaining the church than with following the Lord.

All I know is that God is calling us back. We are to take up that mantle of
spiritual authority (and the responsibility that goes with it) and confront the evil in
this world. Just now there seems to be plenty of evil to confront. I am coming
more and more to the conclusion that the power of the risen Christ is the only
hope our world has for peace. And when the power of God returns to the
church, I suspect the people will follow.

I look forward to the day when Buffy meets someone who is better than she is at
vanquishing demons--someone who doesn't use fists or magic or anything other
than the power of the Word of God. On that day she will know where the cross
that she wears gets its power.