No shame in a gospel of dependency

The book of Romans is a letter. This is an important fact to keep in mind as we read Romans. Paul's letter to the Romans preceded any direct contact by Paul with the church in Rome. It is a letter to a church existing in the seat of power of the the Roman Empire. The Roman church held such diversity that it is difficult to imagine how these followers of Jesus co-existed. In this context, Paul wrote to say that he was not ashamed of the gospel, even the gospel of the cross. Romans 1:7-23 outlines Paul's love for this gospel of weakness, and Paul says this "weak" gospel has great power. Pastor Phil Kniss highlighted the similarities between the church in Rome and the church in the United States. Pastor Phil invited us to wonder whether we have become so enamored with power and influence that we have become ashamed of the gospel of the cross. Can we embrace the weakness and dependency of the gospel? Is this still good news for us?