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 A Letter from the “Dying” Church

Sometimes the dying are the first to know.  While others believe you are invincible, you quietly go around collecting pamphlets from hospice and making final arrangements.  But sometimes, more rarely, the dying are the last to know.  While they feel alive and vital, others are picking out their headstone.  Lately I’m feeling in the latter camp.

I hear that I am dying.  This is a shock to me because I had no idea.  I’m a good two millennia old so I think I’ve gotten to know myself pretty well, and I’ve certainly experienced tougher times than this.  In my earliest days, in fact, my very existence was in question.  So picture my surprise when  I hear that those who have known me for only a fraction of my days are counting down to my demise.

I think that what makes it all the more surprising is that many of the ones who are saying I am dying are not just observers.  They are actually a part of me.  A recent part, perhaps, but a part none-the-less.  Because I, the Church, am more than just another institution.  I am, in fact, the Body of Christ, the living and continuing presence of Jesus in the world.  And all who believe in Christ are a member of this body, just like all believers in the past have been members of this body.  To be the Church is to be the Body of Christ in the world.

With that in mind, let’s suppose, for the sake of argument, that I am dying.  Let’s say that death is even somewhat imminent.  Let’s say that the Church, the body of Christ, is indeed about to die.

Well, here’s what I know about Christ’s body.  It has died before, and it has risen again.  Resurrection.  That’s the whole message of Easter.  Death occurs, but death does not win.  The body rises stronger.  And we, who are Easter people, should know that.  

But beyond that, am I really dying?  Because I’m not so sure that is true.  Yes, fewer people may be attending church.  Yes, as that happens some churches are closing down.  Yes, the Church’s influence in society may not be what it used to be.  But does that really mean that I am dying?  Or does that just mean that the Church is entering a new phase of life, just like it has before and will again?

Here’s the thing.  There’s a difference between death and change.  Just because I am no longer the way you remember it growing up doesn’t mean I am dying.  Just because you don’t see what you want or like when you look at the church doesn’t mean that death is imminent. 

So here’s my question: Do you want to continue to sit around and mourn around a death bed that I do not inhabit? Or do you want to be Easter people, and live in the light of the Resurrection?  If it’s the former, fine, but don’t call that “church.”  Call it what you want, but don’t put the words “Body of Christ” in the obituary. 

But if it’s the latter, if you want to live as a Resurrection people, here’s a few thoughts on what you can do:

Read Scripture…

When we lose biblical literacy, we lost our story, and we easily lose hope.  And too many Christians  have given up on really knowing the Bible. 

We need to be able to talk about Moses and the Israelites taking the risk of leaving Egypt, getting lost, and then finding the promises land.  We need the early Christians of the Book of Acts to tell us what it meant to be the Church together in those early days.  We need Paul’s letters to small local churches struggling to figure out who they are and what that means.

Take risks…

Every local church I’ve known that has died has one thing in common:  for too long in their lives they were risk averse.  Maybe in the last years of their lives that changed and they were willing to risk everything, but they didn’t get to that place without years of choosing “safety” over choosing a bold witness to Christ’s love.  No one wanted to rock the boat.  No one wanted to fail.  And so, slowly, the local church became so afraid of making a move that it just withered in place.  But every local church that thrived  has one thing in common: they took risks.  Not reckless risks, but risks.  They took financial risks to expand growing ministries.  They took leaps of faith when calling pastors and other staff. And most of all they took risks without sabotaging themselves because they were afraid of their own success.  

Reject negativity…

No one likes to be around negative people…except perhaps other negative people.  Too often, the church is a negative place.  Church meetings are filled with anxiety about money or arguments about bylaws.  Community life is tedious.  Gossip and parking lot “after meetings” become the rule.  Who is going to believe we are being honest about saying we have faith in Christ  if our churches are like this? If someone says that Christian faith is about redemption and new life and hope, then it needs to be demonstrated in the way we live our lives and conduct the business side of things.  Our default mode should be about living in God’s grace, not living in fear.

Recognize and practice gratitude…

This follows on the last point.  Christians are called to recognize God’s grace in their lives.  But understanding grace on an intellectual level and really knowing that you have received grace are two different things.  And here’s how you know that you really understand God’s grace in Christ:  you can’t do anything but say “thank you.”  Gratitude is the only appropriate response to grace, and it’s what the Christian life is all about.

Live for others, not just for yourselves….

When asked about their greatest challenge, more often than not you hear “We need more people.”  Some go further and are a little more blunt:  “We need more people to join so that we can pay our bills.”  For some churches, bringing in new people is not about welcoming them to a community of faith. It’s about ensuring the local church’s survival.  And the reality is that people can sense that desperation from a mile away.  No one joins a church to be just another name on the books or another pledge card.   What if instead of asking people to build up your church, you asked how your church could help build up others?  What if the focus wasn’t so much on healing yourself, but on helping those who need it the most?  

What if we live together in the light of the Resurrection—and believe that resurrection is still happening today?  Because it is.  And we have work to do.  

With love from the empty tomb,

The Church