May
12, 2014
Pastorgraphs: “Letters to a Dying Church”
I have been
reading a series of well written articles on Sojourner’s website. Each has a
different author, but follow the theme of “Letters to a Dying Church”. Mark
Sandlin, Presbyterian minister from Greensboro NC, wrote one so poignant it
brought me to tears. I provide a link to the article below, and encourage you
to read it in its entirety.
Spoiler
Alert: The gist of Sandlin’s article compares the pain of watching your church
die to watching someone you love dearly die a slow death. You don’t want to let
them go; yet you don’t want them to linger and suffer, either. But the article
is not all depressing. Sandlin offers words of resurrection – that dying is not
the worst thing that can happen. Indeed, dying is a natural part of our human
existence as birth, growth, and maturity. I would like to share a few excerpts.
“To the
dying church.
I hardly
know what to say. Watching someone you love, who helped raise you, who cared
for you when you weren't well, who partially defined who you would be, slowly
perish before your eyes is difficult to say the least. I love you. I don't want
to lose you.
But, this
is life. These things happen. Those you love do die. It's just how it works. I
mean, there were churches before you. They may not have looked like you or sung
songs like you or taught exactly what you do, but they all had Love – just
different ways of expressing it. They changed people's lives. They made some
people better people and, sometimes, they made people worse people. Then, they
died.
Death
sucks.
I'm going
to miss you – so much – but I refuse to mourn you. You will always be with me.
The Love that has always sought to be known is still with us. The spirit that
is the church will go on – thrive, even. It will just look different and sing
differently and teach differently, but it will go on.
I really
will miss you, truly, but I must admit I cannot wait to see what you will
become on the other side. I'm so excited just thinking about the folks who will
find new life in your new life. I get just a bit giddy thinking about the new
places and space that Love will be shared. I get overwhelmed with joyfulness
just thinking about the new ways you will learn to share Love.
Maybe this
kind of death is a blessing after all. It's so belovedly human to hold on so
tightly to what we know that we constantly miss the opportunity to catch hold
of something that might lead us to wider fields. How very God-like of God to
make death the beginning of a blessing.
So, just
know, I am here. We are here. You can let go. We will water the seeds. We will
nurture the fields and then we can dance in them again, together.” (End
excerpts.)
Those who
are predicting the death of the church are absolutely correct. But the church
has been dying and getting itself reborn for over 2000 years. It’s so God-like
to bring new life from death.
Even the
churches that have been around for decades, or even centuries, have undergone
countless inner deaths and resurrections. Concord Baptist Church, Calhoun
County, MS, where my father and grandfather worshipped, will hold their annual
homecoming this Sunday. Neither Daddy nor Grandpa Jenkins would recognize the
church nor its worship today. That is a good thing as Concord holds to some wonderful
traditions (including a rare Sacred Harp singing) but finds new ways to reach
new people in a new day and age.
Bishop
Carcaño stated so fittingly a couple weeks ago what has happened at Christ
United Methodist is the story of death and resurrection. As I think back over
our 103 year history, this is not the first death and resurrection. The 1946
and 1968 denominational mergers were a form of death and new birth. Now, as we
have lain in the tomb for three years since discontinuance in 2011, we are on
the verge of our third rebirth as Exodus Parish.
Thank you
Pastor Mark for these words of encouragement. You remind us, especially those
of us who have deep roots in Old Christ Church, that we will water the seeds
planted by our forbearers, nurture the fields anew, and not just survive, but
thrive! Then we will “dance in those new fields and share Love in ways we've
never imagined”.
Devotedly
yours, Bill Jenkins
From the
Quote Garden:
“Like I said, this isn't the first
time you've died you know. How perfectly upside-down of God to show us exactly
how alive God is through a dying church.”
~ Rev. Mark Sandlin, Sojourners ~
Christ United Methodist Ministry
Center
“Christ
in the Heart of San Diego”
3295
Meade Avenue - San Diego, CA 92116 - (619) 284-9205
Home of
Exodus
Parish
Exodus Church
- Christ
Chapel - Haitian Methodist - Mision Metodista
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