The Dying Church and Easter

This post is from the defunct blog "Dying Church"

Easter is central to what it means to be a dying church. If it wasn't for Easter, it would make no sense for a church to die to itself. All organizations live for their own survival. It makes complete sense to do so, as long as one doesn't believe in the resurrection. Easter both embraces death and demolishes it. On Good Friday, we remember that death is something to be embraced; that the pathway to true life goes through death. Henri Nouwen said, "The resurrection is God's way of revealing to us that nothing that belongs to God will ever go to waste. What belongs to God will never get lost." A church that chooses to die to itself chooses the hard route (what is harder to choose than death?), but it also trusts God that there is life on the other side. The church that tries to hold on to life, forfeits life. The church that dies to itself, that stops living for its own survival, begins to experience true life. Easter doesn't just embrace death. It also demolishes it at the same time. N.T. Wright says, "Death is the ultimate weapon of the tyrant; resurrection does not make a covenant with death, it overthrows it." We can choose to die, because we believe that Jesus specializes in bringing the dead to life again. This is my first Easter since recognizing that the call to die to self applies to churches as well. I'm hearing the call to die once again. But I'm also looking forward to Sunday.

Comments

[George]

Darryl, no doubt you are busy over the next few days but when you get a chance I have a question. Practically speaking, what does a church look like do you think, when it chooses to die to itself?

[Darrell Dement]

Good thoughts. I would like to share them tonight at our Good Friday service.

[George]

Your main theme there is following Jesus no matter what the cost. I believe that also and reflected on that as I sat in church this Good Friday morning. The big question is what does that mean for us here in North America in 2004. What does that look like to follow Jesus in our day. To truly stand for Him. Not just in our words but also in our deeds. I think about what He did for us out of his incredible love for us and what we are doing as individuals and as church to show our gratitude and our devotion to Him. Do we really live for Him? Is He always first in our lives? How many Christians are just going through the motions? Every day I talk to people who are concerned with what is going on in our society and are trying to figure out why. I just talked the other day with a restaurant owner who I had just met. He said his dad was saying how it seems that in just the past 5 years or so how things have changed. People are changing. He then talked about the youth and how they are changing. How there is no respect among so many of our youth. But how all that starts in the home. We talked about what the kids are watching these days and the music they are listening to and how if there isn't any leadership and guidance in the home is there any wonder they turn out the way they do. I think about church in terms of the youth. If you don't have a building and programs and leadership for the youth what are you going to do with them. There are so many kids that come from such messed up families. Don't we want to reach out to them as church? We have to reach the kids. People are so hungry for genuine athentic Truth. All these types of conversations are coming together for me. I think of the discussions I have had with you and others about entertainment and how I believe it is such a point of compromise for so many Christians. I thought about that again this morning also. What Christ did on my behalf, for my sin and the sin of the world. How can I call myself His follower and then allow myself to be so compromised that I would watch a movie that curses my Saviour's name and then rationalize that away with some lame excuse of using it to reach the world. If the people in the church would seriously get back on God's program there wouldn't be such a discussion on what's wrong with the church. Its not the church, its the people's commitment and obedience to Christ. It is about people dying to themselves and following Christ. Him first, always. You don't think God would bless that if He saw that? You don't think He would send people our way if He saw a church of believers that really put the Him first into practice in all areas. I'm convinced he would. What a time we live in to really stand for Christ? In everything.

[Darryl]

Hi George: Here's what a dying church might look like: Its own growth and health is not as important as its willingness to follow Jesus wherever he goes, whatever it costs. It is willing to turn its back on everything - its building, programs, staff, everything - in order to follow Jesus. Institutional advancement is not as important as Kingdom advancement. The church is not concerned with its own institutional survival. Pastors are not CEOs managing/leading people toward a goal, and plans/goals/numbers/budgets are not the main thing. Following Jesus has been the main thing. The pastor becomes somebody who's hopefully helping to set the pace in following Jesus, but is only a co-follower with the rest of the people.

[Michael Gallaugher]

This is a great concept, never considered it before. It's important to consider there Gods church in the macro sense: The Kingdom of God as a collection of souls dispersed throughout generations, nationalities and denominations, than their's the local church (micro). When we evaluate our local church and find it, too, falls short, we have hope in the greater church, which of the two will be secured eternally, and which of the two required our greatest care and attention?