Resurrection is not Fantasyland

Maybe it’s because I’m feeling refreshed (and strong) after a much-needed vacation. Maybe I’ve spent too much time reading painful statistics. Maybe I’ve been inspired by brave Take Charge Citizens standing up for democracy. But I find myself allergic to denial today.

The God’s Honest Truth is that quite a few of our churches will (and should) close in the next year. They will include churches with gorgeous windows, churches with historic cemeteries, hard-to-find churches in quiet neighborhoods, easy-to-find churches on bustling Main Streets and churches that have remained open while real estate developers phone me on a regular basis asking if they could “buy that closed church on the corner.” Most of these church spaces indeed appear to be closed because they can’t afford to mow the grass or the parking lot is always empty (even on Sundays.)

I work with all these congregations and – again, to be honest – they are lovely people who have memories of more vibrant times. Or maybe their congregation has never been vibrant but once upon a time, their church was planted in a “growing community” with the hopes that all the families moving in would join. And they didn’t.

Nobody loves to close a church. And aren’t we Christians an Easter People? Don’t we believe that God can resurrect a church whose building and community are crumbling to bring forth a new and shining Body of Christ? Yes . . . and. Yes we believe in resurrection – both in this life and in the life to come.

And yet resurrection is not Fantasyland.

I consistently work with congregations living utter denial. They believe that – “if only . . . ”

“If only we could call a charismatic young pastor . . . “

“If only we could refurbish our building . . . “

“If only people would bring their children . . .”

then they would be raised from the dead. But this is a fantasy and God doesn’t do fantasy. God does Truth. And here’s the truth:

Your church can’t afford a charismatic young pastor. Your church can’t afford any pastor.

Your building needs hundreds of thousands of dollars in repairs and you don’t even have the money to patch that small hole in the roof.

No one is bringing children to your church – at least if they are looking for a clean nursery, a healthy education ministry, and the congregational capacity to nurture your children.

I would like to spend my first year of retirement on the Amalfi Coast, but that’s not going to happen. I would like to pay for my grandchildren’s college education, but I simply cannot afford to do that. I would like every church in our Presbytery to have a gifted, full-time Pastor who can be paid $100,00 annually (which is about what it takes to live a comfortable life in Charlotte, NC) but most of our congregations can’t afford that and our Presbytery doesn’t have the funds to supplement salaries.

How do we help congregations recognize that they need to close for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ? There is no resurrection without – first – a death. And death is hard.

But death is not the last word. Resurrection – in this life and in the life to come – is the central message of Jesus. So many tell me that their church will close when and only when there is a single person left to turn out the lights. But is that trust in God? Is that what God is telling us to do? Is that the message of Jesus?

Or is that a selfish need to keep a dying church “alive” for the sake of sentimental members?

Here’s my question for the week after Easter: How is your church dead and how is your church alive?

If it’s only alive with a faint heartbeat for a handful of members, wouldn’t it be faithful to close and allow the Spirit to resurrect something new? Are you going to make our Presbytery offer an ultimatum? Are you going to make us the bad guys? (It’s Jesus’ Church, but it’s your decision.)