In The Midst

In the midst of birth comes death. I have been so excited about the start-up of True North that I have been almost giddy with enthusiasm and have carried a contageousness that illicits hope of a bright future for our little service that begins in a mere two weeks.

Then amidst the exuberance of birth I found myself facing death...here.

The church is a small(ish) Lutheran church. Immediately I thought of John who, with his struggling denomination, has died bit by bit in the past few years due to conflict and unresolved feelings, resentments and frustrations; the denomination, struggling with its own traditionally conservative identity, turns to look into a mirror and face a modern liberal change that she isn't prepared to deal with.

And here, on Steve Fuller's Church Experiment blog, I find a sadness that surrounds and engulfs people on a deeply personal level; the death of their home church. Here is reprinted a portion of Steve's personal discovery:

In week thirteen I wrote about "spiritual family." When a church closes its doors after 160 years, it's not just about finding a new church; it's like losing your family. I still have dreams of the house I grew up in. I still long to be back in those good old days of my youth. Just a couple nights ago, I wished my parents still owned my childhood home, because visiting them would be like stepping back into a simpler time of my life.

He continues with:

More than ever before, I finally realize the value of having a church home. No home is ever perfect, but it's the place we grow and mature. It's the place we learn to take our first steps. And it's the place we can always retreat to when life crashes down all around us. I can't imagine having my "home" taken away after 160 years.

And I'll conclude the quotes with this:

Concordia Lutheran had a big impact on the city of Cincinnati. But let's always remember that churches accomplish nothing. Only people can change a city. Church buildings just sit and look pretty. So let's all pray the people of Concordia Lutheran keep pursuing God and keep loving others.

Birthing our church has been difficult - we have so many plans and hopes and dreams. We hope to become a home for the lost and lonely, the seeking and the desperate. We dream of having an impact on the population of Hampton through mission and opportunity, touching lives that are marginal and improving conditions of the forgotten and left behind. And yet ...

... and yet ...

... here lies a church who 160 years ago had the same such plans; dreamed the same dreams; hoped for the same outcome. 160 years this church impacted thousands of lives in Cincinnati. Their pastor encouraged the congregatin with this:

"The Church of Jesus Christ never goes backwards."

"We have a new beginning. You have a new beginning."

"It's not the building you have to maintain or the grass you have to mow, it's the people that have a new beginning."

Here I sit, respectful of the memories shared, the laughter and the tears and I'm embarrassed ... embarrassed to say this:

What's going to happen to us in the next 160 years?