Planted Life – Death becomes us
We have this crazy fear of death. Okay, maybe from a certain perspective this is understandable. But I think our culture has taken all the dignity out of death and put all our hopes on staying alive as long as possible. Machines, tubes and drugs keep people awake and numb at the same time. These medical marvels are great in one sense, but at the same time I believe they are killing us.
Churches have this crazy fear of death. Okay, maybe from a certain perspective this is understandable. When a church believes that the work of God is limited to the existence of a church building in a certain space, they fight tooth and nail to keep the doors open for as long as possible. This has left ten blue-haired ladies and a rector propping up their “service” in million-dollar sanctuaries in every city in America.
This church and many like it have been dead for decades, but the outward signs of life are kept up in unnatural ways. It is not only unnatural, it is unholy. We have lost touch with a theology of death.
The avoidance of death is not the same thing as truly living; its learning to live “SAFE.” Neil Cole writes about this in his book Organic Leadership. His acronym for living SAFE is:
Self-preservation = our mission
Avoidance of the world and risk = wisdom
Financial Security = responsible faith (stewardship)
Education = maturity
This can be considered the major values from which most elders and church leadership operate. Essentially, this is a theology of “self-preservation” something I don’t think Jesus would look too kindly on. Actually, its the one thing that Jesus says will kill you and separate you from God! Self-preservation outside of God inevitably leads to self-destruction. “If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” (Mt 10:39).
While this may apply to individuals, don’t forget that Jesus is talking to his disciples as a whole. Meaning – your community must be ready to die at any moment if it is ever to truly see true life.
Without death, you can’t have a resurrection. Cole conveniently has a creative acronym for DEATH too…
Dying daily to who we are
Empowering others (not self) as our life
Accepting risk as normative
Theology as not just knowledge but practice
Holding tight to Christ and having an open hand with all else that we “possess”
I have been a part of two churches as they made plans to die. It is a hard thing to admit to death, but most of the time we are only saying outloud what has been true for a very long time. The more ready your community is ready to take on death for sake of God’s grander purposes, the more vibrant the community will be for as long as God has plans for it!
I am reminded of our human bodies. Even now as you read this, your body is hard at work, killing off old cells and multiplying new ones. Both death and multiplication are necessary for your continued health. Imagine for a minute that your body stopped multiplying new cells. It would not take long for your body to begin to decay and your life would be over.
“Multiplication stops when death occurs, and death occurs when multiplication stops. Death and multiplication are intricately woven together in a symbiotic relationship.”
Jesus talks about this in organic terms. “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)
Is your church willing to give up its very life, today or tomorrow, to see God’s work accomplished? What about your own life? That is the call of the gospel.
So how to avoid the threat of the church-as-hollow-shell? How about learning to expect death, and dealing with it well. Find ways in your community to anticipate death and celebrate it as a source of fertilization for new life!
Our church network in Chicago is planning a “Planted Life Event.” Sometime near Easter, (a good symbol of death and new life), we’ll hold a worship event and a potluck meal where we celebrate people in our network with a vision to start a new organic church. We will also offer a dignified death to groups that are need to die, and cross pollinate to other churches. Healthy groups can recommit for another year. In all, we will honor God with our life and our death.
Planted Life – churches are like the grain of wheat. If we can open our grip and release our church to its death, we may see it bear much fruit.
My friend Miller once said of organic church planting, “We’re breeding rabbits here, not elephants.” Meaning, these groups will multiply like crazy, but they’ll also die much sooner than traditional churches. This is okay. I honestly hope I see the death of many churches in my lifetime, but I hope to see the birth of many more.
Tim C, and 
Sean are discussing. 
Linda Clark, 
Sean 10:39 pm on March 19, 2009 Permalink
yeah man. I totally feel you hear. The church must except death and draw its roots from the old soil. We must continue to grow and change with time.
Good stuff bro. This just gave me an idea with Shelbourne street. They are having some talk around the cross of Christ. This in tandome with my reading in Exiles has got me thinking about some interesting ideas for continued change.
Tim C 9:03 pm on April 6, 2009 Permalink
Great idea with the Planted Life man. I am going to be thinking about his for a while. I hear you on the theology of death too. You know, I read a great book called Between Cross and Resurreection: A theology of Holy Saturday. also, John Douglas Hall has a lot of good writing on this. The Cross in Our Context is a short hand of his ideas.
So encouraging to read these blogs man. Keep writing!