Thoughts which carry me to Jesus, and to the Cross:

“But he lifted up our illnesses, he carried our pain; even though we thought he was being punished, attacked by God, and afflicted for something he had done. He was wounded because of our rebellious deeds, crushed because of our sins; he endured punishment that made us well; because of his wounds we have been healed. All of us had wandered off like sheep; each of us had strayed off on his own path, but the LORD caused the sin of all of us to attack him. He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth. He was led away after an unjust trial— but who even cared? Indeed, he was cut off from the land of the living; because of the rebellion of his own people he was wounded.” (Isaiah 53:4–8, NET)

“Therefore, be imitators of God as dearly loved children and live in love, just as Christ also loved us and gave himself for us, a sacrificial and fragrant offering to God.” (Ephesians 5:1–2, NET)

The first work that blessed Francis undertook, after he had gained his freedom from the hands of his carnally-minded father, was to build a house of God. He did not try to build a new one, but he repaired an old one, restored an ancient one. He did not tear out the foundation, but he built upon it, always reserving to Christ his prerogative, although unaware of it, for no one can lay another foundation, but that which has been laid, which is Christ Jesus

959         When they take their little children in their arms, mothers—good mothers— make sure they do not have any pins in their clothes which could hurt them. When we deal with souls, we should have the same gentleness, together with all the determination required.

It was nearly 30 years ago that I was told, “just close the church, start a bunch of Bible Studies and re-open the church in 6 or 9 months with a new name.”

So said my mentors, experts in planting churches and in church growth. The church under discussion had diminished to the point where attendance could be counted on two hands and a foot, and all but my wife and I were over 70.

11 years later I was told – don’t accept the call to that church, it will kill you and it will die within 2-3 years. The people are too broken, too argumentative, too divided. No pastor can change that. DON’T TAKE IT.

Yesterday, I saw a young pastor suggesting that such “dead” churches can find growth by simply becoming a “church plant”, and using the same strategies that you would if you were starting from scratch.

What I believed in my young naivete, I know now to be true. Do that, and you will have a nice empty building to sell, and underwrite more church planting failures.

What if, instead of forcing their hand, writing the old guard of the church off and running them off, we actually imitated Christ in their presence. What if we joined them in their brokenness and carried it to Jesus with them? What if we lived in love for them, sacrificing what is needed, and didn’t care if the rest of the world noticed?  What if we treated them with the pastoral care that a mother has for her little children.

Francis didn’t try to build a new church, but rebuild the ancient one. These churches that once thrived and were community centers. welcoming broken people and offering them life in Christ. Oddly enough, that church is still there, centuries later, still pointing to Jesus, still telling people their sins are forgiven, still giving out the sacraments. It’s “life-cycle” didn’t end at 40 years, its meaningful ministry keeps going.

I firmly believe the age of church planting is over. What we need in the USA and Europe is too rebuild on the ancient foundations of Christ. It will take sacrifice, it will mean joining people in their brokenness, it will means ministry…and prayer,

SO be it.

Escrivá, Josemaría. Furrow (p. 162). Scepter Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Pasquale, G., ed. (2011). Day by Day with Saint Francis: 365 Meditations (p. 230). New City Press.