Why Are Ends So Bad?

Today I'm preaching the last service of Due West's 11am Contemporary service. It was an attempt to reach a new audience and demographic. It had so many things going for it yet it did not meet the purpose.

It is hard to close things out. I've been going around about this all week since I was asked to do this service. I also know the struggle our Annual Conference goes through when we have to close churches. It is so ironic that I'm ending one thing at the same time we're preparing to start something totally new.

Yet, isn't this the way of the Church? Isn't this the way of the Christ, dying even as we are starting new? Tell me, Paul wrote a whole bunch of letters to churches in the New Testament. Other than the church in Rome, can a case be made that any of those churches still exists?

This week, I took some time and reflected on "An Order for Disbanding a Congregation" in the UMC Book of Worship. I've prepared it to serve our service this morning and thought I'd share it as an opportunity to use it in other ways in ministry.

An Order for Disbanding a Service

This service was organized as a part of Christ’s holy Church and of His church here at Due West. It was God’s gift for a season.
We are thankful for the many and differing ways it has served the mission.

However, we declare that it is no longer a service and is now disbanded.

But Christ’s holy Church is of God, and will be preserved to the end of time, for the conduct of worship and the due administration of God’s Word and Sacraments, the maintenance of Christian fellowship and discipline, the edification of believers, and the conversion of the world.

We remain part Christ’s ongoing Church, and as we go our ways from here we shall still be one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world, until Christ comes in final victory and we feast at his heavenly banquet.


Further Thoughts...
It maybe that we need to recover one of our symbols of the early church, that of the phoenix. The symbol of the mythical bird was a dramatic reminder of the resurrection life. An end of things is the opportunity for beginning a new. The Church does not die when a ministry, service or church (with a little 'c') comes to a close. Ending well maybe a significant foundation for beginning well.


May I Ask: When have you had to bring something to an end? How well did it end? How could it have done better?

May I Suggest: Consider something in your life, work or ministry that needs to be ended. How will you end it well? Share what you did here.