August 24, 2009

Church Experiment #34: Concordia Lutheran

I felt incredibly conflicted going into this week’s visit. A few months ago, a member of Concordia Lutheran Church emailed me to say she had been following the Church Experiment, and sadly, her church had just dispersed a letter saying they would be closing their doors after 160 years.

She thought a church’s final service might be an interesting experience. I agreed.

Then, last week, she wrote me again saying August 23 was the day. After 160 years, Concordia Lutheran was gathering as a church body one last time. What first seemed interesting suddenly became sad.

The last thing I wanted to do was exploit a church in its darkest hour. But from the beginning, I committed to following God on this journey, and too many signs were pointing in the direction of Concordia Lutheran to ignore the nudge.

So, this week’s stop is a little different. Instead of critiquing Concordia Lutheran, I decided to experience their final service through the eyes of its members. I want to tell their story, not mine. Through a few hundred words, this is my best shot …

To finish reading about this experience or any of the reflections from my 52 visits, please purchase the full book here.