In The Rise of Christianity, Rodney Stark claims that Christianity grew as a religious movement because the early church cared for the sick and dying. The community's healing work incorporated touch, personal relationship, physical care, nourishment, and spiritual concern. Stark believes that these simple practices were curative and won converts from the less holistic Roman religious system.

Attending to the sick remains one of the most important things that faith communities do. When life is threatened, congregations support, pray, bless, and root people in a tradition of faith and meaning. They organize care teams, visit the afflicted, hold healing services and bring food.

A grounding in ancient traditions of healing and a wealth of experience in caring for the dying and their families ought to put congregational leadership, both lay and ordained, in a strong position to speak to the culture about what it means to approach the end of life. But most often, the voices that guide us are from the medical professions, the academy, the social sciences, or even the media.

For instance, On Our Own Terms, the recent public television series on dying produced by Bill and Judith Moyers, spoke powerfully to the experience of the terminally ill and their families. The series highlighted spiritual issues and ways that palliative care programs can ameliorate suffering and restore hope and dignity to the dying, but it did not mention the role that congregations play in this process.

This omission is not limited to this television series. While faith communities are known to be active in caring, they are rarely featured as critical voices in the movement to improve the way we deal with death in our society. Congregations share some of the responsibility for this gap. They need to be more assertive in identifying and claiming their unique contribution.

To claim their voice, congregations will need to do some work. First, congregations should clarify what they bring to the table. In the past century, religious bodies have given too much authority over to medicine, psychology, and sociology. The theological and pastoral ground in which congregations are rooted is rich and needs to be made explicit.

For instance, an informal survey of Jewish and Christian resolutions on end-of-life issues found remarkably similar guiding assumptions. These assumptions included a recognition that life is a gift from God, not to be squandered; an awareness of the complexity of life; and an embracing of the ambiguities that exist across the spectrum between life and death. Each resolution addressed the importance of community to human relationships. Each promoted a holistic view of human life and warned against idolizing the body and bodily life. And each resolution spoke to hope and the power of faith in preserving meaning and purpose as people approach the end of life. Congregants can feel confident in contributing these perspectives to the end-of-life movement.

Second, congregations must build time for reflection into their service framework. Professional and lay caregivers need to have meaningful conversation about their work. They need language and tools to process their activity, ground it in the theology and tradition of their faith, and develop their leadership ability.

Finally, congregations need to engage with others doing similar work. Too often, faith leaders and congregation members work in isolation from other caregivers. Training in interfacing with health systems and social service agencies would increase their confidence and facilitate interdisciplinary dialogue.

As Rodney Stark suggests, simple acts of caring can be profoundly healing, and their effects can transform culture. Congregations need to trust that they have a powerful perspective to share. They need to bring their work and wisdom forward.

Works Cited
Rodney Stark, The Rise of Christianity (Harper: San Francisco, 1997).