I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgment; thorns had come up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins.  I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw:  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest -- and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man (Proverbs 24:30-34).

There are a lot of buildings throughout the city of Amsterdam that were formerly used (and originally designed) as a church spaces -- but have since been repurposed for some other use.  The best term I can come up with for such buildings is "church carcasses" (the body is still there but the soul is gone); anyway, whatever you call them, there are a lot of these buildings around Amsterdam.  So one day, I decided that I was just going to get on my bicycle and ride around the city, taking pictures of these “church carcasses” wherever they lie throughout the city.  It’s surprising to see the variety of uses for these old buildings!  These urban spaces now being used as museums, community centers, offices, conference facilities, exhibition spaces, restaurants... There’s one in our neighborhood that houses a thrift store and day-care center and another one that houses the city's urban planning office.  There’s one that serves as one of the most popular night-clubs in the city and another one that is a kind of haunted-house themed tourist trap.  The University of Amsterdam uses one of them as a lecture hall.  But I think maybe my favorite of all is the church carcass out in the western part of the city which currently serves as a rock-climbing facility!

When I started out, I thought to myself:  "Ah, it's no big deal.  It's an interesting photography project -- but it's not the building that makes a church.  I shouldn't get worked up about some deeper spiritual meaning to the historical development of the city."  But I have to admit, as I went along I felt increasingly heavy-hearted.  It felt sad to see so many of these "church carcasses" scattered around, piled up throughout the city.  It graphically demonstrates the massive cultural shift that has occurred (and is still occurring) in the West over the last 100 years or so (not that these cultural shifts have been all bad, but still...).  It's very clear to see the declined (and still declining) influence of the Church within our society.  The "church carcasses" photography project reminds me of the horrific mortality rate of churches in Amsterdam.

In the first half of the 20th Century, the Netherlands was one of the most “Christian” societies in the world, with about 85% of all people practicing members of the Church.  But ever since the Second World War, the Church’s influence has taken a nosedive—to the point that active church involvement in the Netherlands is now limited to less than 5% of the population.  In the cities (such as Amsterdam), that figure is more like 1%.  Suffice to say, the Church is sick.  The causes of this decline are many and varied.  There are all kinds of studies out there about the decline of Christianity, the rise of Postmodernity, the clash with Middle-Eastern cultures and religions... But I, personally, have started to wonder if a significant portion of the Church's decline in Amsterdam has been related to its lack of motivation and lack of action, in the face of difficulties.

Yes, of course, the attrocities of the Second World War played into the abandonment of faith -- something along the lines of "How could a loving God allow so much evil and destruction to happen?"  But I've also gotten the sense that many Christians have wondered if they could have or should have done more to stop the deportation of Jews, putting their faith into action and letting themselves be persecuted for righteousness if it came down to it.  Yes, obviously Postmodern thought has dominated the intellectual landscape of Europe over the last several decades, and this too has impacted the influence of the Church.  But again, I've heard many Christians wondering if they could have or should have done more to mount an intellectual defense to Faith -- and a challenge to some of the underlying tenets of the popular thought patterns -- before it became "too late."  And yes, immigration and birth rates of people from the Middle East have played into the decline of "Christian Holland."  But it seems to me that the Muslims in the Netherlands are a lot more willing to be "radical" and "different" from the secular culture around them -- while the Christians have generally seemed to be more happy to go with the flow.

Perhaps my criticism of the Church in the Netherlands is too harsh (especially looking at it as something of an "outsider").  I probably don't know enough to really make any solid accusations in this direction.  But when I look at my life and ministry in the Netherlands (now having spent the better part of the past decade working here in Amsterdam), I realize that we who follow Jesus have to wake up and become proactive, if circumstances are ever going to change here in the city.  We cannot be content with trying to maintain the status quo.  "A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest" -- and poverty, decline, and dwindling congregations will come on us like a bandit, and scarcity like an armed man.  As a leader of a struggling-and-striving little church, amidst all these colossal carcasses of Amsterdam, I can worry and wonder:  What hope is there, really, for our future?  Can we seriously hope for a lasting legacy in our families, in our communities?  But when I realize that Jesus is the resurrection and the life -- one able to heal the sick (even sick churches) and raise the dead (even dead systms of faith) -- then I am encouraged.  I am encouraged to fight the temptation to slumber (Revelation 16:15), pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and work hard (in God's grace) to fulfill our created purpose to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Ephesians 2:9).