One of the things I enjoy doing is reading church signs. You almost experience a whole sermon as you drive through our community which is full of little churches with their various messages. Some are funny “I’m all about that grace, that grace, no devil.” Some are silly “Truth decay? Brush up on your Bible.” Some show tensions in their denomination “We still preach from the King James and sing old fashioned songs.” Or “We offer contemporary worship.” Others teach general truths, “All Christians have the same boss.” But the question I have in my mind is, are all of these signs really true?
A few years ago I suggested we get one of those fancy signs with digital displays and fancy colors. The elders, finding that the cost was well over $15,000, told me that it probably wasn’t my best idea ever. But if we did have a sign, what would it say? Would it be something like “CH__CH what’s missing? U R” or “God loves you and we do too.”
Maybe, But would it be true? You know there are some congregations where there would be trouble if their signs had to be truthful.
“You can come, but don’t sit in my pew.” “Its okay if you visit, but don’t bring a screaming baby.” “We would rather not have anyone who doesn’t look or act like us.”
Its easy to put out a sign, but we wonder what our sign should say each week. You know it doesn’t cost $15,000 but the best sign we have is each of the members of our congregation. As you go to school, work and the lake, you bear on you the influence of the church here where you attend. People will judge us by our members. What does you sign say? Are you light in this dark world and salt to this bland earth?
Mark's Mark 