* It's been awhile since I posted here. Not because I haven't wanted to, but because I haven't had time. Hope you will keep checking because once life slows down I will update much more regularly. In the meantime I do have a short post here. *
I must admit to having a fascination with the slogans and catch phrases that I see on church signs. Mostly because I find it amusing and a little sad to realize the disparity between what outsiders think when they read these signs compared to what the churches think they are saying.
Take a sign I passed today for instance. It read "This Church Is A Hospital For Sinners". Don't misunderstand me. I know what the intent is here. I know what they are trying to say. I realize their motivations are sincere.
The thing is you have to look at this from the perspective of those you are trying to reach. Allow me to look at this statement starting from the word 'sinners'. What is that we Christians are trying not to be? Sinners. What is that we Christians try to avoid? Sin. In other words we look down on sin. We think it's a bad thing to be a sinner. Now don't misunderstand me. I'm not advocating sin or being a sinner. But the people outside our churches aren't stupid. They know this too. We just called them something we think is bad.
Next let's look at the word hospital. What is a hospital? It's a place you go when there is something wrong with you. Here again we have another way that this sign tells people there is something wrong with them. A hospital is a place you go to get something fixed.
So, what have we told the non-Christian that drives by and reads our sign? We have just told them that not only do we think there is something wrong with them, but it is the one thing we find the least acceptable.
Do you think that makes them want to come in and see what the church is about? Of course not. Most people that drive by don't see themselves as sinners. They don't see themselves as needing to be fixed. We have insulted them.
To end I have a suggestion. Instead of putting little supposedly cute sayings and slogans on our church signs hoping to pull people into our churches maybe we should walk outside the doors of our churches and take Jesus love to them.
Christian Terminology
6 days ago
December 13, 2009 5:21 PM
Your post reminded me of this cartoon.
I so agree with you about those crazy church signs.. at best they send mixed messages. Lol.. maybe one should read:
"This Church Is A Country Club for Saints"
December 14, 2009 6:44 PM
Great Cartoon.
"This Church is A Country Club for Saints" would actually be very appropriate for a huge number of churches.
December 14, 2009 11:40 PM
Here are my thoughts -- and I know what you're saying -- honest.
First, I've never like cutsy signs or sayings when it comes to God. I reserve that for my 'witttle bridies and cute wittle fuzzy animals."
In order to be saved, we have to know our condition and what we are being saved from. Salvation cannot come to a person if they don't know they are sick -- and that's the term Jesus used. I'm not going to show up at the hospital until I have some symptom. When I have the symptom, I know I need help even though I could have something going on before I display any symptoms.
People are falsely relying on their goodness -- and that reliance is taking them straight to hell. Part of coming to Christ is knowing the condition we are in. God's love goes along with showing people their need and the consequences of not accepting His gift. You can't have one without the other.
There are Christians that show the other -- teach His wrath without the love as well. In fact, go read my post on angry street preachers. I was horrified at what I saw. Angry and mean. Then there are others that talk about His love without explaining His wrath and that leaves a person in a false sense of security. God is both love and He will judge.
Thanks for this post. I enjoyed it. And I'm glad you visited my blog again because in my revamp of my hard drive, I lost your blog address.
July 11, 2010 9:05 PM
I love what you have to say here. Churches should be havens. I've noticed that when life gets tough for church goers-for instance divorce or unmarried pregnancy, many of them leave the church. Why? They SHOULD be there! But they leave. That's because for the most part, the support isn't there. I agree, better to take the walk out the doors. Jesus' church was on the road.
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