Church Signs

3 “And in the morning, ‘There will be a storm today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ Do you know how to discern the appearance of the sky, but cannot discern the signs of the times? -- Matthew 16:3 (NASB95)

The moment God is figured out with nice, neat lines and definitions, we are no longer dealing with God. —Rob Bell

I see some funny things on the Internet. I subscribe to some humor resources, and Facebook is good for a laugh on most days. I recently saw a whole blog about church signs. Here are a few good ones:

● Honk if you love Jesus; Text while driving if you want to see him!

● Bring your spiritual marshmallows, our Pastor is on fire!

● Try the bread of life or be toast!

● Sin burn is prevented by Son screen!

● Our congregation is like fudge; sweet with a few nuts!

● Presbyterian Church Parking: Public welcome except during church functions!

My favorite is that last one! I think I know what they meant, but the sign makes them look like the public isn’t welcome at their church.

Obviously, the quote from Jesus above, and these church signs are two very different things. But not completely. I think Jesus implied that people should be able to “read” the signs of the times in which they live. Church signs are often a reflection of our time. “Texting” would have made no sense at all 20 years ago. Today, it makes perfect sense. Every sign demands that we understand how we communicate, and what we’re communicating about.

That leads to my question. What do you think people “read” when they take notice of us? What do they see? What do they hear? Are we like the church with a few nuts? Is your “pastor” on fire? Is the public welcome at our church functions? People will read us. That’s a fact. The only question is what will they read.