Is it just me, or is anybody else sick to death of the cute little messages that just about every little church on a rural route puts on their church sign?
Not only are the overwhelming majority of these messages completely irrelevant and altogether retarded, but they may just be the catalyst of the demise of the temperament and atmosphere of the Christian church in Western culture. Okay, so maybe that’s a little far, but maybe not as far as you might think.
My experience has been that many of these messages contain poor grammar, poor spelling, poor theology and a lot of them even make light of hell and other very serious faith issues… it’s all just one more mark on an already crowded tally of “Ways Some of Us Make All of Us Look Stupid.”
In addition, maybe these churches are pushing the part of the population they are trying to reach further and further from their doors by reducing the life changing message of Jesus Christ to a bunch of banner lines and catch phrases written in “christianese.” Could it be that a nonbeliever, heck even a believer, who is facing real problems, real addictions, and real life drives by, sees the sign and thinks, “‘Free trip to heaven, details in side?’ I can barely get through a day in this world without blowing my effin’ brains out… This church has nothing relevant to say to my situation.”
Maybe there’s some truth there… Maybe I’m just ranting because I really hate those signs… In any case, ATTENTION churches with signs: if you have nothing relevant to say, please, in the name of all that’s good and holy, don’t write it on you stupid little sign!
August 9, 2007 at 8:58 am
I have to agree with you on this! Why make us look cheesy and stupid…if you don’t have anything to say, then why open your mouth (or your sign)!!
August 9, 2007 at 10:28 pm
No kidding. It’s my most hated pet peeve about downhome, shut-our-eyes, stare-out-at-the-world churches.
They wouldn’t bother me at all if they would just leave passing cars alone!
August 12, 2007 at 8:54 pm
I saw another winner today on my way home…
“Attend Church. Even A Caveman Can Do It!”
If you’re going to try and be cute and rip off the marketing campaign of a nationally recognized company, at least get it right! It’s a mistake to use it regardless, but if you’re gonna do it at least quote the campaign correctly! The sign should’ve read, “Church. So easy a caveman can do it.”
But is it easy to attend church? No, it’s not. If you don’t attend church regularly, not only did this church just “talk down to you,” but they also said that if you do decide to visit their service… If you decide to walk into a building full of people you don’t know, people who are all a part of a strange culture you don’t understand, people who speak a language you don’t understand (Christianese)… If you decide to swallow your fear and “attend church,” this church just told you that it’s not one of the biggest, hardest and best decisions of your life. Instead, you’re just a retard for not attending their services in the past… c’mon retard, you’re smarter than a caveman, right?
August 28, 2007 at 2:37 pm
I hate, hate, hate stupid signs. If I wanted cheesy, I’d go to McDonalds, thank you very much.
For years, before my husband starting pastoring here, we had a sign that would very often say stupid things….but no where around the church could you find a sign telling you what time church started.
Talk about messed up priorities! Maybe THAT should go on a sign! *grin*
August 28, 2007 at 3:34 pm
“If I wanted cheesy, I’d go to McDonalds…” Lol! Great line!
September 4, 2007 at 10:03 am
While I was in Devil’s Oven, TN this weekend, I seen possibly the greatest evangelistic sign of all time, “If you think it’s hot up here, this is mild compared to Hell”. I bet hundreds of thousands of souls have been ‘converted’ because of that sign alone.
September 4, 2007 at 10:20 am
No doubt! Why didn’t I think of that?!? Compare the place where people will be separated from God to the summer heat… That should scare the hell out of ‘em and get ‘em in the doors, huh?
#1 – It doesn’t scare anybody.
#2 – We shouldn’t be trying to scare people in anyway.
#3 – The most terrifying aspect of Hell is the complete and utter absense of God, not the “flames.”
Gimme a break…
September 5, 2007 at 1:13 pm
If the sign fits, read it. By and large they are silly attempts to build a bridge. However, when I was in charge of the sign at our church I was surprised on occasion when someone would call and give a positive comment about the sign. Right now, there’s a sign on my way home that says, “Don’t be discouraged. Moses started out as a basket case.” Now, the theology of the sign is ignorant. But my wife said, “Thank God! There’s hope for me!” as we drove by the other day. My bottom line: It’s not the signs job to reach people, it’s mine.
September 5, 2007 at 3:21 pm
Nice perspective Ken! That’s the first positive I’ve heard…
(I still hate those signs tho… Lol!)