Here's Your Sign

I passed this church on the way back to work today after lunch and had to stop and take a picture. I've "painted" out the name of the church because it's not really important.

Can you read the fence? (If you click on it, the picture might get a little bit bigger) It says, "Private Parking...Tow Zone." It's spray painted on with white paint in really big letters. I'm sure the fence actually is owed by whoever owns the little white building; I doubt the church owns it. Even so, every time I pass this church, I think how unwelcoming it looks...how rude and unChristian it appears. That's why I painted out the name of the church -- I don't think it's their fault (at least I hope not).

Do we sometimes appear that way to outsiders? NO PARKING. DON'T COME HERE. We don't spray paint on our fences, but in what other ways to we deliver the same message?

• Do we welcome someone new in the worship service, or do we just look at them? I do this -- I just stare, sometimes -- I did it this past Sunday. It's bad, and it isn't welcoming.
• We are more comfortable with the people we know. Do we step out of our group to include new people?
• Is our church welcoming to a newcomer? Is it clean? Does it have signs that lead the way? Does it have people who lead the way?

If a visitor were to critique us, and then say, "Here's your sign," what would that sign say?

On a different note -- I go back and read posts sometimes, and I've been thinking about yesterday's post. The 1 Timothy 2 scripture still bothers me, but I should have said how blessed I am to belong to a church that doesn't expect me to be silent. Not only does my church allow me to teach, but the people in that church -- those there now, and those who are gone -- have nurtured me in that endeavor. I am well and truly blessed.