“You think it’s hot here!”

That is from an actual sign marquee in front of a church in Northern Arkansas that a friend saw earlier this summer. I know that it’s not original at all. Probably got it from some little “Church Marquee Sayings for Dummies” book at the local Christian bookstore. Are you kidding me? Katy, bar the door because people are going to come flocking to your church with an attitude like that! I find it humorous, but also extremely sad when we continue to have this almost weekly text of really bad marquee sayings. They might be funny to someone . . . I guess the guy who puts them up on the marquee, but they continue to send a sad message to the rest of the world. The message is that “we have it all together” and “you are not welcome, unless you straighten up.” We have a statement around here that says “No Perfect People Allowed.” It’s not that we aren’t striving to live holy lives for God. It is just that we want to send a message to those outside of this community of faith that they matter to God and they can come to Him no matter what their condition.

The air conditioning is broken in the sanctuary and won’t be fixed until Monday. That saying of “you think it’s hot in here” has been said several times around here lately, even by me, and is quite funny . . . but it is also quite sad that we sometimes forget what we are about and minimize what Christ did in conquering the grave. I want us to always have a good time, but also always think of what Christ has done for us to keep us out of the eternal fires of hell–separated from Christ for eternity.

See you on Sunday . . . with your shorts and flip flops on . . . cause it’s going to be pretty warm. I think I’ll become a child again on Sunday so I can hang out in the cool air!