Ugly signs

Just a crazy story.  When we say "to God be the glory"... here is what I mean.  So a long, long time ago maybe over a year ago a brother in the church suggested we put out a sign before services.  We used to do that when we were on the other side of town.  I thought is a good idea and so we encouraged him to build it, which he did.  After a while an artist added to the sign with paint and addressed it in a really impressionistic and fancy way.  Every event we had the artist would repaint the sign with the event and then back over it again with the church meeting info for Sundays and such. 

After a while the sign just got put in the back of the church.  180 functions out of a coffee house so there is no signage at all for the church, so we pretty much function via word of mouth.  About 5 months ago I started being convicted to put the sign out, but I wanted it to be pretty.  So I told all the painters/artsy types to paint it all angles and edges not fru fru.  Well that didn't go far because who do you know that is artsy wants to paint stencily?  So I took it home and put about 2 days into it.  Making it all lines and edges, painted the whole sign black with freehand lettering.  At best it resembled 2nd grade cursive, but it was done by golly.  Next thing I know the sign got taken to a yard sale and was relettered.  I could have died.  Only because the sign ultimately kept sitting and never being used. 

Well this weekend I took out that old sign and for the second week in a row sat it on the sidewalk.  Ironically, one side of the sign isn't even finished.  It is a bit ridiculous, but I am so frustrated about this thing that I put it out in its deplorable space, hoping someone came in from the other side that they might see the "finished" signage and details of worship and our meeting.

Well, the service was fine as we talked about not worrying and reading Matthew chapter 6.  I felt the presence of the Lord was with us.  After service on the way out I was instructed to talk to a man who did not feel comfortable coming up to prayer.  I asked him as I introduced myself how I could help him.  He responded in tears, "I want to know Jesus."  We went to the back room and I listened to learn of this homeless man's story.  He had only been in a church 2 times in his life.  Now at 43, he was homeless, broken, and ready for God to forgive him of all his sins.  It moved me for sure.  Well the process for salvation doesn't change for economics we all know well, so we prayed to the God that cares and Jesus came into that man's heart I am sure of it. 

Just tonight, I was going through the information that new attenders fill out for us and put in our "giving box".  One of the fields of questions we sort is, "How did you hear about us?"  The man's answer:  "Sign out front."

Here's to ugly signs

-Stu