One of my biggest pet peeves is church marquees. To borrow a friend's analogy, they are like the worst of Twitter (X). The example included here (courtesy of ChatGPT) is far less offensive than some actual ones I've seen in my area recently. But even this attempt at wordplay, though adopting a humorous posture, is nevertheless offering commentary about this imaginary congregation's not-so-generous view of other faith traditions.
Digital, screen-printed, or old-school plastic, marquees come in a variety of distasteful flavors. In no particular order, here are just a few types of content that especially make me cringe, groan, and/or low-key rage every time I drive by:
- Dad jokes
- Political commentary or patriotic slogans
- Clunky attempts to make faith pithy
- Sappy invitations that presume to know the audience
- Out-of-context Bible verses or phrases
- Inflammatory or mean-spirited statements presenting one-dimensional theology
- Sadly out-of-touch attempts to be culturally relevant
- Weak efforts to de-legitimize other churches, faiths, or denominations
Who doesn't love a good dad joke, right? I'm a dad. It's like my emotional currency with my kids. But is the church marquee where I want to unload those classic groaners, particularly in association with ideas that I believe are sourced from divine and timeless truth?
How imperative is it that passersby know that the unborn right to life is the capstone of your church's statement of faith, and why does that precede the gospel as the thing of first importance for the community to know about your belief system?
Is it truly helpful to encapsulate in simple catchphrases complex Scriptural teachings that entire volumes have been written to address and expound?
While the inspired words of the Bible have great power, and even an excerpt can be a mechanism the Holy Spirit might use to open eyes to the truth of the gospel, should we continue to feed into soundbyte culture that wants everything condensed into pill form? Or should we instead make it our practice to be inviting them to participate in a much larger, longer, and richer conversation?
I'm just asking questions. I may, in fact, share a church's viewpoint on a particular issue, and yet I cannot align myself with their manner of communication.
As far as I'm concerned, there is only one reason for a church to have a marquee, and that is to communicate relevant information about times for gathering. Even then, I'd still be a proponent of ripping that thing out of the ground and planting a shrubbery instead.
Now that I've complained, let me do some explaining.
Everything communicates, and first impressions are often the most enduring (not the most endearing). The Church's purpose -- being salt and light, a city on a hill, a redeemed and anointed priesthood to the nations -- does not mean we have to take an aggressively outspoken and public stand on every divisive cultural issue. How helpful is it to proclaim what we stand against? Shouldn't we strive to be known only by our love for the simple, uncluttered gospel of Jesus Christ: God Himself freely offered for sinners? Those outside our gatherings need only the invitation to come. There, they will hear from us -- personally and over time! -- our particular views on and practices of all other matter of ethics, faith, and theology, where they can be more fully treated and understood.
There is no possible way to encapsulate a rich and nuanced theological point in the amount of characters available on a marquee. One-liners are a butchers knife or a cudgel while truly pastoral teaching requires a scalpel, wielded with laser-focused precision. Churches should never prefer bluntness over carefulness, especially not in their most forward and exposed statements to the community around them. It's easier than ever to be misunderstood in a TikTok-trained, media-saturated, ADHD soundbyte culture, so why feed into the trend?
Attempts at cleverness directly undermine compassion and care. Is it really a good thing for people to get the sense that your church is "down-to-earth" and "doesn't take itself too seriously?" Do we not cheapen or tarnish something precious and of infinite value by making light of it? Are not the things pertaining to following Christ of eternal importance? Is not the gospel a message of hope and rescue to hurting and needy people? We should adopt the Apostle Paul's sincerity: he insisted that believers must not be like street peddlers of worthless trinkets, just trying to make a buck for themselves, but rather present ourselves as ambassadors of the New Covenant, proclaiming the triumph of Christ over sin and death, and inviting the lost into an eternal Kingdom of healing and hope (2 Cor 2.17).
Loud political opinions reflect poorly examined and badly applied theology. It's worth remembering that there are genuine, grace-covered followers of Jesus Christ on both sides of almost every single issue that divides us. After all, Jesus called both Matthew (a tax-collecting stooge for Rome) and Simon (an anti-imperialist Jewish zealot) to walk together with Him in their shared ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. Even if you can argue your view from Scripture as the "right" one, truth cannot be properly articulated without grace, because our beliefs are not isolated or disconnected from our conduct. Our manner of speech, verbal or in print, should always reflect Christ's heart of compassion for those who are lost, and a willingness to pursue unity even in our various perspectives. Broadcasted marquee opinions are, by their very nature, devoid of tact and opposed to the spiritual discipline of good listening (Jas 1.19).
Personal invitation is always more gospel-centric than enticement or provocation. By their messaging, some churches seem to favor luring the spiritually curious into their services. The marquee is like a movie teaser for the jaw-dropping blockbuster release of the sermon. Others use intentionally divisive language as a challenge to outsiders, daring them to react. Either approach reeks of arrogance. If our goal is to be mysterious and coy, we reveal our pride over our own spiritual insight and imply that we delight to make theologically uneducated people feel small. Faithful preaching is neither entertainment, nor should it be an opportunity to flex our spiritual muscles. On the other hand, if our intent is to use our marquee to spout fire and brimstone, it may as well be a bullet-riddled "No Trespassing" sign, declaring to the community that anyone holding a different viewpoint is unwelcome and beyond the saving hope of the gospel.
Bottom line: it's problematic for a church to misrepresent Christ, the gospel, and God's intent for His people. As churches, God's people should strive to be as clear, thoughtful, and intentional as possible in all of their communication efforts, especially those targeting the community outside, who have no context to understand our levity or passion. As individual followers of Christ, it's likewise critical that we be purposeful and winsome in how we communicate. Everything from bumper stickers to t-shirts to social media posts must be weighed carefully. These things don't nearly point to Christ as much as we might think they do. More often, they just serve to highlight our own ideas and opinions, not the gospel.
So! I'm routinely grateful that our church doesn't have a marquee out front. If we ever do get one, well...