11-06-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
November 6, 2025
So yesterday, I was driving through Oklahoma City, on my way to a Board Meeting of the Christian Church Foundation. On the outskirts of OKC, I noticed a billboard that said, “Jolly Goat Garage Doors.” I did a double take as I initially thought I might have misread the sign. Upon arriving at my hotel, I looked it up, and that is exactly what it is, a garage door company called Jolly Goat. I’m thinking to myself, “There’s got to be a story behind that name,” and though I didn’t research it a lot, I wasn’t able to find anything. And maybe that was the point as I will probably remember that name, even though their locations are exclusively in Oklahoma, and thus I will probably never need them. Cypress Creek Christian Church is not a name, by itself, that is going to catch the attention of someone, but as people hear a little bit about us, they tend to be intrigued. Many of them do a deeper dive on our website, through a phone call, or maybe a contact through social media. There are some wonderful things about our church that do set us apart. A few years ago, I had a conversation with some folks from another church that was struggling. I asked them, “What makes your church unique?” Their response was quite uninspiring. The only thing they could come up with was, “We’re a very friendly church.” They kept repeating that phrase over and over. I’m not suggesting that churches come up with a gimmick to grab attention. In fact, I believe the Gospel of Jesus is already pretty outlandish, and if we allow the Spirit to call us to act in a unique way within our unique context, I feel pretty confident that it will speak loudly and distinctly. The Gospel is never generic or boring. Jesus is always seeking to show up in every context, no matter how peculiar it might be. And though the heart of the Gospel does not change, this unconditional and unrelenting love continues to find ways of coming alive in unexpected and shocking ways. 

No one was expecting a messiah to be born in a barn, and no one imagined this gift to the world being executed. Holy God, continue to show us how and where your Gospel needs us to serve as a conduit, bringing alive a message that continues to be absurd, even radical in its nature. Amen.