ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
July 8, 2026
I have clergy friends who talk about how quiet their church campuses are during the week. Quiet is not the word I’d use around Cypress Creek Christian Church. And it’s not just the church, but everything happening around this little community compound. Of course, we had VBS and kids that brought lots of energy. The museum had a youth arts camp, and the library seemed to be buzzing. Judge Goodwin at the Courthouse appeared to have a number of weddings, some of them coming over to our campus to take pictures. The George Bush Community Center had a couple of field trips that required buses, and so people were wandering around waiting until they could board their buses. And there were some community families on our playground enjoying the summer. It was definitely not a dull place, and it rarely is. In the Book of Acts, the Apostle Paul usually would gather with people in the Synagogue when he first arrived in a new town. Yes, the Synagogue was a worship space, but even more so, it was a community center and the center of community life. You didn’t just show up on the Sabbath, as it was an exciting place to be at any point during the week. In some small towns, it is the diner with the really good biscuits. Other places, it is the VFW Hall. Or there was a small town in Nebraska where the hangout place was the front porch of the hardware store found on the town square. Over the years, more and more churches have become rather protective of their spaces. They limit access to the community, outside of Sunday morning. Instead of the church being the center of life and culture, from an outside perspective, it looks uninviting. When I first arrived at the church in Florida, they had seventeen “No Trespassing” signs on their three parking lots. They were concerned that people were using their parking lots during the week. Well, first, if the church doesn’t need those parking spots, should we be gracious and hospitable? Even more concerning, despite the No Trespassing signs intended to keep people from parking, what do all those signs communicate to someone just driving by… or on Sunday morning? They didn’t take them down, suggesting that people understood. No, they did not! To anyone approaching the church, it said, “You’re not welcome here!” I kept two of those signs as a reminder. Cypress Creek Christian Church couldn’t be any more different, and I love it… as I sort of believe it’s what a church’s property should communicate.
Wherever the church gathers, the people should see you, O Merciful and Kind God. Even the small things should say to the casual observer: You are welcome here! Continue to bless us as we strive toward a Jesus revealing life. Amen.
