Posted on 04/19/2014 6:23:29 AM PDT by Gamecock
A church in Grapevine, Texas, is getting into the Easter spirit this week by creating a giant chalk-portrait of Jesus Christ in their parking lot.
Fellowship Church is led by Pastor Ed Young, who started the evangelical Christian church in 1990 with about 150 people in Irving. They now have 10 church campuses worldwide. His father is Dr. Ed Young, the head of Second Baptist here in Houston.
According to church spokesman Andy Boyd, the 17,000-square-foot drawing of the face of Jesus took 700 volunteers over 9,100 man-hours to create. They also used 6,700 individual pieces of chalk and 125 bags of charcoal, for the black parts of the drawing. The creation is little under half the size of a football field.
The project was only days in the planning stages, Boyd says. Pastor Young woke up with the idea and set out to make it a reality.
"He got the idea a week ago to create the world's largest chalk Jesus," Boyd said. One week later, volunteers showed up to make it happen.
"Work began at 7 a.m. on Wednesday morning and worked until the sun went down that night," says Boyd. It took a little over 12 hours to create.
It can be seen from planes flying into and out of nearby Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.
It's a part of the church's Art of Easter celebration, based on the pastor's current sermon series, which runs through this weekend. Boyd said Young will be painting as a part of his sermons this weekend.
Easter and Christmas are the two biggest holidays when people who don't have a relationship with a church go looking for one, Boyd said. The drawing is a way to create interest in the church.
Local stores let the church buy the chalk at below sale price, he said.
Is the church worried about rain washing away the drawing?
"It actually rained a bit yesterday, and we are expecting some rain on Sunday," says Boyd. "If that happens we'll just have the world's largest abstract portrait."
Boyd said the church is rather unique in the fact that they have embraced projects like this and they have also keyed into social media with their flock.
'We have Selfie Sundays where we encourage church members to take pics of themselves in church," Boyd says.
Years later, maybe 15 years ago, give or take, I heard the Stations of the Cross on (Catholic) EWTN radio during Lent. As far as I could tell, the narrator had the exact same voice as the Rapha emcee, and, to my mind, must have been the same person.
Small world.
And I would contend that my view is more studied, literal interpretation of the Scriptures. You're the one taking liberties with what visual symbols you approve and disapprove. Furthermore, a symbol representing the Divine (whether it be a word, a painting, a sculpture etc.) is not worshipped as the Divine, and I no more worship an image of Christ as I (or you, I presume) worship the letters, "C-H-R-I-S-T." They are icons; symbols which represent something, and not the thing itself. To attribute that behavior to another when it is not true is false witness. Check and see what Scripture says about that...
Each year the crowds get bigger and it is really crowded at each station. Wall to wall crowded. Many children take the tour and are really affected by it. It is just wonderful.
You haven’t made an argument from Scripture yet. Instead you babble based on what seems right in your limited fallen mind.
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”
—Colossians 2:8
“There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
—Proverbs 14:12
I don’t expect to change your mind, but for others I am including a link to a good article on the use of images.
**I have invited over 300 to church. I do know that 156 went to my church at least once.**
I always understand from St. Paul not to boast — is that correct?
I gave some numbers because others were talking about numbers and what we as a mega church do.
My wife and I do keep track of our numbers because missionaries do so in order to report to their financial backers the results of using their money to bring people to Jesus.
If we find that a program stops working we fold it and try something else. It is just good stewardship of volunteer’s time and money.
Someone asked the question and I answered it.
A good friend of mine is a missionary in Africa, India and the Phillipines. He and his people have twice baptized 40,000 in one week.
In comparison my numbers are not bragging material at all. Embarrassingly small.
I attended a Willowcreek church too for a while but i sort of regard that church as a halfway house between my extremely liberal Presbyterian up bringing and my current conservative Southern Baptist church.
It had its place but I moved on.
Yes brother ultimately . Peace in Christ. Enjoy your Sunday.
Used to be that just prior to landing at LAX’s runway 27R one would fly over a big roof proclaiming “JESUS SAVES”.
Why is that the bottom line? Why is that a good outreach? By your own reasoning, then you must think that Mormon or Jehovah Witness forums are also great outreach, as would one by Westboro Baptist church. People talking ABOUT Jesus is not the gospel. It is not worship. Looking at a picture that people may perceive to be Jesus is not the gospel, nor is it worship.
"And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
Scripture does not say that faith comes from a chalk drawing of some man's idea of what the Savior looked like before His death, or people sitting at their computers "talking" to each other.
You haven't even tried. You've posted links to what others have written without addressing my basic question, which is, "Why do you approve of some visual representations of Christ (i.e. written words), but not others?" You're contention is that the written word is the only permissible visual symbology.
This too is a visual symbol that conveys the notion of Christ to others...
...Were the early Christians who used it guilty of heresy?
If that be so, then what's up with this other thread you started?
Could it be -- that you may owe apology (or at least a smidgin of acknowledgment) to 'buffaloguy'?
If himself speaking of numbers is bragging -- then, would that not same logic serve elsewhere?
If it is not bragging, then please come back to this thread and retract or re-word the leading question.
I haven’t answered because I owe you no response. I don’t care to go back and forth debating your ideas or trying to convince you. Make an argument from the Scripture and we might have something to discuss. I merely stated the truth from the Scriptures as I understand them and I posted the writings of others based on their understanding from the Scripture.
The only way for Christians to answer such questions are from the Word. Truth doesn’t spring from the minds of fallen men. (”The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”) It doesn’t matter what I think and it doesn’t matter what you think. All that matters is what God has said through the inspired writings of His prophets and apostles.
I will, however, say this: His Word is not a graven image.
“Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.”
—John 17:17
“And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”
—2 Timothy 3:16
It’s fine if you don’t agree with my position, which is nothing more than the classic Protestant position of those who came out of the Reformation holding to the regulative principal of worship. I know full well most today will not agree with my understanding of the 2nd Commandment. I also know most have never even considered the question so they react based on emotion, not the truth of the Word. However, some with ears to hear have read the links I posted and already emailed to thank me, so I know I haven’t wasted my time.
“What exactly are you looking for here?”
Don’t lump all ‘mega-churches’ into one lump. I attend a large church. It has powerful Spirit-filled services. It is large because people are spiritually fed, have experiences mighty miracles and breakthroughs in their lives, and as a result have invited their family and friends.
Many ministers have been spawned from this church as well as global ministries.
God moves in mega churches, down to home churches.
“Preach in all things you do and if necessary use words.”
Unexpected service to others is a great sermon. It has worked for 2,000 years.
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal.
Which is my point, exactly. You merely take issue with the way others choose to depict His Word. Is an Bible in the English language more correct than one in Japanese, or one in Navajo? If a Bible verse that is quoted in any language other than that in which it was originally spoken or written, the logical extension of the links you posted is that it is a perversion of the Truth. That His Word be depicted in Mandarin Chinese, Hindi, or any other language does not, in my opinion, lessen its veracity or import; but God provided us more than one means to communicate, and I contend that the visual vocabulary that allows us to learn from scripture through the written word (when our eyes turn pictorial symbols, i.e. letters on a page, into thoughts and ideas)is simply another form of communicating His Word via visual input.
Is the worship of images (or letters for that matter) wrong? I agree with that contention wholeheartedly, as do all other adherents of my faith. Do I have a mandate to go forth and preach the Gospel? Yes...and if I was blessed with the gift of languages, it would be my mandate to spread that through preaching in the languages God had given me the facility to do so. If my gift was song, it would be incumbent on me to use that to glorify God. If one is a gifted artist...how should that gift be used? Should the artist, who has received his skills from God put them under a bushel basket? I think the Scripture is pretty clear that he should not. Should he employ them to undermine or ridicule faith? I think Scripture is pretty clear that he should not. So illuminate me...if God has given a person the talent to be a great painter, sculptor, etc. and that person burns with the desire to use his talents to give glory to God, and spread the Word, what should he do with that talent?
I said:
"And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
Found in scripture in Romans 10:15-17, authored by the Holy Spirit through Paul.
I add:
"I charge you in the presence of God and of Christy Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with complete patience and understanding."
Round in scripture in 2 Time 4:1,2, authored by the Holy Spirit through Peter.
You in response to Paul's words in Romans:
Preach in all things you do and if necessary use words
NOT found in scripture, authored by ? through ? If you do a search on this phrase you find that although it is accredited to St Francis of Assisi (not scripture),but he is not known to have said it. After a couple weeks of searching, no scholar could find this quote in a story written within 200 years of Francis’ death.
Summary:
It seems that we have God's Word vs some unknown man's word. The Word of God says the gospel must be preached with words because faith comes through hearing. That is how God has designed it - that we must preach the gospel. And He goes on to say we must preach it in season and out of season, always with patience. That is by His design. But you try to sidestep that by quoting some urban legend, that may sound good, but says, oh, God doesn't REALLY mean we have to preach God's Word. Didn't Satan say the same thing to Eve - God didn't REALLY mean that.
God's Word also says elsewhere that even the pagans know how to be nice to others they care about. Being nice to others that we don't know is not a bad thing, but without giving them TRUTH, it is nothing more than our own works of "righteousness" which are nothing more than filthy rags and will be burnt up.
Perhaps this is why we see many commercials on tv about feeding the starving kids and animals - so send money!Do you know how the terrorist group, Hamas, became so popular with the people? By doing just what you said - serving them through benevolence in order to gain their confidence and spread their poison. Why do the cults often succeed? They prey on the lonely and needy.
Back to original question that you avoided and sidestepped:
You:
...the bottom line is that we are now talking about Jesus in a public forum. Pretty good outreach
To which I answered and questioned:
Why is that the bottom line? Why is that a good outreach? By your own reasoning, then you must think that Mormon or Jehovah Witness forums are also great outreach, as would one by Westboro Baptist church. People talking ABOUT Jesus is not the gospel. It is not worship. Looking at a picture that people may perceive to be Jesus is not the gospel, nor is it worship.
Will directly address the issue this time?
You still haven’t even attempted to make a biblical case, so I reiterate It doesn’t matter what men think. It only matters what God’s Word says on the topic.
I’ve studied this a lot and I’m convinced all pictures of Christ are forbidden. I’ve posted links to articles discussing the question. That’s my view. By definition all pictures of Him are deceitful because we have no idea what He looked like. There is no way I will ever believe God approves of using a lie to spread the truth and I’m not changing my mind, so there is nothing more for me to say. I’m fine acknowledging we disagree and that’s that.
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