My first thought was the cross at Effingham, Ill-i-noise. It looks just like this one.
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.
This sounds like a case of “ministry envy”
At least these people weren’t sitting on a bar stool soaking up the suds for those hours.
The chalk drawing got people “talking about Jesus”. . .unfortunately on this particular thread there are some posts “talking about Jesus” in a mocking way.
Drove by this just the other day....Impressive!....Joyful!
You know that is really cool.
I wonder if they used equipment like when you chalk endzones and such or if they hand did the whole thing.
I am pretty sure this isn’t a portrait of Jesus. I don’t think this is how He
looks now. (Most probably not how He looked before He was crucified either.) It does however look like a graven image to me.
According to church spokesman Andy Boyd...
Quote
We have Selfie Sundays where we encourage church members to take pics of themselves in church,” Boyd says.
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.
Churches who need ‘spokesmen’ that use the word ‘selfie’ to describe a worship service for the One who told us to deny our ‘selfies’ each day, well they have a different messiah than I do..
I would stay far away from that social club flock and whoever is shepherding them.they have a substitute message and messiah..
That is a blasphemous attempt to make money by a prosperity driven church.
Jesus is not glorified by this nonsense.
At least these people weren’t sitting on a bar stool soaking up the suds for those hours.
Because that is the only other thing that people not drawing a "chalk Jesus" could be doing, right? </sarc>
Those darn sticklers for God’s law. What are they thinking?
Is this Catholic? It seems the stations of the cross are portrayed on the outside circle. Just curious.
CC
Well said. Jesus’ concept of the church was to “make disciples” so that those folks could go make more disciples. They don’t stay in. They go out. The attraction ought to be who Jesus is and what He’s done for us, not some gimmick.
Nope. Evangelical Prosperity Megachurch.
Generally speaking the YBPDLNPL avoids Roman Catholic issues. One exception was the Roman Catholic Church purchasing the Crystal Cathedral.
At least Aaron’s idol was made of gold.
Ed Young, Jr. needs to familiarize himself with historic Baptist thought or stop masquerading as Baptist. Spurgeon’s sermon “A Jealous God.” would be an excellent place for to start.
http://www.biblebb.com/files/spurgeon/0502.htm
A bunch of us stopped there when on a bus tour years ago.
That place is amazing and very inspiring.
As long as they're Biblically sound and preaching salvation, I see no problem, myself. To each his own, a different style attracts different people.
Icons, Graven Images and the Church
by. Dr. C. Matthew McMahon
I think it’s non-denominational, but it looks to me, also, to have a Catholic tilt............
I would think the sticklers for God's law would be aware of calumny, and yet they accuse others of "worshipping images," when such is not the case.
My first thought was the cross at Effingham, Ill-i-noise. It looks just like this one.
Che?
American’s are too sophisticated to bow down before something like this. But they’ll spend 9,100 hours drawing it!
If an artist, singer, architect, plumber, electrician, or ditch digger for that matter uses their God given talents and skills to the best of their ability to give glory to god in the best way they know how, I don't see a problem with 9,100 hours or 91,000 hours.
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