May 13, 2020 (Wednesday)
I was the pastor of Vickery Baptist Church, Dallas, for 3 1/2 years, 1961-1964. The church was located a few blocks north of Loop 12, and even fewer blocks east of Interstate 45. We put a little sign beside the church driveway, about 4 feet high, suspended by two chains from a crossarm. The sign read, “Church Offices” underlined with an arrow pointing toward the entrance to the offices.
One night a fierce thunderstorm brought strong winds that caused one end of the little sign to break away from the chain, so that it then read (sideways) “Church Offices” and beside those words the arrow now pointed straight up. Everyone in the church was impressed that the offices after the storm apparently had been moved to Heaven. We were tempted to leave it that way for a while, but our better judgment led us to fix it right away.
The First Presbyterian Church of Port Gibson, on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, has a tall steeple, and atop the spire there is a huge golden hand pointing toward Heaven. It is impressive and hard to look away once you see it. It is a graphic display of what every steeple on churches around the world seeks to say: “Look to God for your help.”
Of course, every steeple has that meaning, but I’ve seen only the one in Port Gibson that has a golden finger pointed at the sky and it really made an impression on me.
The Vickery church occupied a beautiful building with a gold-anonized aluminum steeple, 85 feet high. The wind blew off a 10 foot section at its pinnacle, from time to time. It took a fire truck to put it back. While the church was missing part of its steeple, it was still the same church with the same message from God.
Churches everywhere should consider church steeples that point upward toward God as a statement of their purpose in this world. Every church should be a divine institution that points people to Christ — the Son of God and the Savior of the world. The steeple reminds us that ours is a divine mission. God has established His churches and wants them to focus their ministries on the gospel, which is a proclamation of Jesus’ death on the Cross as atonement for the sins of the world, and His glorious resurrection from the dead. Churches are groups of redeemed sinners who are here to proclaim God’s love for all people. Their buildings are in place to aid them in the accomplishment of their mission, steeple or no steeple.
Look and Live
William A. Ogden
1887
I’ve a message from the Lord, hallelujah!
This message unto you I’ll give,
’Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”
Refrain:
“Look and live,” my brother, live,
Look to Jesus now, and live;
’Tis recorded in His word, hallelujah!
It is only that you “look and live.”
I’ve a message full of love, hallelujah!
A message, O my friend, for you,
’Tis a message from above, hallelujah!
Jesus said it, and I know ’tis true.
Refrain
Life is offered unto you, hallelujah!
Eternal life thy soul shall have,
If you’ll only look to Him, hallelujah!
Look to Jesus who alone can save.
Refrain
I will tell you how I came, hallelujah!
To Jesus when He made me whole—
’Twas believing on His name, hallelujah!
I trusted and He saved my soul.
Refrain
“You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you” (Nehemiah 9:6 NIV).