“People are like tea bags - you have to put them in hot water before you know how strong they are.” Have you seen that one before? Or “Try our Sundays. They are better than Baskin-Robbins.” Does that sound familiar? These are a couple of clever sayings you may have noticed on neighborhood church’s marquee while going about your busy day. These mini sermons can be humorous, encouraging, wise, and sometimes to the point. But all are designed to turn scant seconds of drive-by time into active spiritual awareness. Maybe it is the church’s way of enticing you to pay them a visit on Sunday morning, or maybe it is just a simple attempt to stir personal contemplation in the reader.

In the age of instant information, we have data, advertisements and messages coming at us from every angle. We expect things to be quick, packaged and interesting. Businesses have been doing this for years; using catchy phrases and attractive ads to sell their wares and show their products. Churches recognized this trend and have jumped on the bandwagon by displaying catchy phrases and thoughtful insights on their roadside sign marquee. But for the religious institutions, it has only recently started to follow suit for fear of looking too much like a business itself. According to the book Sentence Sermons by L. James Harvey, “Churches have been by and large, conservative and staid organizations. Any other church signs have been used only to tell people when services are and what the sermon topic is for the next Sunday.”

This reminds me of an example of a business back in Virginia that integrated spirituality and commerce. The Jesus Car Wash, as we nicknamed it, was a drive-though style car wash just outside the Washington, D.C. beltway. The friendly attendants guided you in. As you emerged from the dry cycle at the other end of the tunnel, right above your head and in huge red letters appeared a sign that would flash “Jesus Loves You”. It was a particular favorite place to get your car washed. Not necessarily because of the quality of the wash, but because it came with an inner cleansing as well. You left with a clean car, a new fragrance and a smile knowing “someone up there likes me.”

It isn’t just a small group of people who are spiritual. Belief in God has always been very high in the United States and according to a recent Gallup poll, 95 percent of Americans believe in God. According to Martha Spak, former marketing specialist for a major publication, “Our studies showed our biggest selling covers were about God. The most popular headlines were the ones that evoked personal contemplation. People found thought-provoking cover images and captions pushed them to purchase the issue.”

There is a church in my neighborhood I regularly pass by on my walks. I find myself looking forward to my next walk to see what the new saying will be. I never know what is coming next; a hint of humor or a profound moment. Each message has a very different meaning to each individual; kind of like Philosophy 101 in drive-by.

So whether you are a regular churchgoer, an occasional attendee, or the do-it-yourselfer “I don’t need brick and mortar to be spiritual” type of person, everyone can benefit from these clever one-liners.
But keep in mind as you enjoy them they all contain some truth, maybe even a little that you need to hear at that particular moment in your life. Any thought provoking sign that makes you slow down and reflect is probably a good thing.

Quote of the Week: “Kindness is difficult to give away because it keeps coming back.” – Author unknown.

Jennifer Huard’s column appears each Thursday. She welcomes your emails at jhuard@abqjournal.com .