Originally published at The Crux
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WOODBURY, Minn. — “Forecast: God reigns and the Son shines.” In mid-September, the large electronic sign of a Lutheran church flashed this message by a throughfare between growing subdivisions and cornfields in a Twin Cities suburb.
The messages on Resurrection Lutheran Church’s sign range from witty to practical to profound. It’s an effort to inspire and attract drivers and passersby that’s uniquely popular in churches across America, the quintessential land of open roads and advertisements.
“This is about people saying, ‘this makes a difference to me,’ and … sensing they’re loved by God,” says Heather Hultgren, who’s in charge of Resurrection’s daily sign changes.
There’s nothing unusual about posting writings to church doors — that’s how tradition says the Protestant Reformation got started in 16th-century Germany. But for the last few decades, U.S. pastors have gotten creative, aiming to brighten a commuter’s day, spur a reflection while chauffeuring to football practice, and maybe persuade a lapsed Christian or two that it’s not all fire and brimstone inside.
“It’s a way to bring something lighter in the world,” says the Rev. Karna Moskalik of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, in the historic river town of Stillwater, Minnesota.
Moskalik likes “invitational” signs,
