If you are familiar with the church, one of the things you may notice is that we have changed our logo. The old logo was sort a snapshot of the back of our sanctuary. Three long and tall windows with the church’s name underneath. It was really an attractive logo. It served the church very, very well for a long, long time. Nobody could tell me just when it came into use, but I know that it precedes me arriving here in Muncie. I got here in February of 2001 and my understanding is that it had been in play for several years when I showed up. It was great, but it was also very, very tired. It needed to be reworked and something new put in its place.
First, let me answer a question that I know someone is asking. Who cares? What’s the big deal about a logo? Let me answer that question, with a question of my own. How many companies are there out there that you recognize instantly by looking at the company’s logo? Think about it. The Nike Swoosh, the Chevy Bowtie, the Golden Arches of McDonald’s. See what I’m saying? I think that it would be awesome if we had a logo that when people in our community saw it, they would immediately think of our church. I believe that logo recognition is quite important for us as we strive to make our mark on the surrounding community and then, in the Kingdom of God.
Let me explain what you’re seeing here:
You will see four arrows, all different in color and all pointing inward. It isn’t just four arrows of assorted colors, therein lies the beauty. When you take the arrows, collectively, as a group there is something to see there. Look not at the arrows but at the negative space inside the arrows. What’s there? The Cross of Christ. Central to the logo and central to who we are and what we believe is the Cross of Christ. It is through the cross that God offered us a shot at redemption and forgiveness. Simply put, without the Cross of Christ, there is no East 16th Street Church of God. There is no church. We would still live in the age of sacrifice, ritual and law, instead of the age of Grace, Forgiveness and Relationship. The cross is so very important for us. Now look at the arrows. Each arrow differs in color and size. They are different from one another. This is a representation of the unique make up of each of us as individuals. There isn’t, according to the Apostle Paul, race or color in the Kingdom of God. There is only the heart the individual that has been touched and forgiven. Let the arrows serve to remind us that our mission in this community is also color blind. What would we look like if our Sundays became a day when all sorts of people from all sorts of backgrounds came together to worship our God. We would be a church full of different shapes and sizes. We would be a church of different socio-economic backgrounds. We would be church of people of all race and ethnicity, not separated by our difference, but brought together by the Cross of our Savior.
See, that logo says a bunch and it is about to be on everything that carries our name. I hope that you enjoy it. I even hope that you get excited about it because frankly, the message of the logo is worth getting excited about.
Pastor Doug