A large, prominent church in town was raising money from community businesses to build a new church building. They approached a businessman who was a Christian, and he made them an offer. "I will give you $1000," he said, "if you will put up a sign saying, 'THIS IS A CHURCH OF CHRIST." "We couldn't do that," they said. "It's not for a Church of Christ; it is for a ___________Church." "Well," the Christian businessman said, "I'll still give you $1000, if you will put up a sign saying, "THIS IS NOT A CHURCH OF CHRIST." "Oh, but we couldn't do that either," they said, "It is a church of Christ."

Stories like that used to have punch and meaning, because our consistent use of Christian, and the ways we referred to the church, did not sound sectarian. Now, unfortunately, many of us make Church of Christ sound as denominational as the Anderson, Indiana, folks do with the Church of God.

G.C. Brewer told this story: A Community in Kentucky decided to build a building for community religious and social use. Several churches in the community led the effort. Our brethren who lived in that community decided not to cooperate. When the building was completed, the people who built it naturally did not want it to be used by those who had declined to have any part in providing for it. They were in the process of putting a clause in the deed that allowed anyone in the community "except Campbellites" to use the building. A knowledgeable man among them said, "If you want to keep those folks out of this facility, that won't do it. I have heard some of them say they aren't Campbellites, and they do a pretty job of proving it, too." After considerable discussion, they finally wrote, "This building may be used by anyone in the community except Christians."

Once again, this would not happen today. The religious world is content to call us Church of Christ. They see no difference between that and Baptist, Methodist, or Church of God. And the way we have come to use it, it seems some of us do not either.

A sign in the store window said, "Pants Pressed Here." A man went in and put a pair of trousers on the counter. "I saw your sign, and I'd like these pressed, please," he said. The clerk responded, "Oh, we don't press pants here. We just paint signs." Most of our congregations display a sign on their property that says, "Church of Christ." Are we what are sign says we are? Are we seeking and saving the lost? Are we compassionate toward the poor and downtrodden? Do we worship in spirit and truth? Do we love one another? Are we born of the water and the Spirit? Are we denying ungodliness and worldly lusts? Do we have forgiving spirits? Do we seek to put the kingdom first in our lives? Do we show brotherly love to those who enter our building? Do we seek to be lights in the community, for those who are walking in darkness? Are we truly sowing the seed of the kingdom? Can they see Christ living in us? Or do we just paint signs?
(Edited -KMG)