When Christians Are Out of the Caves

Archaeologists have found a cave considered to be the oldest known Christian church anywhere in the world — possibly the first Christian church as such. It provides a new look at the early Christian community.

If you’ve ever been on I-75 north of Cincinnati, you’ve seen it … or Him, with a capital H.

Rising from the ground behind the amphitheater at Monroe, Ohio’s, Solid Rock Church is a 62-foot resurrection Jesus with his arms raised like he’s signaling a touchdown.

You can’t help but notice.

A lot of churches are trying to get noticed these days.

Congregations all over the United States, very likely including our own, are currently doing all sorts of things to increase their visibility. We’ve jumped on the publicity bandwagon. We’re running newspaper ads, airing radio and TV spots, putting portable signs in front of our buildings, setting up Web sites and posting pastoral blogs on the Internet.

And then there’s the goofy kind of churches which, in most cases, are not churches at all, at least as we traditionally understand them. For example, First Church of Tiger Woods, First Electronic Church of America, Cult of Steve, Church of...