The two “Marking Our City” billboards near Grace Community Church’s north and south I-45 locations depict a plain white cross, an American flag, and the words “150 FT CROSS COMING SOON.” But they probably show only the top portion of the structures the church is planning — and the 150-ft. label may be selling the project short. The Chronicle’s Lisa Gray says
. . . the pastor hopes both structures will be 200 feet tall, roughly the height of a 20-story building. The Federal Aviation Administration, he said, may limit the south campus’s cross to 150 feet because it’s near Ellington Field.
Five-and-a-half minutes into the Grace Community Church video above, Grace senior pastor Steve Riggle walks viewers through a drawing of a more elaborate structure. Riggle asks
What if there was one of these at every entrance to the city? And it was there for the prayer movement in the city, not just a church. You talk about marking our city for God.
After the jump: More crosses on the side of the highway!
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The drawing shows a cylindrical prayer center mounted 40 feet above a stone base, reached by elevators and topped by a hollow and open globe. The cross stabs through the globe at the North Pole, which is quite a ways away from Houston.
Speaking at a news conference last week, Riggle said he was serious about wanting the structures “at every entrance” to Houston, writes Bay Area Citizen reporter Chuck Hlava:
“I would surround the city,” he said.
The crosses are not about Grace Community Church, Riggle pointed out.
“This is a symbol of a much larger vision – it’s for the city,” he said. “Here is an opportunity to physically and spiritually mark the city in a tangible way.” . . .
The total cost of the cross project doesn’t have a bottom line yet, and Riggle also plans to ask non-members of Grace from around the city to donate.
From a church brochure:
- Make Your Mark Prayer Launch [YouTube]
- Church hopes to grace Houston freeways with giant crosses [Bay Area Citizen]
- Opinionist: Identity Crosses [Houstonist]
- Church wants 2 giant symbols to bear witness [Houston Chronicle]
- Partnering Together [Grace Community Church]
13 Comments
My comments are oh, never mind.
I’d like to put up some 200′ tall statues of Ozzie Osborne and mark the city for Heavy Metal worship. Wonder if there is any way to stop this silliness?
Does anyone watch weeds? This sounds very majestic to me.
first time posting just because of this:
this is SOOO bad. aren’t there sign ordinances that cover this? this is bigger than a billboard. and you can’t quite call that a piece of art
This is more about the ego of the church leaders than about spreading any sort of good. That money would be better served actually helping people. I”ll take my pastor who works in small and wonderful ways, and doesn’t need to advertise it or the church.
The pastor needs such a big cross to compensate for other obvious shortcomings….Why don’t they just but Heritage USA???
It’s marking something alright.
Since it’s a Christian symbol; the FAA will get it “nixed” under the pretence that it’s too dangerous for their drones that fly out of Ellington, which have replaced the “real” jets.
If this was a mosque, whith a tower the same height; the mainstream media would not even publish the story. It’s the church’s money, and as far as money being better spent; take a look at our government; local, state, and federal-now there’s allot of waisted money being spent that is from our hard earned money.
That quote from Lou Gallardo at the bottom takes the cake. That’s the guy who created AmeriSciences, the creepy, culty snake oil pyramid scheme that’s bilked hundreds of folks out of millions of dollars… I wonder if he made that quote from prison.
Isn’t anyone offended by the garbage that everyone has to look at now as we drive up and down 45? This city has more sexually oriented establishments than any place I have ever been. I happen to be a Christian but ever if you are not…and that is your choice….wouldn’t you rather see a cross than a bunch of advertisements for sexually oriented establishments? If nothing else, I would think it would appeal to the morally upright???
Rhonda, I’d rather see absolutely nothing along the roadways in Houston except for pine trees. I hate billboards with the same vitriol with which I hate the idea of giant , ostentatious crosses.
But that’s not the point here. The point is that this “church” is more interested in spending their congregation’s money on “feel good” projects and showy “acts of faith” than on true Christian endeavors. As many, many other people have said: think about how that money could be used in much more constructive ways, such as mission work, helping abused women and children, feeding the hungry, providing free immunizations, assisting the elderly, etc. But, hey. Those things don’t lend themselves to “showing off” quite as well, do they?
This church is using their money and their ridiculous crosses to do nothing more than draw attention to themselves. The crosses would be the equivalent of billboards: tacky and wasteful. I think the Grace congregation ought to be ashamed of themselves.
I wish a Catholic church were doing this, then we’d also get an awesome giant Jesus attached to the cross.
He could defend Houston against Godzilla or Cloverfieldesque events.
Now that’s a savior.
This is a sick, abominable idea. There is nothing I am aware of in any religion Christian or otherwise that could possibly begin to promote such a monstrous egotistical display.
What a way to praise god, add yet another eyesore to black gods natural creations. I like the idea of heaven SO much that I prefer my views of it not be blocked.
Jeez, this is like penis envy for religion.
STOP THIS SICK CONCEPT PLEASE !