HELD TOGETHER BY THE CROSS

A few months ago I returned to the town of Andrews Texas where I graduated from high school.  As I drove past the church I attended and was married in, I had some fond memories.  One of those memories was of Boyd Neighbors who loved to tease me every chance he got and his beautiful wife Avon who was so kind to everyone.  Then there was our Pastor Dale Dozier who was a person filled with love and excitement and loved to share the gospel of Jesus everywhere he went.  Sometimes he made people mad because of his bluntness but usually by the time he left the conversation he had laughed and teased his way right out of a bad situation. His beautiful wife, June was one who had a large impact on my life as she took me under her wing and had her manager hire me to work beside her at Sears, my very first job. 

While going to church at Second Baptist, we started to notice the front and back of the building pulling away from the sides.  This brought much concern as it looked as if we might have to tear the stucture down and build a brand new one; which there was not enough funds to do so. 

Plans started being discussed, contractors brought in and lots of meetings as to what needed to be done.  

My father was a carpenter who had assisted in building structures in downtown San Antonio and also did underwater construction work off the gulf coast.  He evaluated the situation and decided that three large cables could be run through the walls of the building, through the attic and out the back side of the building and this would pull the walls back into place and secure it for many years.  The good news was, it wasn't going to be an enormous expense to perform the work

When the job was completed, three crosses were added in order to bolt the cables and secure the walls into place.  Giving it a clean nice finish, thus making it look as if the crosses were just added for décor.

20 years later we moved back to Andrews Texas, and was attending church there when I overheard a few of the people discussing taking those old crosses off the building because they had been up for so many years that it was boring to them now. 

I casually moved in a bit closer and as the door opened for me to say something, my comment was; those crosses have held this church together for 20 years and if you remove the crosses from this church then you will not have a building.  They laughed and continued to speak of removing the crosses.  I finally said, "I don't think I am painting a clear enough picture for you.  You see, when you unscrew the crosses from the cables and the cables lose their support, the walls will literally pull away from the other walls and fall, thus leaving you without a place to worship. 

It was quickly decided to abandon the conversation and leave the crosses alone.  After all, they didn't look that bad.  

As I drove by the building on my last trip there to see my family, I stopped to take a photo and wished we all had this so vividly impressed upon our minds; every church, not just the building is held together by the cross of Christ and without it there would be no reason to keep having services.  

It's been the cross that brings us together, it's the cross that holds us together and it's the cross that will carry us through the trials that lies ahead. 

Colossians 1:9-22 

For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;
Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:
Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:
For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:
And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence.
For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell;
And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.
And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled
In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

Colossians 1:9-22