Devoted to the Propagation and Defense of New Testament Christianity
VOLUME 15
March 26, 1964
NUMBER 46, PAGE 3

The Blood Red Cross

Fred A. Shewmaker

A number of times I passed a certain building site on my way to worship and noted that upon completion it was to be used as a meeting house for a certain denomination. It was, therefore, no great surprise to me that they chose to decorate their building with a cross. I am concerned for the souls of all men but I am no more concerned about their use of a cross than I am concerned about their existence as a body of religious people without Bible authority. I have long been aware that denominational folk use a cross to remember and symbolize the death of Christ. They use it as a complement to the Lord's supper and many times in place of the Lord's Supper.

The early Christians were instructed to eat and drink the Lord's supper to show his death till he come. (1 Cor. 11:26) Christ said, when he instituted the supper, "This do in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19) Early Christians observed this breaking of bread upon the first day of the week. (Acts 20:7) Many denominations, however, do not eat and drink the Lord's supper upon the first day of the week preferring to eat and drink it upon the first day of CERTAIN weeks instead. Even so, they do remember and attempt to show Christ's death until he conies. They do this each first day of the week by placing a cross before the people. They have, on all but a few weeks, substituted a cross where God's book requires the Lord's Supper. The realization of these things conditioned me so that I was not surprised that they chose to decorate their building with a window containing panes of blood red glass in the shape of a cross. At night with use of lights behind the window that cross should be visible for some distance.

That a denomination has done this would justify giving our attention to it, even in the face of the fact such is so common a practice with them, but there is another reason that I make these observations. When I left worship the other Sunday morning I drove past the new building erected by the congregation from which the brethren with whom I worship have departed. I noticed nothing unusual about the building except its tremendous size for such a small group. That in itself is no concern of mine. However, that evening when we were returning to worship it was quite dark. As I passed by their building on that occasion I observed the object of their devotion. There, above the roof of the entry way, in the end of the main part of the building, and between the slants of roof of the main building was a window with panes of blood red glass in the shape of a cross. There were lights shining behind it so that the cross could be seen from a distance.

In times past we have not used the cross as a symbol. We have been content to remember and show Christ's death in the way that he required. In that many brethren have left the requirements of God in matters of organization I probably should not have been surprised to find brethren leaving the requirements of God in this matter, but I was! I have somewhat recovered from my surprise but have decided to sound the alarm. The "Church on the March" has not been content just to march out of God's organization but some of that army have marched right on out of his approved worship also.

— 8122 De Garmo, Sun Valley, California