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WOODBURY, Minn. — <\/span>WOODBURY, Minn. (AP) \u2014 \u201cForecast: God reigns and the Son shines.\u201d In mid-September, the large electronic sign of a Lutheran church<\/a> flashed this message by a throughfare between growing subdivisions and cornfields in a Twin Cities suburb.<\/p>\n The messages on Resurrection Lutheran Church’s sign range from witty to practical to profound. It\u2019s an effort to inspire and attract drivers and passersby that\u2019s uniquely popular in churches across America, the quintessential land of open roads<\/a> and advertisements<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is about people saying, \u2018this makes a difference to me,\u2019 and \u2026 sensing they\u2019re loved by God,\u201d says Heather Hultgren, who’s in charge of Resurrection’s daily sign changes.<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing unusual about posting writings to church doors \u2014 that\u2019s how tradition says the Protestant Reformation got started in 16th-century Germany. But for the last few decades, U.S. pastors have gotten creative, aiming to brighten a commuter\u2019s day, spur a reflection while chauffeuring to football practice, and maybe persuade a lapsed Christian or two that it\u2019s not all fire and brimstone inside.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a way to bring something lighter in the world,\u201d says the Rev. Karna Moskalik of Our Savior\u2019s Lutheran Church, in the historic river town of Stillwater, Minnesota.<\/p>\n Moskalik likes \u201cinvitational\u201d signs, like the classic \u2014 \u201cCH – – CH What\u2019s missing? U R!\u201d<\/p>\n Some humorous messages that get social-media shoutouts across the U.S. originated with \u201cthe sign guy,\u201d Our Savior\u2019s pastor in the early 2000s. He published a collection entitled, \u201cIf there were no Lutherans, would there still be green Jell-O?\u201d<\/p>\n At Madison Avenue Baptist Church in New York City, a weather pun during the latest brutal heatwave<\/a> caught many eyes \u2014 \u201cLord, whatever you\u2019re baking, it\u2019s done.\u201d <\/p>\n Elizabeth Pustinger says people stop to ask about the historic church\u2019s sign as she\u2019s manually changing it weekly, and sometimes later attend services. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a very powerful ministry,\u201d adds the Rev. Susan Sparks, whose favorite sign is the dark warning to drivers, \u201cHonk if you love Jesus, text if you want to meet him.\u201d<\/p>\n Laughter can help process tragedy or serve as a wedge to probe big questions \u2014 that\u2019s why Jewish<\/a> and Christian scriptures have humorous passages, says Rolf Jacobson, professor of Old Testament at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.<\/p>\n \u201cGod\u2019s business is turning mourning into gladness, Good Friday into Easter Sunday,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n So chuckle away next time you speed past a church sign. But spare a thought for the sweaty person of God who invented this perennial favorite: \u201cToo hot to keep changing sign. Sin bad. Jesus good. Details inside.\u201d<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP\u2019s collaboration<\/a> with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content. <\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n Part of a recurring series, \u201cAmerican Objects,\u201d marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. For more American objects, click here<\/a>. For more stories on the anniversary, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n