The Divine Crash

Recently, I have been in situations where other people talk about God/Jesus/Spirituality.  Most of the time what people are saying is always accurate but unless I was in seminary I would have been lost by the language.

While I know that I shouldn’t use those “churchy” words and that they will turn people away from Jesus I still find myself doing it all the time.  So forgive me for the times that I use words that don’t mean anything to you.It appears that one of the basic rules of Christianity is to use big words that only other Christians understand.  Words that unless you have been taught what they mean you would be confused.

For Example:

• Narthex/Vestibule
• Baptismal Font
• Propitiation/Expatiation
• Repentance
• Resurrection
• Trespass
• Substitutionary Atonement
• Vicarious Humanity
• Eucharist

The list goes on, but you get the idea.  Wouldn’t it be easier to speak like Jesus did? In a way that the people around him would understand.  Jesus didn’t use big words and even kept his prayers short and to the point.

Jesus’ first followers understood this, Paul spoke in the way that his audience would understand.  When Paul talked to Jews he would quote the Jewish texts and when Paul talked to non-religious people he would quote secular philosophers.

John Wesley was able to speak to the high English folk in the church but he could also preach to the unchurched in a field.  At one point Wesley even said “I have no use for high-sounding words”

I think that when we start using churchy words that sometimes the meaning gets lost, even on ourselves.  For example the prayer Jesus taught his disciples, sometimes called the Lord’s prayer.  There is a line that says “forgive us our sins/debts/trespasses” the word used depends on your church’s preference.  However, imagine you have never been to church and you hear this prayer which word makes the most sense?  If I have never trespassed on some one’s property that one is lost on me.  If I don’t know what sin is then it is also lost.

Debt however makes sense because even if I’ve never been to church and never been in confirmation class it is very likely that I will understand what it means to owe someone something that I can’t pay right now.  This would be especially true in the recession the United States is facing right now.

So then, know that Jesus died even for those of us who use big words and confuse people.  Jesus’ death on the cross for the whole world means we are forgiven of our debts that we can’t pay.  And Jesus is alive again which means our debts are gone and Jesus is with us forever.

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Random Thoughts by RevBT