Christian Lingo

Check Brian's post Things Christians Say, at A Small Faith, for a humorous look at our Christian subculture.

Update: Brian stated,

It’s no secret that we Christians have our own inside lingo. Words like propitiation, redemption, grace, salvation, etc. are not used in the same way in the broader culture...

But at least these are “Bible” words and we have a common reference point that we all recognize as authoritative. Have you noticed how many phrases we use to describe some kind of spiritual experience that don’t have that reference point? But we’ve heard them so many times we just accept it and move on? I have to think that communication of any real meaning gets lost in these exchanges.

Brian's initial list was,

• connected to God
• ask Jesus into your heart
• it’s not about religion, it’s about relationship
• don’t open yourself up to…
• call/called/calling
• invite Jesus into our worship
• laid it on my heart
• usher in the presence of God
• intimacy with God
• have a burden
• decision for Christ
• personal relationship with Christ
• God told me

I submitted a comment, with eight additional phrases I thought appropriate. Here's the list I submitted, with updated comments [in brackets].

• Isn’t God good! - [Yes, like God is Love. The proclamation "Isn't God good!", in and of itself, is fine; the difficulty arises when the phrase is used only after a positive event. How many times do we hear this type of phrase used after a horrible disaster? Yet, it is no less true (in either case).]
• I feel led - [See my comment on "If you feel led", below.]
• The presence of the Lord is in this place (this morning) - [Given God's omnipresence, this is pretty much a given, isn't it? Of course, if God inhabits the praises of His people then, perhaps, what's being referenced is some sort of special type of presence. In any case, the phrase seems a bit redundant.]
• With every head bowed, and every eye closed - [Ah, yes, this practice is found... where now?]
• If you feel led - [This typically occurs when we're asked to pray for some - "if you feel led". Well, what if I don't feel led to pray for them? Does that mean that I can't (or shouldn't)? Or, what if I don't feel led to help the widows and orphans? Am I off the hook?]
• Turn to the person next to you and tell them “… - [Now, if everyone turned to the person next to them, at the same time, we'd all be looking at the back of the head of the person next to us. Of course, if the instruction is not specific in direction (e.g., turn to the person on your right...), then some people would be looking at the back of their neighbor's head, while other people would be, in fact, facing each other.]
• Give the Lord a clap offering - [Also known as a round of applause.]
• God brought you here today - [While this is typically used just prior to giving an invitation to make a decision to enter in to a personal relationship with Jesus, it could be also be construed as an argument for Unconditional Election. After all, it was God that brought you here today.]

Comments

[Wendy]

I don't think it was an accident I read this post today, and I feel led to respond. I think you could add "seed offering" and "love gift" to the list. Closed and open doors might be worthy, too.
Thanks for the laugh.