When I first became a church staff member, there was a lot of language thrown around that I was really unfamiliar with. It’s that language some refer to as “Christianese” and it may as well have been Chinese for as much as I grasped the concepts and meanings.
Of course, in time, it became part of my vernacular and, today, it’s just part of my normal conversations.
It’s odd to me now that when the staff spoke about Satan like he was a guy who was potentially in the next room, I thought they were a little fanatic. Yes, I knew Satan was real but I had always envisioned him in the dungeons of hell and not, necessarily, trying to wreak havoc in my life because I was just one insignificant person on earth. Boy, was I wrong!
Speaking in tongues. Okay, this was a bizarre concept for me because I didn’t understand another Christian concept fully~ the baptism of the Holy Spirit. I’ll admit it; I was a little freaked out by it and literally terrified that I would ever speak in tongues! For the record, I have not but know of many who have and, no, they don’t sell snake oil or suffer from delusion.
I mention Christianese because I sometimes worry that this language and the way we throw around our “insider” language might actually intimidate people and keep them a fair distance from a relationship with Christ because they feel foreign to our land. Make sense?
Maybe we need to be gently reminded that speaking Christianese to our friends and family who have one toe in the water, carefully considering wading in a little deeper, might be a mistake. The terminology and religious-speak might prompt them to grab their towel and vow to never get near that water again.
Love you guys. Be blessed,
Amy
You are speaking my language.