What's that all about?
Have you noticed how people use words and phrases, which obviously mean a lot to them, but to the rest of us are either meaningless or mean something completely different to their audience?
We all do it, whether we are politicians (I'm not),journalists, doctors, plumbers, electricians, farmers, civil servants, students or.................
Some years ago some of my colleagues were advising at an American burger chain which was just opening it's first British outlets. Many of the staff were American. My colleague was very confused when he heard them asking one another if they had been to the WC yet! It turned out that WC stood for Whopper College - really! (For those across the pond, in Britain WC means Water Closet, or toilet)
People in churches are no different. Listening to people speak, or some of the words in our music, we find some words we are fond of, have little or no real meaning for men and women in 21st century, industrialised, Western society.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
There is the option to change our language, which can be the best answer, BUT sometimes the words we use really have a meaning which if we invest the time and trouble to 'unpack' them can bring such richness and riches to us. Some of these words and phrases have a significance which cannot be overstated, and without which we will never really grasp the message of the God who has initiated this mission to each of us and the world we live in.
We all do it, whether we are politicians (I'm not),journalists, doctors, plumbers, electricians, farmers, civil servants, students or.................
Some years ago some of my colleagues were advising at an American burger chain which was just opening it's first British outlets. Many of the staff were American. My colleague was very confused when he heard them asking one another if they had been to the WC yet! It turned out that WC stood for Whopper College - really! (For those across the pond, in Britain WC means Water Closet, or toilet)
People in churches are no different. Listening to people speak, or some of the words in our music, we find some words we are fond of, have little or no real meaning for men and women in 21st century, industrialised, Western society.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
- CHANGE OUR LANGUAGE
There is the option to change our language, which can be the best answer, BUT sometimes the words we use really have a meaning which if we invest the time and trouble to 'unpack' them can bring such richness and riches to us. Some of these words and phrases have a significance which cannot be overstated, and without which we will never really grasp the message of the God who has initiated this mission to each of us and the world we live in.
- UNPACK THE MEANING