Reflections
TROUBLESOME TERMINOLOGY
By Pete Hammond
Christians have a way of developing questionable patterns that take on a life of their own, in both congregations and denominations. Sometimes these habits displace truths and actually distort eternal kingdom values. This has happened in ways that negatively effect marketplace ministry.
These are just some of the church habits that disturb me:
What do we really say when we identify a congregation’s building as "The Lord’s House"? Are all other buildings our’s and not God’s? Are they relegated to a secular or even evil status? Do we really want to isolate God in this one location in our communities?
What do we communicate when we welcome people into congregational worship gatherings by saying; "Let us come into God’s presence"? Do we really want to imply that God is not with us as we engage the world every day? No wonder many believers compartmentalize their faith and believe in the sacred-secular divide.
When we hold special worship times for our young children, what do we mean by the label “Children's Church”? It seems to me that this reinforces the age-old problem of continuing to misuse the word "Church" to identify a location or religious gathering. By so doing we imply that God's people are not the "Church" when scattered to our weekday callings to develop the "Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven." No wonder our salt is weak!
Why do we hang on to ancient words and phrases, despite wanting to make a welcoming atmosphere? I’m especially thinking about my Presbyterian use of "Narthex" to describe the space just outside our "Sanctuary." Do we communicate some kind of sacredness by doing this? I want to challenge that if so.
Why do we isolate and exalt servants of God with pastoral and teaching skills through special labels such as "Reverend," "Bishop," "Reverend Doctor," etc.? I’m not advocating undoing the role of pastor/teacher in the body of Christ, but I worry about further reinforcing clericalism.
Let’s move away from 17th century King-James-era of faith language by using common personal pronouns when we sing and pray. No more "Thees, thous, and thys’"please. How about the more personal and intimate you "you" and "your" in the Lord's Prayer, the Doxology and our pastoral and personal prayers please? Ironically, the "thees" and "thous" are the familiar form in Old and Middle English; they just sound formal to our modern ears.
When they preach Scripture, why do pastors tend to say, "As you know..." about various texts, stories, or events in the Bible? Current studies of biblical literacy suggest this is just not true. Pastors and teachers must fill in the void about what the Bible says, not reinforce what they assume everyone already knows. This pattern also tends to foster an insider division in the congregation, as many listeners silently conclude, "No I don't know that, and I guess that means I don't belong to this club of knowledgeable people." Imagine instead hearing a preacher delight in a new biblical discovery, illustrating the joy of lifelong learning God offers every follower.
Why have we isolated the term "Minister" as a proper noun for a few paid church professionals when Scripture uses its root, diakonia, meaning "service," as the calling, privilege, and responsibility for every believer? Luther said, "When you were baptized, you were ordained to ministry." Can we recover this concept and affirm all followers in their ministry in daily life again?
Further, why have we relegated the idea of "calling" to religious career guidance for pastors, cross-cultural career missionaries, and parachurch professionals? Scripture primarily uses this term to describe God’s invitation to sinners to return to faith. Do we want to imply God calls only professional religious workers and assigns all others to just pray, pay, and obey them?
What do we really mean when we frequently declare, "God is good"? I fear we are saying that God did something we liked or wanted. Would we ever say the opposite: "God was bad"? I prefer the advice of one of my favorite black pastors, Elward, who always added to any declaration of "God is good" the phrase "….all the time!" Let’s find another way to declare and celebrate good stuff so we don’t imply something less than the whole truth about God’s activity among us.
One last tradition is the off-putting use of "Christianese." Some of our everyday words stand in stark contrast to Jesus’ commandment to preach the Good News. For instance, calling someone a "non-Christian" negates their personhood and connotes seeing the world in a very “us versus them,” exclusive way. Not Jesus’ attitude— definitely not!
I hope these concerns don't sound like just some grumpy ole man’s complaints. I, too, have habits and traditions that need challenging and changing. But let’s not add to the truths of our faith in ways that diminish, distort or deny other elements. Let’s constantly re-submit our ways to the scrutiny of Scripture, while we listen to our critics and opponents to see how we are presenting ourselves as members of God’s family through grace alone. Let’s not silently coast into ways that contradict God’s kingdom or that disenfranchise other members or confuse honest seekers.
Lord, speak to me about my tendencies toward dull habits, less than biblical ways and careless use of your truth!
Print
Email
