Quote from Forum Archives on September 13, 2004, 9:11 pm

Posted by: masinick <masinick@...>

Word for Today, Mon, 13 Sep 2004: Why Do We Use Big Church Words
Dear friends,

Today's devotional message comes from Larry Davies, my friend and
someone I've collaborated with for several years now. For the
past year or so, I've been the editor of Larry's Sowing Seeds of
Faith prayer list, which gets mailed to around three thousand
people three times a week.

In the past month alone, we've had two different people write and
say how much Larry's books have been useful - to a Sunday school
class looking for interesting, relevant material, to people in
other countries, looking for ways to share their faith.

The prayer ministry has had similar results. We get messages
from people all over the world, looking to pray for one another,
asking for help, or simply seeking encouragement. In fact, my
initial contact with Larry was through the prayer ministry.

My friends, two of the things that the Lord has put in place for
us are, number one, His Word, so we can read and listen to the
spoken Word of God, and number two, prayer, which is our response
to Him. When we pray, we confess that we need God, we admit that
we have fallen short and need His love, His forgiveness, His
restoration, and His direction. We also have the opportunity to
ask for our needs and our desires, and for the needs and desires
of others. When we pray, we connect to the very heart of God.

As far as the use of big words, sometimes big words are actually
a very short way of saying something that would otherwise take
many words to explain. However, unless you explain it carefully
at least once or twice, you risk having people miss the meaning
entirely.

I have a good vocabulary myself and I can often speak in big
words and use big ideas. But unless the people I am speaking
with have the same vocabulary, it is completely useless unless I
take the time to explain what I am talking about. Yes, I've been
in this place.

Larry has an entertaining message that ought to get those of us
with haughty speech (all those big words) backing off - maybe not
to baby talk, but certainly to meet the people we talk to with
language that is familiar to them - and if not, explain what we
are saying. It's one more way to show that we care and that we
love one another.

Yours in Christ,

Brian

____________________________________________________________

Sowing Seeds of Faith...
"Why Do We Use Big Church Words?" Larry Davies

Have you heard the old seminary joke about a professor explaining
the difference between exegesis and eisegesis? Exegesis, she
said is a careful analytical study of scripture. Eisegesis is
interpreting and applying the exegesis, as a preacher would do in
a sermon. While the class discussion was continuing someone
mumbled in the back of the room: "I don't know nothin' about
exegesis and I certainly don't understand eisegesis. Can we just
learn about Jesus?!"

I once asked people on our email lists to send me their
"frustrating favorites" of big church words heard recently. Here
are some of their responses:

* Modality: "I used the word in a sentence one time and a lady
laughed and said: "You come up with the funniest words
sometimes!" She almost suggested I made it up!"

* Propitiation: "It's a big word in the King James Bible but what
does it mean?"

* Sanctification: "Do the Methodists still use this word a lot?"

* Any word with millennialism seems to be used frequently during
troubled times.

The all-time "frustrating favorite" big church word mentioned by
more than half of our survey belonged to (Drum roll please!)
..."eschatology." Use it in a sentence and watch the modality of
your listener grow strangely quiet as he mentally questions your
sanctification and prays for propitiation that would end any
further conversations with you... you postmillennialist crumb
cake!

"Very funny! So, what does Eschatology mean?" Well, let's try
breaking it down:

"Escha..." short for escargot, a fancy word for snail: eat
it and strange things happen.

"...tol..." is pronounced in the south as "tall" as in
telling a "tall tale."

"...ogy..." pronounced: "Oh Gee!" Short for... "Do you take
me for an idiot?"

So, escha-tol-ogy is a reaction to eating escargot, which causes
you to spin endless tall tales about prophecy so a poor listener
can only reply... "Oh Gee!" It sounds silly but closer to the
truth than you think. One frustrated survey response asked: "Why
can't people just say end-times?"

Question: "Why do church leaders feel the need to use those big
church words?" Actually, the problem is not the words as with
the attitude of those using them as one survey response pointed
out: "It doesn't hurt to stretch the mind -- especially with
spiritual vocabulary. All one has to do is define these words
for others rather than throwing them out with spiritual
arrogance."

Jesus gave this warning to arrogant church leaders: "And how they
love to sit at the head table at banquets and in the most
prominent seats in the synagogue! They enjoy the attention they
get on the streets, and they enjoy being called 'rabbi.' Don't
ever let anyone call you 'rabbi,' for you have only one teacher,
and all of you are on the same level as brothers and sisters."
(Matthew 23:6-8)

Then Jesus shouts: "Blind Guides! How terrible it will be for
you. Hypocrites!" Why is he so livid? He goes on to say: "You
are careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but
inside you are filthy -- full of greed and self-indulgence!" (25)
Jesus' concern is not so much with what we say but with the
sincerity of our attitude and the humbleness of our spirit. "For
I tell you this, you will never see me again until you say,
'Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!" (39)

Big church words can be powerful teaching tools enabling others
to deepen their spirituality or they can be arrogant symbols of
your sinful pride. In other words, you become coldly proficient
at exegesis but neglect needed spiritual time with God to develop
meaningful eisegesis and in the end say very little about Jesus
and without Jesus you end up with nothing and fool no one!

Oh... As far as understanding eschatology is concerned: I would
like to quote a famous entertainer who summed up the future with
this insightful statement: "Chances are, we ain't seen nothin'
yet!" Now, those are big church words, I understand.

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Jesus said: "You are the light of the world--like a city on a
mountain, glowing in the night for all to see. Don't hide your
light under a basket! Instead, put it on a stand and let it shine
for all." (Matthew 5:14-15)

"Breaking the Peanut Butter Habit: Following God's Recipe for a
Better Life" now on sale only through our
website. www.sowingseedsoffaith.com/peanbutt.htm

=====
--
Brian Masinick, mailto:masinick@yahoo.com
Home page: www.geocities.com/masinick/

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