New Vocabulary: Prose and Cons
We asked readers of Leadership Weekly, our online newsletter, to offer a word on Ron Martoia's concept of a new Christian lexicon.
April 1, 2004
Add these to the list
Are there other words besides "gospel" and "kingdom" for which we need to find a fresh lexicon? Yes: "worship." I work in the Christian music industry. I spend most of my time creating "worship products" for the church, and I use the term "worship products" with great discomfort! Worship has become a genre of Christian music: rock, pop, black gospel, Christian Hit Radio, worship. Introduce worship into a discussion and church goers will immediately talk about musical style. So I say in answer to your question: let's find new terminology to communicate the act of worship, not the "worship service" or "the worship experience" or the music section of Christian paraphernalia.
I would also include words such as holy, grace, church, spiritual, love, worship, righteous, sin.
"Grace" is, in my opinion, very misunderstood today. I also have heard the phrase "a personal relationship with Christ" all my life. It took me years to come to an understanding of what both of these really are. What should we call these?
Remember who you're talking to
I have several Jewish friends and acquaintances, and when I witness to them, I am very careful to never use the phrases "born again" or "get saved." I always call Jesus "Yeshua," and I talk about when they "meet Yeshua" and recognize him as "Messiah."
I very much agree with what Ron Martoia is describing! I am a 33-year-old pastor in the Midwest, and there is no doubt that the lexicon I grew up with is not the same one used by many today. For example, my Sunday morning greeting is "Grace, peace, and mercy in the name of our Leader and Forgiver, Jesus the Christ." I rarely use "Lord" and "Savior." Folks just don't have a deep sense of what they mean; but they do have some ...
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