Sometimes words and phrases evoke emotions in people beyond what they mean. A friend recently blogged about how the word “worship” has a negative meaning for her. Although understanding what she meant—and empathizing a bit—I didn’t think too much more about her post until a while later when I recalled my own issues with the […]
When at a business convention, I once spouted off a grand sounding idea, but it was really a bad suggestion that warranted immediate rejection. Yet I proclaimed it with passion and the air of authority (I had just finished speaking on the subject, and this new added thought added to the discussion). I presented my […]
I recently listened to some people talk about spiritual matters. Their language perplexed me. While some of their expressions fit within my biblical worldview, other utterings did not. I resist labeling people, but labels can aid in understanding, even though they’re more likely to produce misunderstanding. I wondered if they operated within a New Age […]
Avoiding Christianese I once shared a story with a new friend and fellow followers of Jesus about a young boy praying for his teacher. My friend was perplexed and silent for a moment. Finally, she stammered out an explanation, ”I’ve never prayed for people before.” I didn’t know how to take this. Did she mean […]