How do I say that?

Posted by Alan Knox on Oct 17, 2008 in blog links | 2 comments

I couldn’t help but chuckle when I read the post “Marbles in My Mouth” from Barb at “Former Leader’s Journal“. Here is her post:

I feel like I have marbles in my mouth.

It used to be easy to speak “Christianese.” But words mean a lot to me and I just can’t seem to spit out sentences using the words that I have always used.

Before, I would say simple sentences such as;

“Today at church I really enjoyed the worship.”

But when you don’t believe that church is that time on Sunday morning when believers come together for teaching, singing and tithing and worship is much bigger than a song you might sing, I find myself in trouble…. verbally that is.

Now I find I have to speak in complex, seemingly befuddling sentences such as,

“Today when we….um… got together with….you know…. a bunch of people that love Jesus at…um… the building down the street I really enjoyed the time they…ahhh…. devoted…(deep breath).. to singing songs that…ummmm…. told Jesus how we love him.”

Sometimes it is really hard as I trip over my words and decide how to say something that used to be so simple.

Best Friend just shakes her head…. And probably mumbles under her breath, “Bless her heart.” (She is from the South after all.)

I’ve struggled over words as well. Why? Because I also want to be careful how I use certain words, like church, worship, minister, etc. Why? Well, I think Everett Ferguson states is best:

“We not only use words, but words use us.”

In other words, the way you use a word today, will affect what you believe about the word tomorrow. Perhaps that’s why there is so much confusion surrounding some of these words.