Christianese!!
Inspired by recent conversations with various fellow Christians (i.e. Claudia, Nick, Jay and Sara Kavanagh and Sean), I have decided to come up with a list. This isn't an ordanary list, it's quite special. I have realized there are two things that I cannot stand: when people patronize me and when people use typical 'Christian' cliches.
In honour of the song "Christianese" by that fun, old-school band Hocus Pick here is a list of comments often heard recited by various 'Christians'. Please, if you think of anything you would like to add, post a comment or e-mail me at dj4brown@gmail.com and I will add them to the list.
Here it goes...
1 - "I want to go deeper with God" - how many of you have ever said to one of your friends "hey, I want to go deeper with you"
2 - "I want the Holy Spirit to fall" - often also heard as the 'Holy Spirit to move'
3 - "Let's just wait on the Lord" - ok, you wait, I'll go do what 'the Lord' has already told us to do
4 - "Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom" - I know that's a Bible verse and I think it's very true, the problem is people often mean 'Where things are spontaneous and chaotic there is freedom' - notice the verse doesn't say where there are no structures or rules or regulations
5 - "I want a new move of God" - what happened to the old move? you know the one where Jesus came to earth and died on the cross? is that not good enough anymore? the basic message of Christianity hasn't changed in the last 2000 years, so why should it change now?
6 - "I can sense the presence of God (or the Holy Spirit)" - usually by that they mean there's some sort of mystical or magical feeling in the room, this is also known as getting warm-fuzzies, which I usually get when I'm around a girl I like
7 - "I want the new wine" - this is especially funny because it's usually Protestant churches that this is heard in and a lot of these more 'charismatic' churches strongly discourage consumption of alcohol
8 - "I just want to soak in the presense of God" - usually when human skin soaks for long enough, it gets wrinkly and turns into a prune...hmm, if 'soaking in the presense of God' is going to turn me into a prune then I'd rather 'bathe in the light of His glory'...at least that way I'll get a tan
I think I'll stop there for now but please, if you think of anything, send me an e-mail or post a comment. I know there are lots of other good 'Christian' cliches out there.
Three from Nick:
9 - "It wasn't me, it was God." - Well, no, it was you. And God.
10 - "God told me..." - I doubt it. Most of the time, in my (limited) experience, God does not explicitly tell anyone anything. Of course, the real cliche is that this is most often followed by them telling me that I should do something they want me to do.
11 - "Why don't you pray about it?" - Again, usually to try to coerce me into doing something they want me to do. The implication is "why don't you pray about it until you agree with me?" rather than "why don't you find out what God wants?".
And one from Claudia:
12 - "I'm in a relationship with God" or "God is my friend." - I think that's what we all want, but how often do we say this and really mean it? How often do we treat God like our friend? I find these phrases are used so much, and even though I loved them when I first heard them, the more I hear them, the more they loose their meaning... the more I wonder if people really think about what they're saying. I wonder too if I always think about what it means when I say these things...
Two from Amanda:
13 - "I want to go to the next level" - Well, what's the "next level" and how do you get there and WHY do you want it? And should we be spending so much time and effort trying to "get to the next level"? What's the heart of God?
14 - "I just dealing with some issues right now." - In the words of one of our pastors, "What you call 'issues,' God calls sin." Call it like it is.
"I'm learning Christianese
Religious ABC's
I'm learning Christianese
Give me a lesson please"
posted by Dan @ 2:20 pm
16 comments
16 Comments:
"It wasn't me, it was God."
Well, no, it was you. And God.
"God told me..."
I doubt it. Most of the time, in my (limited) experience, God does not explicitly tell anyone anything. Of course, the real cliche is that this is most often followed by them telling me that I should do something they want me to do.
"Why don't you pray about it?"
Again, usually to try to coerce me into doing something they want me to do. The implication is "why don't you pray about it until you agree with me?" rather than "why don't you find out what God wants?".
I was thinking a bit about this last night, and was trying to think of the "cliché" that bugs me the most... and, well, this may be a bit contraversial, but what about the whole "I'm in a relationship with God" or "God is my friend"? I think that's what we all want, but how often do we say this and really mean it? How often do we treat God like our friend? I find these phrases are used so much, and even though I loved them when I first heard them, the more I hear them, the more they loose their meaning... the more I wonder if people really think about what they're saying. I wonder too if I always think about what it means when I say these things...
Once I heard a guy ask God to "pierce [his] ears". Never mind "Christianese", I don't even think that most Christians know that reference. (Hint: in Exodus, and again in Deuteronomy.)
Hey Dan - glad that you're interested in moving beyond 'Christianese'. I'm with you on that. My only suggestion is that as the 'Master of the Blog', you keep things positive and provide an forum for people to wrestle through/discuss what it means to be a 'new christian' not just slam the status quo. A lot of the cliches you identified are embedded with truth - the problem is not the words but the application. Don't lose the truth because you're jaded with those who don't apply them appropriately.
Y'know, my favourite verse in the Bible is Ecc. 12:14 'Fear God. Do what He says. And that's it. (Message) It's that simple - hey - let's cut throught the crap (our own and others') and just start to live like Jesus did - and not get to hung up about what others are doing wrong - it's a season of OBEDIENCE IN ACTION - can't have one without the other. Just my thoughts, take them or leave them ... peace out, Kel
Too true.
That's the real issue I have with these cliches. Not that they are untrue, but rather that they tend to keep new christians from seeing any truth.
Also, it's too common to speak a cliche that you really have no idea the real meaning of.
Hi Dan,
These are a couple of cliches that I've had conversations about with friends...
"I want to go to the next level" Well, what's the "next level" and how do you get there and WHY do you want it? And should we be spending so much time and effort trying to "get to the next level"? What's the heart of God?
"I just dealing with some issues right now." In the words of one of our pastors, "What you call 'issues,' God calls sin." Call it like it is.
Good food for thought that you've got posted.
Amanda
You know, you're right Kelly, and I don't want to be negative. The point of this post isn't to 'slam' the people that use these (heck, I'm sure I use a lot of cliches all the time).
The point of this post, and if we miss this...well we might as well go back to the days when there was one 'church' and you didn't question it because it knew what was best...(sorry back to the point), is that often times people say things without knowing what they mean. Or they say things because that's what expected to fit in. The danger comes when new Christians come and feel like they have to do the same because "that's what Christians do" when infact for them it doesn't mean anything (or at least not yet it doesn't).
So yes, this post may sound negative, but that's ok because I hope now everytime someone says one of these cliches they remember this and think about what they mean. And if they say "why don't you pray about" and actually mean want you to pray about it so you can hear what God wants and not just so that you'll 'here' what they want, then this post has served it's purpose.
And if this line of thinking upsets some people...then I suppose I'm not the first one to cause such a scandal...
Dan
"Act just once in such a manner that your action expresses that you fear God alone and man not at all - you will immediately in some measure cause a scandal."
- Soren Kierkegaard
Y'know, there is nothing wrong with slamming things. It says in Ecclesiastes 3 that there is a time for tearing down and a time for building. If there is a need to tear down some of these cliches, that's coolio. I think that there are a lot of 'sacred cows'in organized christianity that just gotta go. I am just pushing all of us TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL and provoke each other to start to 'build' something awesome, pure and real out of the ruins - a new kind of christianity that is based on the simple truth of hearing and obeying the Father - the central message that Jesus LIVED. To be blunt, I'm just tired of empty talk and discussion - what's wrong with this, what's wrong with that - there is a hurting world that is waiting for sons and daughters of God to rise up and take their place in the gates of influence - business, music, arts, government. We have soooooo much potential, but I don't think we really know who we are yet ....
don't be bitter...just love GOd! Love God, Love life, love people! that's what it's all about!
I love you dan...home in a few months!
p.s I bought my wedding dress!!!!! yay!
Kate =)
After re-reading my blog, I realized the way I worded things was not the way I meant them (and thereby I fell into the trap I don't like!) The first paragraph should read the way it is now...that I can't stand it when people patronize me and when people use 'Christian' cliches. I love the people, and I will continue to (for example, I know my family and friends have said things that are patronizing - such as 'You'll have no problem finding a job' - but I still love them).
So yeah, I made the change but it doesn't change the point of the post.
To Dan: I don't say that to patronize, I say it to encourage!!!
And really, if I do say that, I don't mean it'll be "easy", but rather that the effort will be worthwhile, in the end.
To kel: I'd say that we don't want a new type of Christianity. Protestant churches are always trying to come up with a new type of Christianity, some type that isn't "cliche", something original. Heck, even the Catholic church was started on that premise. Rather, I much prefer to think that we are trying to get back to an old Christianity, the original Christianity that isn't merely another religion.
And excuse me while I now rant for a bit (this is not directed at anyone in particular!!). What's up with society's desire for "originality"? You get all sorts of churches (and people in general) trying to reinvent the wheel. There is a 2000 years of history from which we should be learning. Things that work, and things that don't. New? Original? Different? Sorry, but it's all been done before.
And this is really not only a christian problem. Rather, I'm sure it's only present in the Churches because of our influence from the secular world. It's especially obvious to me in the music world. Constantly inventing "new" styles of music to avoid the "old" (and presumably "cliche" or merely "unoriginal") stuff. The labels are more different than the music!
To me, (to bring this sucker home) there is less different between so-called "non-denominational" churches, Quaker churches, the Roman Catholic Church, or the Greek Orthodox Church, than there is similar. It seems to me that there is no use in coming up with new labels, new ways to describe that "our way" is "better", when instead, we could be out there doing something useful, like, oh, I don't know... feeding the poor? clothing the naked? Building relationships with those around us, while still clearly demonstrating that we are NOT the same?
Talk is cheap.
(As an added challenge, try and pick out how many cliches I used throughout this post ;) )
That's my brother!!
Well said Nick!
(Oh and I appreciate your encouragement!)
Time for a new post.
;)
I AGREEEEEE!!!! :)
MUAH!!!! (sorry about the pda)
EWWW!!!
(So... anyone hear the one about the three wells?)
I'm working on it!
Hey Claudia...MUAH!!!
Post a Comment
<< Home