Across America, churches are changing. They no longer have stained glass, cathedral ceilings, and steeples. They are much more likely to have intelligent lights, costly projector systems, and large production teams. Worship services seem to more closely resemble rock concerts than the more liturgical services of the past. Over the past several years, there has been a revolution of new church philosophy and an explosion of church plants. The driving force behind this transformation seems to be hinged upon the overwhelming belief that church, as it was, was broken. While there are aspects of this I strongly agree with and some aspects that I question, the church buildings and services are not all that have changed.
This new movement amongst church leaders has also created a new language. The idea is that people have become so disenfranchised with our Christian clichés and jargon that they have become utterly meaningless. Words like “Christian” have been replaced with words like “Christ Follower.” ”Worship services” are now “gatherings.” We have attempted to redefine the way outsiders view the church in a way that breaks down the barriers associated with old church language. As our churches have strived to become more relevant in the presentation of the Gospel, it seems obvious that the language we use to communicate the Gospel would transform as well. I agree.
However, I see a similar problem with the new jargon. We have to ask the question: Why did the words we are replacing come to mean so little? I mean, there had to be a time when those words were effective. Nonetheless, over time words like “saved” have seemingly ceased to resonate with a new generation of outsiders. How did this happen?
While there are probably a plethora of contributing factors, I would have to argue that there is one overwhelming factor: OUR WORDS HAVEN’T MEANT ANYTHING BECAUSE OUR WORDS HAVEN’T DONE ANYTHING. Over time, people have been beaten and beaten and beaten with words that have come to have a negative connotation not because they are bad words, but because they are communicated through inauthentic lives. As churches have built empires and “Christians” have hoarded wealth, words like “serve” and “missions” have come to mean very little. Believe it or not, outsiders know enough about Jesus and the Bible to know that our words and our lifestyles are not matching up with our supposed beliefs. The result has been that our “church words” have become mere rhetoric over time, disgusting the unchurched rather than reaching them.
Was it time for new words? Perhaps, but what happens when words such as “Christ-follower” are just as powerless to people as “Christian?” As we have strived to make our ministry language more relevant, it seems to be following the same path as its replaced ancestors. The reality is that our terminology will not become relevant until our lives become relevant. If we do not become the hands and feet of Jesus, our words will always be rhetoric regardless of how cool or post-modern they sound. Truthfully, outsiders are not looking for a new language from Christians; they are looking for a new life from Christians. Until they begin to see the Gospel changing us, they will not be interested in anything we have to say.
My prayer is that our words begin to mean something because our words begin to do something. I want my life to more relevant than my words. I’m actually not sure it is even possible for irrelevant words to be spoken from a relevant life. My heart is broken over the fact that I know that people have seen my life and saw anything but a reflection of Jesus. Who cares how well-schooled I am in new-age church lingo until I get that right?
Please share your thoughts.
Cody
