My Take on Five "Churchy" Phrases You Should Stop Using

Teresa Neumann-Op/Ed : Jun 29, 2015
Billy Hallowell – The Blaze

Our words matter more than ever. What we share on Facebook or emails or in brief conversations in the marketplace are sometimes the only opportunity we have to make a connection with people.

It's easy to do. Especially in the heat of a discussion. You're trying to share your spiritual heart with someone who's not a Christian, or isn't of the same generation, or has been wounded in the church, and the words just unconsciously come out of your mouth. (Photo via Flickr)

Not bad words. Just overused phrases—idioms that you must be a church insider to understand. Christianeze, if you will.

With the current state of society being what it is, our words matter more than ever. What we share on Facebook or emails or in brief conversations in the marketplace are sometimes the only opportunity we have to make a connection with people.

I hate to say it, but as much as I love the church and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, I cringe when I read posts from some of my Facebook friends. They are predictable to the point you start glossing over them because they say the same thing every time. Nothing fresh; nothing unscripted. They are so full of hyper-religious jargon, so consistently empty of any type of normal daily life experiences, I wonder how many "friends" have hidden them from appearing on their wall.

That being the case, their message, even if they include Scriptural quotes in it, has become a lesson in futility. No matter how well meaning they might have been, their words ended up void.

"But," you might argue, "God's Word never comes back void."

No, it doesn't. Not if it reaches the heart of the listener. If the hearer doesn't listen—if they erase you from their "wall" so to speak—it doesn't reach them in the first place.

People are people. Not doctrinal sounding boards. And although people long for connection, but they absolutely won't connect with someone they don't understand, can't relate to, or feel is acting superior to them.

So actions matter, yes, but again, words matter as much, if not more.

That said, The Blaze recently posted a video entitled, Five "Churchy" Phrases You Should Stop Using. If what I've shared above has resonated with you, you may want to take a peek at it by clicking here. It's short and illuminating. For example, I didn't know that the phrase to "love on" someone is considered "creepy" by some.

Naturally, I'm wary of knee-jerk reactions that can spin you into the opposite side-of the nit-picking pendulum. I mean, I certainly don't intend to nip every innocent idiom I've ever used in the bud simply because someone, somewhere might be offended by it! And, hey, I'll always speak the truth as I believe it. You can count on that.

But I want to do it in love. Intelligently. Ingeniously. Constructively. Simply. In a way that truly connects with people on a human-to-human basis.

Like Jesus did.