I’m scheduled to publish something else with Threads next year that I’m in the beginning stages of working on, and I wondered if I could get some help. Here’s the working title:
One Word: Rescuing the Vocabulary of Faith From the Christian Subculture
The idea behind the study is that so many words – great words; powerful words; “God” words – have been so overused that we’ve forgotten what they mean. So this study will be a devotional guide that’s 21 days long. Each day will take one of these words and talk about what it originally meant and how we can recover that meaning now.
Here’s one example: “saved.” There’s a word that’s been run into the ground. But saved from what? Saved to what? And why do we need to be saved anyway? And by whom? And while we’re at it, did Jesus mean the same thing we mean when He said it? I think there’s alot of value in revisiting those questions and those words.
So here’s where you come in. I’d love to know your thoughts. I’d appreciate some suggestions of “one word.” One quality, but overused word, that we need to rescue.
Will you help me?
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Kingdom
Missional
Community
Authentic
“Bless her heart”
love
forgive
broken
baptism
post modern
church
worship
I love this idea! Too many times we assume someone knows what we mean when we use “church language”.
righteous
holy
fear
(p.s. I’ve enjoyed your blog – I’m Becky D.’s sister…I apologize for “lurking”!)
broken
called
word
heaven
hell
hope
glory
hallelujah
father
son
holy spirit
purpose
faith
people of god
body of christ
hymn
psalm
prayer
Freedom
Obedience
Discipline
Christian
repent
born again
These are great, guys – keep ’em coming…
Submission
Ooohhhh – that’s good too.
blessed
church
joy
grace (unmerited favor)
God
Sin
Redeem/Redemption
(I’m not saying that Christians shouldn’t *use* these words with non-Christians, but a post-modern, increasingly Biblically llliterate Western culture, we must *define terms*. Otherwise, they do not easily communicate.)
I meant to type, “but *in* a post-modern…”
I also think that words such as God, Sin, and Redeem are often spoken all too lightly, without serious, sober Biblical thought, among Christians in the church too… actually, reading more closely, that seems to be the subject of this post! I had thought it was about using Christian terminology with non-Christians. That’s what I get for reading and posting so late at night!
Yep – you got the idea Chris. Thanks for your input.
backslide
reproof
fear of the Lord
covenant
Gospel
Rebuke
some repeats:
Obey
Submit
Kingdom
i’m with Becky on repent.
i’d also add: fast, testimony, call, and witness
i love the submit/submission suggestion! Big stuff!
forgive
believer.
accept/recieve Jesus
grow in faith
give my life to the Lord
daily walk
quiet time
I second Jana’s “church”
Hope – that one’s been used a lot lately in the news
Faith
The Cross
Disciple – this is one that’s now only used of the 12 guys who followed Jesus, it really isn’t used in common speech to describe ourselves. Why is that? If it’s something we’re supposed to make (mt. 28), why has it become a term of antiquity?
Great ones, guys – maybe we can just write this book through the blog.
Sacrifice
Suffering
Praise
Worship