Sunday Worship Thoughts

My son is an evangelist. No not like a Bible-thumping, fire and brimstone preacher. He "religiously" gets people interested in using Microsoft products. It's his job. He loves it and he's good at it. But lately it has caused a bit of confusion among some of his FaceBook friends. Namely those not with a direct connection to all the activities surrounding the world of technology he deals with.

Using Twitter and FaceBook as a means of connecting to those in his business world as well as his personal world, he has posted some very cryptic messasges with all sorts of abbreviations (aside from the familiar LOL) and hash marked references. One would think he was speaking another language--maybe he is.

How often do we do the same thing when we talk of our association with our Savior, Jesus Christ? We throw out fifty cent words (make that a dollar) and speak with words that have double meanings to those who do not share our circle of faith. I think back to the time we had a pastor's wife tell us that she once told her new doctor that God had called her and her husband to the church where they were serving. She added that when they had asked God for a decision, he told them they should move to the new church. It evoked a concerned look and a question from the doctor, "And what does God sound like when he talks to you? Does he call you often?" Red-faced, she realized he didn't understand what she meant exactly.

Use the term santification and someone may associate it with being sanctimonious. That's probably not the picture you want to paint. Jesus spoke to others about spiritual matters that were sometimes difficult to imagine. He did so in everyday, common language using stories that people could understand and relate to. We need to remember that as we share our faith. While our more intimate friends in our circle of faith may understand the terms we use, those who need to hear and understand God's love and gift of salvation through his Son may not.

Words are powerful whether in the hands of a techie-geek son or the hands of a friend who wants to share their faith. Use them wisely.