The language we use in church can go a long way toward making a guest feel comfortable or awkward. Notice in our discussions on this running topic that I have never referred to places in your church as sanctuary or vestibule. Instead, I’ve referred to them as auditorium and lobby.
Some church folk might think I’m just mincing words, but if I’ve never been to church before, I would think a sanctuary is a place for birds and other critters. And, the word vestibule is no longer a commonly used term, not even in theatres. But, everyone knows where to find the auditorium and lobby.
Word play should also be considered in our church-speak. For instance, the term “lost” is something most long-time Christians use to describe non-Christians. But, to a non-Christian, “lost” can be an offensive term. They’re not lost. They know right where they are. To them, the Christian using that term has “lost” their minds.
Another way to think of this is by looking in the Bible at the term used for non-Jews. Anyone not a Jew was referred to as a Gentile. Now, if you lived in that day and were a Greek or Roman or Egyptian, being called a Gentile by a Jew would be a shade offensive with undertones of racism. The Jews knew what they meant, but the non-Jews didn’t.
Today’s Christian has taken the “lost” term out of its biblical context, and turned it into a descriptor of people. There’s a lot of other church-speak that we need be careful about using in the broader settings of church, mainly because folks don’t know what they mean, Christians included.
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