Concerning Christian Clichés & Concepts...

Have you ever had a conversation with a believer who used certain common religious clichés? These expressions are used by many christians from various denominations and fellowships. Over a long period of time, they become so commonly used that many believers forget that they are not actually Scriptural. Take for instance, the concept of the "altar call." I know believer's that have told me that they are certain beyond all doubt that the phrase is found in the Bible. When I try to explain that the concept is quite modern (well, in the last 150 years or so), I have found myself in a difficult situation with other believers. The same is true with many modern Christian clichés and concepts. I was speaking with a brother in Christ here at the University this week. He was explaining how the Holy Spirit is "moving like a river" at his Church. He invited me several times to become a part of his Church, so that I can "jump in the water" and "get deeper" in order that I can start to "flow." Every time that I ask him (or anyone from his church) how they are doing, the answer is nearly always, "Flowing, brother!" As believers, these are clichés that we can all understand or interpret. However, my friend speaks this way with nearly everyone he comes into contact with. The response by most people is, "He seems to have been brainwashed by some cult!" There are many other modern clichés that have become quite embedded in our "spiritual" culture. While I'm not saying that such clichés are wrong -- it is just frustrating to see how often we sometimes say them without realizing what it is that we are actually saying. Such use of clichés often comes across as being artificial and insincere. And they are not just confined to our conversations. I have noticed that we often sing these clichés during worship and praise, we wear them on our t-shirts, we place them on our bumpers -- and ever so often, we even pray using such expressions! I have downloaded and listened to Keith Green's message, What's Wrong with the Gospel? In it, I noticed that he also felt perplexed by the use of such language. Keith mentions the "Christians aren't perfect -- just forgiven" type of clichés, and describes how such expressions can be taken negatively by people who are not regular church attendees. I am curious about the views of this forum on such clichés. :-) Keith Green - What's Wrong With the Gospel part I: https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=1011Keith Green - What's Wrong With the Gospel part II: https://www.sermonindex.net/modules/mydownloads/visit.php?lid=1201

ccchhhrrriiisss,I am sensitive to this issue whenever I try to vividly convey the reality of Christ in me. By using original expressions, I am hoping that people will want to listen to an entire sentence before tuning me out...as opposed to only the first few words of a tired phrase before tuning me out mid-sentence. (It doesn't work but I still keep trying :-x .) I agree that we pick up phrases so quickly that you can almost tell what Christian book people just finished by the way they talk!To be fair to people, I think most cliche's are not from insincerity. Human languge is learned through mimicry. As children we learn phonetics and words, but as adults we learn phrases and ideas. We simply recycle the best or most useful prhases to express our own minds and hearts. I think most cliche's are used with much sincerity and personal meaning. Still, I wonder if too many Christian cliche's in pop culture are an indication that the culture has been Chistianized" The more we saturate our culture with Christian "stuff", the more it might become immunized against the real heart stopping message of the Gospel.Well, as they often say...Let go and let God. (oops, sorry! :lol: )MC

This is a very relevant subject and I am glad it is brought up.Coming to the faith late in my life (47), I understand how grating it is to listen to expressions like -- Letting go and letting God...punching a hole in the darkness....and on and on. Its religious jargon. When I hear this said among Christians when there is no unbeliever in sight, its just irritating but not as offensive as if there is an unbeliever in the midst.To understand any subject (that includes Christianity), there is a certain vocabulary to be learned. It is best I think to paraphrase some of that when witnessing. I dont mean diluting the word but restating it in a fresh way. I guess that is why some people suggest Eugene Peterson's translation of the Bible. Sprouting Scripture verses to give quick answers to difficult questions in response to sceptic's queries can be tricky. Its like a Muslim telling you the "truth" by quoting the Koran. You dont take the Koran as the word of God in the first place.God indeed sees the heart, but Man sees our actions. Sorry I digress.....

How about, "God hates sin, but loves the sinner" most people think this is Scripture and use it to quiet rebuke of sin. Gods anger, wrath and fury are upon the sinner. The sinner needs to flee the storm of Gods wrath that's coming. The Ray Comforts and Jesse Morrels of the world here this one a lot."God loves you just the way you are" It is true that God is love and that Jesus loved "The Rich Young Ruler" just the way he was, but "The Rich Young Rule" because he refused to give up all to follow Christ will spend eternity in the horrors of hell."God will judge my heart" here is another one. There is not one single Scripture in the KJV, NKJV, NTL, NIV or NLV versions that contain both the words "judge" and "heart" - although there are numerous Scriptures that contain the words "judge" and "works" or "deeds"You can take a look for yourself. When the Book Of Life is opened, God is not going to judge your heart. That's not where he's looking. "the road to hell is paved with good intentions"

Hi Krispy...!That is quite interesting. I have long questioned why the modern church holds on to some modern traditions (like the evening service). Its not that I disagree with evening services. In fact, I attend evening services as often as possible. But often, work and school prohibit some from attending regularly. I have noticed believers (including pastors and leaders) judge the congregation by their attendance to the evening services. A friend of mine at school attends a large church in his hometown, where the pastor places less emphasis on attendance and more emphasis on the fact that the body of believers is the church. While the body is encouraged to meet together as often as possible (there are services available nearly everyday), the pastor is emphatic that such attendance does not "earn points" with the church or with God. According to my friend, the pastor of his home church often cancels some evening services, encouraging the congregation to spend time at home with their family (especially with a family Bible study or prayer meeting). The families or groups are sometimes encouraged to find another family (or single members of the congregation) and invite them to fellowship with them at home. People are available to conduct Bible studies or prayer meetings at the church facilities during such times, but the pastor's goal is that families spend time together in worship, study or prayer. This is quite a contrast with believers who feel that your spiritual walk can be judged by how many times a week you attend services. It is also quite a contrast with churches that emphasize the attendance as indicative of the spiritual condition of the congregation. Ever-so-often, I call into question the "procedure" of modern church services. It seems like nearly every evangelical, pentecostal, charismatic, or fundamentalist church holds a very similar format in service procedures. Services usually procede as follows:1. Opening prayer - usually by a pastor, elder, worship leader, etc...2. Opening songs - praise, worship, song service, etc...3. Offering - often followed by, or during, another song -- and preceded or followed by prayer4. Greet one another time - a handshake with your brother5. Special ministry - Time of testimony, Scripture sharing, etc... allowing the congregation to use their "talents" or experiences for the Lord6. Message - Preaching and teaching7. Music redux - musicians asked to come up at the end of the sermon (often playing during the closing moments of the service, and during the "altar call")8. "Altar Call" - call for salvation, repentence, or prayer needs9. Closing - prayer (and sometimes used to make announcements)While the format of many services tends to vary from church to church, the overall procedure is usually quite similar. I understand that such formulas are a modern concept. But there are believers that feel that if the service strays from this formula, then "the Lord is prohibited from moving" or "having his way." I know pastors who refuse to preach until the congregation has spent time in worship (because the "annointing breaks the yoke"). Some churches tend to differ from step-to-step. The nearest Calvary Chapel (about 65 miles away) does not take up an offering during the service. The local Assembly of God often does not include preaching/teaching because "God moves during the service" and the singing continues for the duration of the meeting. A local holiness church has an altar call where those needing prayer (or repentance) are removed to another room or building to "pray through." Does anyone know the history of (or have any thoughts about) the modern church service format? :-)

As for church attendance... ever notice preachers love to preach about the day of rest (which they should!), yet they fill up Sundays with services, etc. Ever notice how frustrating it can be to get your family out the door on time... get to Sunday school by 10... get home around 1pm... have lunch... and then about 2 1/2 hours after lunch is over you have to get the family out the door in time for evening service? WHERE IS THE RESTING TIME?? Sunday can be the busiest day of the week! You get home from the evening service... and drop.We should never subject our children to such an overdose. It will only turn them off. Dont allow even a pastor to give you such a guilt trip when you dont show up for yet another service in one day.

Being Born AgainMany times when witnessing, after confronting someone with their sin and judgment, and they try to wiggle themselves out it, I ask them "When were you born again".They usually respond by telling me the time that they were baptised when they were 6 years old. I have to patiently unteach and then reteach about being born again, the witness of the Spirit, etc.The Nobody's Perfect DoctrineThis quite simply comes from well-meaning preachers preaching, with great tenacity and repetitition, that "Hey, nobody's perfect, and God understands". And so, when I tell some drunkard or fornicator that God will judge them unless they repent, then they beging to preach the "Nobody's perfect" sermon to me.

Most of us meet on Sunday mornings for "worship services." But have you ever thought as to why?We know that the Sabbath was the "holy" day for the Jews. But in the New Testament, we learn that every day is a "Sabbath" rest for the people of God if they spend time in the Lord's presence (Hebrews 4:1-13). The early Church met daily, and often in one another's homes (Acts 2:46). Such a legalistic, required observance of a "single, holy day" was considered by Paul to be "nailed to the cross" -- just like mandatory circumcision.Colossians 2:8-17 8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.The Word of God also states that such legalistic honoring of such days is insignificant -- we must just be convinced in our effort to live for the Lord (Romans 14:5). Yet many Churches preach against those who miss a service due to work, school or even sickness. A Church that I once attended almost demanded that its members attend every time the door was opened (usually 4-5 times a week). Those who did not attend for one reason or another were frowned upon by other members of the Church. Some were considered "unspiritual" or "immature" in their faith. Still others were not allowed to participate in ministry at the Church because they were so "unfaithful." I probably attended more than anybody else, but I just felt very uncomfortable by the attitudes of the "faithful" attendees over those who did not attend every service.While it is a good thing (and a wonderful blessing) to often meet together with believers, I don't think such legalistic requirements were what the writer of Hebrews 10:25 had in mind when we were encouraged to meet together. Does anyone else have any input on this? :-)

Here is a quote I found: " Many Christian websites, even those which hope to be evangelistic, tend to use Christian jargon. This may be incomprehensible to many non-Christians, and perceived as ‘church’ or ‘preachy’ by others. The result is that we tend to communicate well only to the ‘churched’ people (that is, those with some degree of church exposure in their lives), and fail to communicate with the much larger numbers of ‘unchurched’. I did not know just how many evangelical cliches I had absorbed until I started attending a Presbyterian church. I had to change my talk - a good excercise for me. Here are a few sites with some typical cliches. I can't find my favorite link, but these give the drift. Christian clichesChristian ClichesCristian ClichesCristian ClichesChristian Cliches (from an atheists viewpoint)Avoiding jargon

In witnessing to others I have learned to never use theological terms. It is far better to use twenty words in discussing a concept when ordinarily one would do because of the problem of being misunderstood. Cliches should never be used, IMHO. Some terms one should not use is trinity, rapture, eschatology, etc. Discuss the concepts but do not use these words because some have a bias against them because of their religious upbringing/affiliation like Jehovah's Witness. It is so crucial to communicate, almost like you have learn another language but in reality you just have to be so simple that a child could understand it. And the wonderful thing about it is the Holy Spirit will help you in this...He, after all, is more interested in this person then you ever could be.ginnyrose

some (words) have a bias against them because of their religious upbringing/affiliationI agree, Ginnyrose. The more we can understand how a person thinks, feels the more we will know what words to use. We need to get on his map and off of ours. If we spend more time LISTENING and less time talking, we may very well have been more effective. Diane

the term "church service" is not ordained of Godalso especially the phrase "worship service" is bogus - it implies one cannot worship the Lord, or does not have to .... at other timesmodern christianity has transmuted the term 'worship' to have to do largely with what one "does" in the building -- namely singing and hearing the sermon and then donating moneyi really dislike how 'worship' is primarily categorized as "singing" ( "the praise and worship time" of the "service" )I believe "service" came in under Constantine's pagan invasion in the 300's A.D.I believe it's the case that the 'pagan gods' were to be 'serviced' in elaborate and ritualistic ceremonies ... and this whole Form was imposed upon the new "christian worship"