3.30.2009

Culture or Church Language

When your praying and planning through a church plant you wrestle with everything from language to environment.

I while back I was wrestling with our purposes. I came up with Relate, Rejoice, Restore.

I bounced it off of some of my friends in ministry and they worried about the word 'rejoice' saying it was to church.

Last week I saw this book stand at Sam's Club...



Is rejoice a church word? Or does rejoice connect to humanity in general? Your thoughts?
Posted by at 3/30/2009
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3 comments:

  1. Yes, the Christian community has OVER used that word. Try using the word 'Revel' (to make merry; be noisily festive - to take much pleasure; delight (in) to revel in one's freedom)use the same alliteration.
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  2. I think inside, or outside of the church, everyone can relate with "having something to rejoice about". Everyone wants to rejoice about something. When you know someone struggling for a long time suddenly get a break, you REJOICE with them. When you know a couple who has tried for 10 years to have a baby suddenly get pregnant, you REJOICE with them. When your husband has been laid off for 14 months and you stuggle to work two jobs to make ends meet and he gets a job, you REJOICE together. When your mom, who has had surgery to remove, cancer and several rounds of chemo gets an "all clear, you are in remission" or better yet, after several years of remission is given a "Cancer free" prognosis, do you REJOICE? You bet you do! Many of these scenarios involve rejoicing in tears. And you can bet people can relate to that kind of rejoicing. In Luke 6 we see that Jesus says "when men hate you, exclude you, insult you & reject you as evil because of Christ..." you should Rejoice that day because great is your reward in heaven! There are so many ways to relate to the concept of "rejoice". You may or may not use the word personally, but at one time or another, you have REJOICED over something. The thing about over thinking church, is sometimes we try so hard to not be "trite and overused" and miss the easy picture. The one God has already painted because he knows we can relate to it. Aren't we allowing ourselves to be used by God to offer the greatest thing to REJOICE about? And once we really grasp what we are rejoicing, we do it in tears.
    Sorry Jason, although I do "revel" in my salvation, I don't think that is an emotion that any Joe Bloe can relate to. but I do rejoice in it, everyday. Do Christians really OVER use that word? or are they really only doing, or using the best word to describe what their heart is doing?
    Go with your gut, make it something relatable.
    When you found out Selah's head was ok, did you rejoice?

    "But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." Psalm 5: 11
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  3. Rejoice is a word of the Kingdom, so how can that be "too church?" Living for the Kingdom is to rejoice. Look to the Scriptures when looking for words to relate to people, as God outshines us every single time. Rejoice is used 70x in my NIV version, and always in a positive light. The word Joy (directly related to rejoice) is used 245x. Obviously our relationship with God is one to rejoice in, and be joy-filled. Why change a good thing?

    I think we worry too much about being "culturally correct." If we're so concerned about that, then where does Jesus fit in? He was anything but culturally correct, but always rejoiced in His Father.

    For the record, the word "Revel" is found only 4x in my NIV Bible, and only 1x is it used in a positive light. That leaves 75% of the time the word revel is not a good thing. (Ne 9:25; 2 Pe 2:13; Ex 32:6; 1 Co 10:7).

    Will "Love" be the next word we try to come up with an alternative word for, because we think it is over used by the Christian community?

    Beth H
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