Comments on: We Need to Clean Up Our Language

By: Brian Yamabe

Brian Yamabe — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 14:44:55 +0000

Eric,
Thanks for your concrete example of how this blurring of language gets us into trouble.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:58:01 +0000

Well said. I couldn’t agree more.

When we were doing congregational assessments as part of the pastoral call process, we were supposed to list the various ministries of the church. I couldn’t believe the things that were offered for the list. Good community-building activities were called “ministries,” even though they had almost nothing to do — even tangentially — with advancing the Gospel or proclaiming the forgiveness of sins. It was not easy to understand, build consensus, and sort these activities into the categories provided.

Our language is certainly a mess.

By: Brian Yamabe

Brian Yamabe — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:57:38 +0000

Pr. Messer, I’ve still got a convention mindset and have been thinking about coming up with resolutions that might help clean up the language. Grassroots, bubbling up kind of stuff

Jim, great meeting you! And thanks again for the picture with the Harrisons.

By: jim_claybourn

jim_claybourn — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 02:00:10 +0000

Amen, brother!

By: Rev. Thomas C. Messer

Rev. Thomas C. Messer — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 19:05:38 +0000

Great post, Brian! You nailed it, brother. Language is so very, very important, and I pray, with you, that we will begin to be far more careful about our language, being careful to clearly define what we mean by the terms and words we use, as we move forward as a synod.

Oh, and thanks for your faithful service this loooooooong week! Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

In Christ,
Pr. Messer