Christians: Taking Our Own Medicine from Cruise?

Not up to speed on Tom Cruise videos lately? H/T to Gavin for staying up on the situation. Trying to find it on YouTube takes some work but Gavin found excellent parodies from Craig Ferguson and one on Cruise and Clinton.

This video has provided good laughs and quite a bit of discussion about Scientology. I heard all this talk of "orgs," "criminon" and "KSW." Besides thinking of Lord of the Rings and rap groups, I began wondering if a whole lot of people feel the same way about the language used in churches.

Seriously, this is probably the first time Christians got a taste of what it is like when we use words like "narthex," "sacristy," "font," "baptistry," "UMYF," "ebenezer," "tithe," and "ordination" just to name a few. Try your hand at these and see if you know the definitions:

Canticles
Decalogue
Litany
Maranatha
Ordinance
Laity
Soteriology
Glossolalia
Tarry
Edification
Throne of grace

Miss a few? Maybe have the gist of some? Need some help? Check out this glossary of terms from “What People Ask About The Church,” by Dale A. Robbins. There are other glossaries from the Catholics and from Ken Collins regarding church architecture.

Jesus talked to the religious leaders of his day with some pretty rough language saying to them, You hypocrites! You lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. You don't enter it yourselves, and you don't permit others to enter when they try. (Matthew 23:13 GW) Is that a little harsh to say about our church language? Maybe but considering the response Cruise has gotten it is something we ought to consider in the words we choose to use.


May I Ask: What are some of the words and phrases you hear that leave you dazed and confused?

May I Suggest: Start making a list of alternatives for confusing words. Post them here!