Disconnect: meanings from practice

Did you know that there are words used by Christians, which seem to have a "yeah, I know" meaning, as well as a "Well You know..." meaning?

Take, for example, the word "Church" as the most common of these kinds of words. If someone is using this word to describe their local religious organization, or a building in the city, and you remind them that the "church" is really the people, the Christians... not the building or the organization, you will usually get the response, "Yeah, I know"... they will agree. They "Know" that. But they will continue to use the word "church" in the other way saying, "Well, You know what I mean."

I guess some could say I am being picky about that. Maybe they are right, but when you start to realize how many other words there are like this, maybe you start wondering like me... "Just who stole the meanings of all these words and replaced them with religious cultural meanings!?"

Let me make a short list:

"Worship" is one of those words. Many people today will talk of a "worship service", or a "worship leader" or even "we start church with about 20 minutes of worship". Try to fit the meaning defined by Paul in Romans 12:1 into those statements--

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. "

So... when was it that worship become music or something that could be done in 20 minutes on Sunday?

Then of course there is the word "Service" itself, used in the "Well, you know" sense to describe the meeting on Sunday. Last I checked, service was something we are all called to do. (I have always wondered why a meeting was called a service anyway... what or who is being served? or who is serving? Does it mean the "pastor" is serving the people? or does it mean that this is all we have to do to be of service to God... I don't know what it means.)

"Fellowship" has come to mean shaking hands with someone.

"Head Pastor" (literally defined could be rendered "Chief Shepherd" -- a Title that I think belongs only to Christ) seems to be the name given to the primary leader of a "church"... although the office of "Elder" seems to be the leadership position spoken of in Scripture... (whereas Pastor is a gifting, not an office).

I could go on, but you get the picture.

Beyond all of the creative re-definitions that I see in all these terms, what frightens me more is that if you confront someone on how they are defining these things they still respond by saying, "Yeah, I know..." and will totally agree that these words mean something more or even totally different than how they are using them, but they will continue to use these words in their familiar way and continue to read the Bible with those tainted glasses.

If you keep thinking of a "church" as an organization or a building, or a "pastor" as the head man, or "Worship" as a time of singing and shouting to God... you will inevitably color and distort the plain truth of the scripture you read.

Take the "Well, you know " definition and try to forget it for a moment...
Read the Bible with the definitions that the Bible gives to these words. You might be surprised at how many tainted meanings there are out there in Christianize – land !