Monday, April 11, 2011

Words and phrases that should be banned from the SBC

Words and phrases that should be banned from the SBC, and this is just a sampling, brethren. We SBCers are so full of cliches there is an endless supply.

"Birthed" Just doesn't sound right. Makes me cringe when I hear it.

"God's man" Sorry, it's a cliche and beyond that the phrase has been repeatedly demonstrated to be false. Shouldn't we get tired of blaming God for personnel changes?

"Cooperation" OK, don't throw that hymnal at me. I love cooperating and am a cooperative kind of Baptist, but hearing denominational employees repeat the word as a mantra, a magic word has left me with a desire not to hear it. And besides, didn't the moderates and liberals steal a form of this word for their new enterprise, Cooperative Baptist Fellowship but have had trouble finding enough baptists to cooperate?

"Doctrines of Grace" Sorry, calvinism it was, is, and always will be. I don't care if the calvinists prefer this more high-minded phrase.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here are a few more I would like to never hear again:

1. "transparency" All that means is that a non-giver wants to see the financial records of the church and how much the pastor is paid.

2. Church members telling a pastor, "we pay your salary" when they don't give a dime.

3. "inerrancy" Most Baptists don't even know what this means nor do they care.

4. "blended service" We all know what that means and its well past its time.

5. The sight of staff members texting someone during staff meetings and during worship services.

New BBC Open Forum said...
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New BBC Open Forum said...

vision (e.g. "vision casting" or "the pastor's vision")

unpack (as in "Let me unpack this [scripture] for you.")

"anointed and appointed" (See "God's man.")

purpose (used as a verb or as in "40 days of... ")

fellowship (used as a verb)

disciple (used as a verb)

Blessings! (used as a closing to a letter or comment in which the writer has just ripped you a new one)

clap offering ("Let's give the Lord a big clap offering of praise!")

prayer warrior(s)

spiritual warfare

"troublemakers in the church!"

Ha ha. I could go on all day.

William Thornton said...

A fount of cliches...you must be in or near a megapastor. :)

New BBC Open Forum said...
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New BBC Open Forum said...

**cough**

the unchurched

giving unit(s)

satellite church(es)

church campus (If you have to refer to it as a "campus," it's probably too big.)

small group(s) (Divide and conquer, y'all!)

the church "brand"

church marketing consultant

submit (not to God but "to the pastor," "all women to all men," etc.)

hater(s)

"God told me __________," or "God spoke to me."

plugged in

"Women want love; men want respect." (How can love exist without respect?)

accountability partners/groups (We're adults. We shouldn't need a nanny.)

word of knowledge (I've heard that one in a SB church.)

share (instead of tell)

burden (instead of concern)

Pastor (used as a proper name, e.g. "Pastor's message spoke to my heart today.")

persecution ("As Christians, we are persecuted by the world." Baloney! The vast majority of us have no idea what persecution is.)

awesome (It's been overused to the point of becoming a filler like "you know.")

"I'll pray for you," or just "Praying!" (when you know good and well you or your prayer request will never cross their minds again)

being "relevant"

cutting edge or edgy

seeker(s)

"hip" names for Sunday School that nobody can remember

love on

senior pastor

"God's in the house tonight!" or "God came to church today!" (Isn't God everywhere?)

praise offering

"Abba, Father... Dad!" (actual beginning to a benediction in a SB church)

"God loves you just the way you are," or "Come just as you are."

missional (Spell check tagged this one.)

anointing

"God moved." (Where did He go?)

"God has been dealing with me."

"It's a 'God thing.'"

"Every head bowed; every eye closed."

liberal (used to describe anyone who doesn't blindly follow "Pastor's vision")

Jonathan said...

"bitter"

Maybe not the word itself... :)

Anonymous said...

What I'd like to never ever hear again are the words, "anti-church blog" or "anti-pastor blog". Seems like there are way too many of those operating today.

William Thornton said...

Looks to me like as long as people in churches don't feel like they have a legitimate channel for communication within a church, then anti-church/pastor blogs will be used. This is a subject well worth its own topic and one of these days I will blog on it. There are pros and cons.

Anonymous said...

That would be a great blog topic. Since they feel so obligated to have a negative blog perhaps they might try the Biblical model and actually make an appointment with the pastor and go in and talk to him face to face. Most pastors don't pay attention to anonymous blogs and/or emails.

New BBC Open Forum said...

Anonymous 9:04,

Obviously you've never tried to make an appointment to see a megachurch pastor. They don't meet with insignificant church members. Now, if you come bearing a large check or bag of money... you might get in. Otherwise, it's not happening. Steve Gaines wouldn't even meet with a group of men who tried to see him.

Besides, Steve Gaines has done nothing to me personally. Why would the "Biblical model" (by which I assume you mean Matthew 18) apply? His words and actions are public and open to public criticism.

New BBC Open Forum said...

Steve Gaines is even designated a "public figure" on Facebook now. I bet William doesn't have that many "friends." LOL!