Words Theologians Like: Phrase Edition

The founding principles that govern this blog series apply to both individual words and phrases. Thus:

Wax Eloquent

To speak in a beautiful fashion so much so that the audience enters into a heightened state of euphoria; to demonstrate superior skill and aptitude in speaking on a particular topic.

"Whenever we talk about supralapsarianism, Billy always begins to wax eloquent."

Y'all

I am utterly ashamed. I started using "y'all."

It's just so convenient and linguistically efficient. I can't help myself.

I am a hypocrite.

Words Theologians Like: Genuflect

This installment of "Words Theologians Like" is credited to Jeremy. Be sure to check out his blog! If you would like to make a contribution to "Words Theologians Like," leave a remark and it may be featured in future installments.

Genuflect

To bow or kneel on one knee in a posture of worship or reverence.

"Despite his past rebellion, Jimmy found his heart genuflect before the living God."

Words Theologians Like: Recapitulate

A few months back I thought of a nice recurring post, but unfortunately it never recurred. Until now.

Recapitulate

To offer a brief summary of a conversation or lecture, summarize.

"After a no less than lengthy sermon, the guest preacher insisted on recapitulating his remarks."

 

Words Theologians Like: Repudiate

Here is a nice little recurring post idea: "Words Theologians Like." Let me qualify.

Firstly, theologians tend to use the same word/words over and over again when it fits their agenda. Now some of this is necessary. There aren't many, if any, synonyms that communicate the same idea as atonement (which was a word that did not enter the English language until William Tyndale simply transliterated it in the sixteenth century), and there are other examples of terms that have to be used to communicate exactly what the author is conveying. So, I am not talking about those words. I am talking about the filler; the context in which those big, important theological terms exist.

Secondly, when I say "like," I mean abuse. And when I say abuse, I mean like in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and into The Order of the Phoenix where J.K. Rowling writes repeatedly that so-and-so "screwed up his/her face." All the freaking time. That is what I mean.

Finally, this is a shot (albeit a very respectful shot) at the writing of theologians. They are so consumed with sounding profound that they label stuffy, boring, unreadable writing as academic writing. The concepts theologians are discussing are already profound. Abusing some big words is not going to add to the subject matter. But don't get me wrong, I am not in favor of anti-academic, irreverent language where the author is always writing about "punching himself/herself in the throat" or maiming sentence structure and employing one clause disjointed paragraphs and inserting "c'mon" and text message lingo throughout. My point here is that theologians should try to be better writers. They read enough J.I. Packer and C.S. Lewis. One would think that they might garner some better habits.

With all of that said, the purpose of this recurring post is to expose words that theologians use too much. I will include a short definition and an example sentence.

Without further ado, "Words Theologians Like."

Repudiate

To divorce or separate formally from; to refuse to have anything to do with, disown; to reject with disapproval or condemnation.

"After an extensive study of eschatology, Timmy repudiated his view on post-millennialism."

Facebook Stalker

"Facebook stalker" is now a universal term used to describe people who look at all of the stuff that another person makes public on Facebook.

I am a little confused about this. Aren't you inviting people to look at your pictures, status updates, links, wall-to-walls, notes, events, friend additions, Farmville scores, groups, and other things when you post them on Facebook?

It's like saying, "I am going to make all of these things public, but you, you, and you can't spend more than five minutes looking at them or you are a stalker."

Stalkers want to find out private things about a person when that person does not wish to make those private things public. People who want to make things public can't really refer to those who browse things in the public domain as stalkers.

Am I missing something here? It seems a little unjust to call someone who looks at items made public by another a stalker.

Christmas Worship

We had a Christmas worship service at church tonight. Rebekah sang in the choir and I am happy to report that she got all the words right.

Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo

That's a real sentence. No joke. Wikipedia and William J. Rapaport say so. And I believe them.

Clear Off A Spot

Apparently a popular idiom in the South is "clear off a spot and pitch a fit," although I am unaware of what context such a thing would be said.

If you have some insight a comment would be greatly appreciated.

You Can Be Plural

Why do so many people feel like they must indicate the plurality of the second person pronoun "you" when referring to groups?

You guys, you all, y'all.

Just "you" is perfectly acceptable.

And don't get me started on the possessive form.

Your guyses? Y'all's? Really?

English Language Day

I am quite upset that I missed out on English Language Day. It was yesterday.

The English language has such a rich and diverse history; I encourage you to read about that which was arguably the most influential event in our language's history: the Norman conquest of England in 1066. If you are interested further, check out The Stories of English by David Crystal.

Facebook Photo Album Titles

Titles of Facebook photo albums commonly exhibit these qualities:

• Excessive Punctuation: this usually is manifested in lots of exclamation points. For example: "Fun!!!" or "Wedding!!!" Less frequently, but not uncommon, is only punctuation with an occasional letter. Ex: ";) ;) ;)" or ":P :P :P"
• Country Music Songs: "Days Go By" seems to be used most frequently, but other titles like "Ring of Fire" and "Wide Open Spaces" can be stumbled upon.
• Loaded Words: "Amazing" and "Adventure" are used quite a bit. A quick perusal of the photos will indicate that the captured moments are neither amazing nor an adventure.
  
• Unorthodox Capital Letter Usage: this tactic is employed to spice up uncreative titles. For example: "hOMecoMiNg '09" or "iOWa TRiP."
• Uncatergorized: often times albums are labeled "Random" or "Misc," but upon further inspection they prove to be people taking 279 pictures of themselves and one or two other people sitting on a couch or lying on a bed making strange faces in celebration of the new digital camera they bought online and probably overpaid for. Usually people who are not actually in the photos are tagged because the photographer wants to subliminally say "wish you were here" without entirely offending the other parties in the photograph by making them think they are no fun. This often times leads to an escalating series of events in which the subjects submerge themselves in the morally relativistic culture and fall into the trap of naming future facebook albums using the aforementioned techniques.
  

Religious Dessert

So, what is it with desserts and religious terminology?

Here are some common adjectives used with sugary, after-dinner potions:

1. Divine
2. Heavenly
3. Sinful
4. Indulgent

And of course there are "Angel Food Cake" and "Devil's Food Cake."

Who decided that this was a good idea? Why not tasty or delectable like all the other food?

You never hear someone say, "Wow. This pork loin is divine," or "Mmm. This burrito is so sinful." That just sounds dumb.

I doubt heaven will have little brownie-bites that you heat up in the microwave or that anyone will be cast into the lake of fire because he or she ate a truffle. Maybe. But I doubt it.

Let's cut it out.

Night:

-n. [nait]

1. The night's silence, like a deep lamp, is burning with the light of its milky way. 2. Timid thoughts, do not be afraid of me.

(as in: Night's darkness is a bag.)

Apparently this is cool in eastern Asia. Jeremy recently traveled there and bought me a small journal/planner with these words on it. I think something may have been lost in translation.

Resolution 16

Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.

The Christian should mind his or her tongue, speaking no evil concerning anyone, and rebuking only when necessary.

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

-Ephesians 4:29

If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.

-James 1:26

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

-Colossians 3:12-17

The Mirth of Christ

GK Chesterton concludes his book, Orthodoxy, with an accurate observation of the life of Christ.

"Joy, which was the small publicity of the pagan, is the gigantic secret of the Christian. And as I close this chaotic volume I open again the strange small book from which all Christianity came; and I am again haunted by a kind of confirmation. The tremendous figure which fills the Gospels towers in this respect, as in every other, above all the thinkers who ever thought themselves tall. His pathos was natural, almost casual. The Stoics, ancient and modern, were proud of concealing their tears. He never concealed His tears; He showed them plainly on His open face at any daily sight, such as the far sight of His native city. Yet He concealed something. Solemn supermen and imperial diplomatists are proud of restraining their anger. He never restrained His anger. He flung furniture down the front steps of the Temple, and asked men how they expected to escape the damnation of Hell. Yet He restrained something. I say it with reverence; there was in that shattering personality a thread that must be called shyness. There was something that He hid from all men when He went up a mountain to pray. There was something that He covered constantly by abrupt silence or impetuous isolation. There was some one thing that was too great for God to show us when He walked upon our earth; and I have sometimes fancied that it was His mirth."

I see two things in Scripture which makes this true. There are others, but for the sake of brevity I will limit it to two.

Firstly, Isaiah prophesied about the sorrow and grief that the Messiah would endure.

He was despised and rejected by men;
    a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

-Isaiah 53:3

The chapter continues,

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
    the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
    by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities.

-Isaiah 53:10, 11

Jesus knew that He was to be crushed by His Father, this caused Him deep sorrow, but out of His affliction He knew His Father's purposes would be accomplished which leads to the second observation.

While on Earth, the joy that Christ knew was not immediate, but to come.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

-Hebrews 12:1-2 (emphasis added)

Jesus knew that doing the will of His Father would bring Him great joy, although His Earthly mission was one of sorrow and grief.

Unfortunately, some have disagreed with Chesterton saying that Jesus was a funny guy, trying to turn his teachings into jokes. I do not think that Chesterton would say that Jesus did not laugh or crack a joke from time to time, but his true joy, the mirth that Chesterton referred to, was not yet realized during Christ's time on Earth.

It is also irreverent and somewhat disgusting to take Jesus' teachings and use them as a justification for crude humor. A perfect example comes in the book, Vintage Jesus. In it Mark Driscoll says,

"Jesus' humor was often biting and harsh, particularly when directed at the Pharisees. For example, he called them a bag of snakes, said that their moms had shagged the Devil, and mocked them for tithing out of their spice racks."

Driscoll made it clear at the 2008 Desiring God Conference that he directly disagrees with Chesterton in this particular instance, but, as much as I appreciate Driscoll's leadership and ministry, I must side with Chesterton for three reasons.

1. Jesus, in the same verse where He calls the Pharisees a "bag of snakes" concludes with, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34). A heart filled with the Spirit of Christ (as Christ's heart obviously was) would not make a joke out of the Pharisees by saying "that their moms had shagged the Devil."
2. Jesus does say to the Pharisees that they do the will of their father who is the Devil (John 8:39-47), but only because if God was their Father they would not be seeking to kill him. They are of their father the Devil because they want to kill Jesus, not because their mother's had sexual relations with the Devil. When Jesus speaks about God our Father he does not mean that our mother's had sexual relations with God. This passage, therefore, does not translate into a crude joke.
3. The apostle Paul says in Ephesians 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Jesus is the example of this and He adhered to it perfectly. Yes, He did say that the Pharisee's father was the Devil, but He did not say "that their moms had shagged the Devil." That is corrupting or unwholesome talk.

Again, this all is not to say that Jesus was above jokes. He was a man who laughed and I am sure had fun. But His full potential for joy was not realized until after He was crushed. He knew that joy was coming, but the sorrow and grief were great leading up to it. This is why Chesterton felt like Christ's mirth was restrained on Earth and why I do as well.

Calebology

A combination of the Hebrew name, 'Caleb,' and the suffix '-ology' stemming from the Greek 'logos,' Calebology is one of those tell-us-lame-stuff-about-yourself-on-Facebook-and-tag-all-of-your-friends-in-it things. I think I will try it.

1) What is your salad dressing of choice?
Blue Cheese

2) What is your favorite sit-down restaurant?
Chili's

3) What food could you eat for 2 weeks straight and not get sick of it?
Oreos

4) What are your pizza toppings of choice?
Sausage, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, onions, black olives, green peppers, mushrooms, and lots of cheese.

6) How many televisions are in your house?
One

7) What color cell phone do you have?
Silver

8) Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Right

9) Have you ever had anything removed from your body?
A couple of moles. Hair. I was circumcised.

10) What is the last heavy item you lifted?
Sandbags

11) Have you ever been knocked unconscious?
Yes

12) If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?
No

13) If you could change your name, what would you change it to?
If I could change my name, I wouldn't.

14) Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?
Psh, yeah.

15) How many pairs of flip flops do you own?
One

16) What’s your goal for the year?
Finish my novel.

17) Last person you talked to?
Wanda, my supervisor

18) Last person you hugged?
Rebekah

19) Favorite Season?
Fall

20) Favorite Holiday?
Thanksgiving

21) Favorite day of the week?
Sunday

22) Favorite Month?
September

23) First place you went this morning?
The bathroom

24) What's the last movie you saw?
The Happening

25) Do you smile often?
That's a relative question.

26) Do you always answer your phone?
Yes

28) If you could change your eye color what would it be?
Red

29) What flavor drink do you get at Sonic?
There are no Sonics in Fargo

30) Have you ever had a pet fish?
Yes

31) Favorite Christmas song?
Come Thou Fount

32) What's on your wish list for your birthday?
Louisville, Kentucky

33) Can you do push ups?
Yes

34) Can you do a chin up?
Yes

35) Does the future make you more nervous or excited?
Excited

36) Do you have any saved texts?
No

37) Ever been in a car wreck?
No

38) Do you have an accent?
Everyone has an accent according to somebody. So yes.

39) What is the last song to make you cry?
In Christ Alone

40) Plans tonight?
Reading, working on my novel

41) Have you ever felt like you hit rock bottom?
Yes

42) Name 3 things you bought yesterday.
A whole lot of nothing.

43) Have you ever been given roses?
No

44) Current hate right now?
Rising rivers

45) Met someone who changed your life?
Yes... these questions are becoming more and more fragmented.

46) How did you bring in the New Year?
Kissing my wife.

47) What song represents you?
"Southbound Train" by Jon Foreman

48) Name three people who might complete this?
I hope I don't know any people who would complete this.

49) What were you doing 12 AM last night?
Sleeping

50) What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up?
AIG (it was what they were talking about on NPR)

I feel like I was just interviewed by a twelve-year-old girl.

Below the Belt

The idiom "below the belt" is not enhanced by saying "way below the belt."

Getting hit way below the belt is much less underhanded than getting hit only slightly below the belt.

Take It Easy

I do not think I will ever employ any of the following phrases when saying goodbye:

1. "Take it easy." 
2. "Take care of yourself." 
3. Or the shortened version of (2), "Take care."

To use these would seem to encourage egocentricity and sloth.

Joy to the... Moon?

At the Christmas Eve service I was wondering if my wife had ever sung traditional Christmas songs before when in Joy to the World she sang,

"No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the plow."

The plow?

Or on the ride home, Away in the Manger:

"The cattle are lowing,
The poor Baby wakes,
But little Lord Jesus,
No dying He makes."

Well, not until Good Friday at least...