Christian Words

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Hi Reader,

Every family, like every church, has their own set of words. Growing up in Mississippi, I’d regularly be asked by a friend if I could “carry” them to town or school. Not give them a ride or take them.

My Midwestern wife did not understand that phrase the first time someone in my family asked her to carry them to the store. Why would they ask me to do that to them?

Every region has its own dialect, and so does the church. We say grace, sin, faith, covenant, and salvation so often we never stop to ask, “Well, what do I mean when I say that word?”

Here in the middle of summer, I'm sketching out a sermon series for the fall and winter. The topic will be Christian words with sermons titled, "What Do Mean When We Say _____?”

Hit reply and let me know if you have any words you'd want on that list!

Alongside this series, I will be teaching a class called “Bible Basics.” Old Testament, New Testament, genre, and how to study the Scriptures instead of just reading them.

My intent is to build an index of study resources on my site and develop a multi-year discipleship pathway. For those interested in membership, I could email them a link to "Bible Verses about the Church," and say, "Read it and let's discuss."

Or when I get that perennial question, “Why do we call Jesus Son of Man and Son of God?” I’d have something ready for them to read multiple times.

I have a growing index for Theological and Doctrinal Words on the site. It's a quick reference with words categorized by topics: from grace, sin, and incarnation, to covenant, baptism, and communion.

Welp, continue reading, enjoy, and may your summertime studies be blessed by the Spirit.

Jesus: Master of Words

Not only is Jesus the Logos, the very Word of God to us, but he was a master storyteller. As a matter of fact, he told 24 parables in the Gospel of Luke alone!

It's hard for me to say what the most important word Jesus ever spoke was. Sometimes it's "Take heart." Or "Be clean." Or "Repent." Or "It is finished." And yes, all of those are one word in the original language. How odd that so much could fit in so little.

Liturgy Corner The Revised Common Lectionary this week involves Jesus telling parables about the kingdom in Matthew. Kingdom is another important word. If you need, as you need, please feel free to use the worship resource and make it work for you and your context. ​Go to the liturgy​

Sounds Odd!

A hin of oil, an omer of manna, a shekel of silver. What did any of these oddly named measurements weigh in your hand?

• ​What Is a Hin in the Bible?​
• ​What Is an Omer in the Bible?​
• ​What Is an Ephah in the Bible?​
• ​What Is a Mina in the Bible?​
• ​How Much Did a Shekel Weigh?​

A Prayer for the Week

God of all words, we speak these words to you. We are grateful. We are in awe. We are worried, nervous, and sometimes anxious. We are sad. And over our words and our situations, you speak peace, love, joy, contentment, and power. Thank you for your goodness. Amen.

All my best to you,

Rev. Jason B. Elder