The following is a reminder that Christian religious language isn’t as widely known as many Christians assume: The City Council in Oxford (England) canceled this year’s passion play because they didn’t understand it was a religious event. It has even been suggested that some of those tasked with rendering the decision believed the passion play was a reference to a live sex show.
So What?
Churches often rely on religious insider speak (aka Christianese) more often than most congregational leaders realize. The next time you attend worship: (1) check the bulletin for any vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to a newcomer and (2) listen to the words spoken and sung in the service to determine what words are used that may be less than clear.