It may not seem all that exciting to some, but I have spent one of the most productive hours of my time here just now. One of the problems you face when coming into a new situation (whatever or wherever that new situation may be) is that everyone who has been there for a while has their own language - shorthand, if you will. They speak in their"language" and those who are not vested in the verbiage feel left out and un-communicated. Let me tell you what I mean.
I am in the first two weeks of my Ph.D. classes and in the seminar I have, everyone seems to be very much at home with all the philosophical terms and characters. They talk about epistemology and metaphysics; Plato and Aristotle; conation and praxis - things I don't know or don't remember. I feel a little overwhelmed sitting around with those who have been in the program or in the classroom for several years now and I am the new guy on the block trying to get into the groove after being out of the classroom for 15+ years. Anyway, I have to read a book for Monday by a guy named Thomas Groome. Everyone says he is real "dense" or "thick" - meaning he is tough to read. Well, I think he is a real godsend for me. I just spent an hour or two reading his capsulization of philosophical thought from ancient people's belief in mythological gods to Sophists to Skeptics to Plato and Aristotle . . . and I understood it! What a relief to finally have a handle on the shorthand that everybody is using. Now I get it and I, too, can enter into the conversation intelligently. I feel like I'm back in the saddle again. And it's a good feeling.
A couple of thoughts come to mind. We are terrible in the church at using our own language. People come walking into worship and the words we use and the language we speak sounds about as strange as epistemological and ontological sound to most of us. Who understands words like salvation and sanctification; holiness and baptism; Habakkuk and Thessalonica? The answer is not many. And no one who comes to visit on Sunday morning. Next Sunday when you go to church, listen for all the "church words". Write them down on the sheet provided for taking notes on the sermon. It's OK, your pastor won't mind. Add up the words after you get home on Sunday and you will understand why a lot of folks visit your church once - and don't come back. It's not because you aren't friendly or nice. It's because they don't understand what the heck we are all talking about. And no one wants to appear dumber than everyone else. On the other hand, go to a small group or to a Wednesday night bible study; go pray with someone at the altar who makes a commitment to Christ; spend some time in prayer with someone who is in need or in the hospital or at a crisis point. Be there when they have that "aha" moment when all the stuff they have just heard about but really didn't understand suddenly comes careening into their lives and they get it. It's a wonderful thing to see. Actually, it's what Plato describes as the "ideal" - when your mind realizes what is really real, really true. That is what church is really about. It's about helping others, "get it".
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