I WISH SOMEONE HAD CALLED OUT TO ME "WHOOOAAAAAA!!!!!"
Let me ask you a very personal question: do you know how to ride a horse?
I can honestly say that I do not know how! And I can say that today even though in fact several times in my early years I did get on a horse and stay on for a few minutes at a time. That is, with an adults help, I climbed onto a very gentle horse, I rode around a bit in a corral, and then, again with the help of an adult, I got back off the horse. I should also mention that this was an extremely gentle horse! I still remember her name in fact: she was Nellie.
Nellie was a gentle because she was an older female horse; and my grandfather had trained her to be gentle. So I didn't really and truly know how to ride a horse; I only knew -- sort of -- how to stay on for a few minutes while the horse walked around in circles within the feed lot. I rode Nellie for several summers always slowly and for short distances. I don't know that she was glad to see me; but I feel sure she was glad to see me finish the ride and get off.
On the summer after my ninth birthday, something different happened. I went as usual to Oklahoma to visit my grandparents and found Nellie in different circumstances. She had given birth to a new colt. Whenever this happens a mother horse takes on a whole different outlook about who or what is around her and what is really important in her life.
Quite obviously, what was now most important to Nellie was being near her colt and caring for it. What was unimportant to her was giving a ride to some child who wanted a cheap (albeit brief) thrill.
Yet on this day Nellie was being asked to provide such cheap thrills for more than just me. There were several children there at my grandfather Cornel's corral that day: we had some uncles, aunts, and young cousins visiting the farm with us that Saturday and Cornel had made rides on Nellie available as one of the fun activities. On this particular day some of the children were riding Nellie out of the corral, and away, across the field. Then they would let her gallop back to the corral. She was only too willing to do this since the corral is where her colt was! So in other words, they were taking advantage of her mothering instinct to travel more rapidly than usual. Another cheap thrill.
However, I did not know this. I had been busy, off doing something else in one of the feed storage sheds, when someone came to get me and told me it was "my turn to ride the horse". I remember in fact that it was an older teenage cousin named Carolyn who came and told me I should take a turn on Nellie. Carolyn said to me, "ride her on out into the field there a ways. Then turn her around. She'll give you a real good lope back to the corral." That's what my cousin said, and I believed her. Only I did not know what the meaning of the word "lope" was. "Lope" (in those days and in that context) meant a fast trot or a slow gallop.
I thought it meant a nice, gentle, soft walk.
So I got on Nellie (with the help of others) and road out of the corral, and out across the field. I walked her about 50 yards away from the corral. Then I relaxed the reins and turned her slowly. That was my intention anyway. Nellie's intention was otherwise, she turned quickly, then bolted back to the corral! I was hanging on for dear life to the saddle horn and her mane (holding the reins was useless). I was shocked at the speed of the old mare, but I kept just enough wits about me to hold on as tightly as I could. In the movement toward her goal, she simply wasn't going to pay any attention to me, because I did not deserve to have any attention paid!
All this surprise to me came about because I did not know the meaning of the word "lope". So we arrived back at the corral in very short order, and some nice person helped "the petrified boy" off the back of Nellie. I was still stunned and breathless, but conscious and shaking with fear.
Nevetheless I soon found my older teenage cousin, and shuddering uncontrollably from my recent shock, I asked Carolyn, "what was that all about! I thought you said that she would give me a nice lope back to the corral! But instead she ran as fast as she could!"
Carolyn just laughed and said, "that's what the word 'lope' means, silly boy! And I told you the truth: she did give you a good lope back to the corral. Having her baby locked up there made her hurry back. At least you held on," she winked with a big freckle-y smile. She laughed again, and walked off leaving me to commiserate alone.
And I realized that if I had understood the meaning of the word "lope" I would not have been surprised. I would have known to hold on a little tighter. Shucks! I would have in fact turned down the offer for a ride that day. At least I would have turned down a ride that led out into the field, and would only have accepted one that led around in circles within the corral itself (where Nellie's colt was).
This event reminds me of a more ongoing one that was occurring to me at the same time about once each week. It was during those "elementary years" that I started going to worship on a regular basis. And nearly every week I heard a "churchy" or theological word which I thought I understood -- but not really. I heard words like grace, and salvation, and eternal life, and glory, and repentance. I sort of had an idea because of the context in which I found those words. And I found them in the hymnal and in the sermons, and in the church's paper bulletins.
But in reality they meant no more to me than the word "lope" did that summer. "Lope" was certainly
a verb that meant motion; but what kind of motion? I assumed it was slow motion, when in fact it meant fast.
Take the word "grace" for instance. I heard it a lot back during those early years it seems. And I thought the word meant only something like "beautiful, lovely, regal-looking, queenly." And if you know the true meaning of grace as it is found in much of the New Testament you know it means so much more than that. Others in the church were using theological words, which, I assume, they mostly all understood. But I did not.
I don't believe it is entirely their fault that I did not know the true meanings of such words. They probably assumed that I would eventually learn the meanings in the same way that they did: by attending Sunday School regularly, listening to sermons, attending school, growing in my reading comprehension, and determining word meanings from the context in which they were used. If that is what they assumed, then it was a good assumption. Most people who stick around long enough and pay attention will learn what the terminology means.
But maybe you are not there yet. Maybe you are in or near the church, and you just do not understand some words or concepts. You hear the word "sin" but you don't think somehow that it even applies to you; or maybe you just don't know what sin is. Therefore you do not easily understand the sermons you hear; you do not get the words on the worship bulletin or those that appear in lyrics on the overhead projector.
This is not necessarily the fault of the church! There is a vocabulary of Christian discipleship that one must certainly learn -- hopefully, sooner rather than later. But it also the case that we church people need to learn to use more familiar phrases and terms for those who have not yet received the gift of Jesus Christ for themselves. We must learn to speak clearly as we ought to speak, to use language which we know cannot be misunderstood by those who hear. These sentiments are along the lines of Paul's great prayer for himself (and what he requested that others would pray for him). He wrote this request in the letter to the Ephesians (chapter 6):
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all
perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth clearly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
(Paul's word for "boldly" is parraesia which can also mean "clearly"). We should adopt that prayer for ourselves! We do this so that others will know what we mean when we say "grace" or salvation. We could just tell those new persons, "Well, God just loves us so much that He sent His own Son Jesus to come and rescue us for all time from the destructive power of sin. When we put our trust in Him, God saves us. This entire life of Jesus Christ is God's work of grace from Him to us. That means it is free, and God expects no payment for what He has done because we could not save ourselves."
As for me, I doubt I will get on a horse again in this life time: I don't want to take the chance that it might decide to go a-loping! But I will work with my Savior to insure that my language about Him is easy to understand for those who have not yet believed.
AMEN!
LBC
Let me ask you a very personal question: do you know how to ride a horse?
 |
| Never, ever underestimate the love of a mare for her colt!! |
Nellie was a gentle because she was an older female horse; and my grandfather had trained her to be gentle. So I didn't really and truly know how to ride a horse; I only knew -- sort of -- how to stay on for a few minutes while the horse walked around in circles within the feed lot. I rode Nellie for several summers always slowly and for short distances. I don't know that she was glad to see me; but I feel sure she was glad to see me finish the ride and get off.
On the summer after my ninth birthday, something different happened. I went as usual to Oklahoma to visit my grandparents and found Nellie in different circumstances. She had given birth to a new colt. Whenever this happens a mother horse takes on a whole different outlook about who or what is around her and what is really important in her life.
 |
| Nellie had a baby colt. She liked that purdy little thang a big bunch! |
Yet on this day Nellie was being asked to provide such cheap thrills for more than just me. There were several children there at my grandfather Cornel's corral that day: we had some uncles, aunts, and young cousins visiting the farm with us that Saturday and Cornel had made rides on Nellie available as one of the fun activities. On this particular day some of the children were riding Nellie out of the corral, and away, across the field. Then they would let her gallop back to the corral. She was only too willing to do this since the corral is where her colt was! So in other words, they were taking advantage of her mothering instinct to travel more rapidly than usual. Another cheap thrill.
However, I did not know this. I had been busy, off doing something else in one of the feed storage sheds, when someone came to get me and told me it was "my turn to ride the horse". I remember in fact that it was an older teenage cousin named Carolyn who came and told me I should take a turn on Nellie. Carolyn said to me, "ride her on out into the field there a ways. Then turn her around. She'll give you a real good lope back to the corral." That's what my cousin said, and I believed her. Only I did not know what the meaning of the word "lope" was. "Lope" (in those days and in that context) meant a fast trot or a slow gallop.
 |
This is a horse that is "loping" . . . and believe me, it ain't slow!! |
So I got on Nellie (with the help of others) and road out of the corral, and out across the field. I walked her about 50 yards away from the corral. Then I relaxed the reins and turned her slowly. That was my intention anyway. Nellie's intention was otherwise, she turned quickly, then bolted back to the corral! I was hanging on for dear life to the saddle horn and her mane (holding the reins was useless). I was shocked at the speed of the old mare, but I kept just enough wits about me to hold on as tightly as I could. In the movement toward her goal, she simply wasn't going to pay any attention to me, because I did not deserve to have any attention paid!
All this surprise to me came about because I did not know the meaning of the word "lope". So we arrived back at the corral in very short order, and some nice person helped "the petrified boy" off the back of Nellie. I was still stunned and breathless, but conscious and shaking with fear.
 |
| My older cousin wanted me to have a "real good time" . . . . But her idea of a good time wasn't the same as mine. |
Carolyn just laughed and said, "that's what the word 'lope' means, silly boy! And I told you the truth: she did give you a good lope back to the corral. Having her baby locked up there made her hurry back. At least you held on," she winked with a big freckle-y smile. She laughed again, and walked off leaving me to commiserate alone.
And I realized that if I had understood the meaning of the word "lope" I would not have been surprised. I would have known to hold on a little tighter. Shucks! I would have in fact turned down the offer for a ride that day. At least I would have turned down a ride that led out into the field, and would only have accepted one that led around in circles within the corral itself (where Nellie's colt was).
This event reminds me of a more ongoing one that was occurring to me at the same time about once each week. It was during those "elementary years" that I started going to worship on a regular basis. And nearly every week I heard a "churchy" or theological word which I thought I understood -- but not really. I heard words like grace, and salvation, and eternal life, and glory, and repentance. I sort of had an idea because of the context in which I found those words. And I found them in the hymnal and in the sermons, and in the church's paper bulletins.
But in reality they meant no more to me than the word "lope" did that summer. "Lope" was certainly
 |
| Does your church use lots of big words that are difficult to understand? |
Take the word "grace" for instance. I heard it a lot back during those early years it seems. And I thought the word meant only something like "beautiful, lovely, regal-looking, queenly." And if you know the true meaning of grace as it is found in much of the New Testament you know it means so much more than that. Others in the church were using theological words, which, I assume, they mostly all understood. But I did not.
I don't believe it is entirely their fault that I did not know the true meanings of such words. They probably assumed that I would eventually learn the meanings in the same way that they did: by attending Sunday School regularly, listening to sermons, attending school, growing in my reading comprehension, and determining word meanings from the context in which they were used. If that is what they assumed, then it was a good assumption. Most people who stick around long enough and pay attention will learn what the terminology means.
But maybe you are not there yet. Maybe you are in or near the church, and you just do not understand some words or concepts. You hear the word "sin" but you don't think somehow that it even applies to you; or maybe you just don't know what sin is. Therefore you do not easily understand the sermons you hear; you do not get the words on the worship bulletin or those that appear in lyrics on the overhead projector.
This is not necessarily the fault of the church! There is a vocabulary of Christian discipleship that one must certainly learn -- hopefully, sooner rather than later. But it also the case that we church people need to learn to use more familiar phrases and terms for those who have not yet received the gift of Jesus Christ for themselves. We must learn to speak clearly as we ought to speak, to use language which we know cannot be misunderstood by those who hear. These sentiments are along the lines of Paul's great prayer for himself (and what he requested that others would pray for him). He wrote this request in the letter to the Ephesians (chapter 6):
17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;
18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all
 |
| Paul wanted help to speak God's Word clearly. Do you? |
19 and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth clearly to make known the mystery of the gospel,
20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.
(Paul's word for "boldly" is parraesia which can also mean "clearly"). We should adopt that prayer for ourselves! We do this so that others will know what we mean when we say "grace" or salvation. We could just tell those new persons, "Well, God just loves us so much that He sent His own Son Jesus to come and rescue us for all time from the destructive power of sin. When we put our trust in Him, God saves us. This entire life of Jesus Christ is God's work of grace from Him to us. That means it is free, and God expects no payment for what He has done because we could not save ourselves."
As for me, I doubt I will get on a horse again in this life time: I don't want to take the chance that it might decide to go a-loping! But I will work with my Savior to insure that my language about Him is easy to understand for those who have not yet believed.
AMEN!
LBC
