Why I'm Using Four Letter Words in Church

(This is a continuation of a thinking process started in the posts: "Why I'm Wearing Pajamas to Church" and "Why I'm Showing Up Late for Church.") There's a movement towards the "casual" in our day. We're casual in our speech. We're casual in our showing up for events and appointments. We're casual in our clothing, too. It's that first area of casual I want to talk about. Before I became a Christian I used four letter words. And now, as a Christian, I'm thinking about doing it again. Actually, I've decided. I'm going to be using four letter words. (I'll tell you which ones in just a moment.) And why not? Why not use four letter words? Everybody else is saying whatever they want to say. Quite frankly, talk in the church can be downright filthy at times. Have you ever noticed (and wondered)? And it's not that we shouldn't consider subjects like sex, etc. The problem is, in a sex-crazed and inundated culture, there are so many still bound to sins of the flesh (some unknown to others ~ even some preachers in the pulpit) and it just becomes another outlet for unlawful cravings. And it's not that we schedule a sermon series, "Great Sex for You" and "Is Your Sex Life A Bore," to attract attention and grow our congregation because sex sells? (Some will click those two links to be titillated? Caught ya.) My mom used to say she'd wash my mouth out with soap with what was coming out of it. Get out the soap, mom. (Or maybe she won't have to?) Here I go with my four letter words. Like I said, everybody else is doing it, why not me? They're on the tip of my tongue. (Plug your ears?) They are: pray, hope and heal. Beep.