Monday, February 05, 2007

More Powerful Words

Riddle me this: When is a church not a church?

A fair question, it seems.
I am currently a minister at a society.
But rarely do I hear people saying on Sunday morning, "I'm going to society (or to the society.)"
Most of them say, "I'm going to church."

And in our newsletter style sheet, the standard is to refer to this congregation as First Church.
(A nod to the problematic length of The First Unitarian Society, I suppose.)

Now, being the contrarian sematicist that I am, (or is that a semantic contrarian?)
I try desperately to resist this First Church label.
Why? (other than my contrary nature?)
Because I don't think we were the first church.
Certainly not the first one in the state.
Most likely not the first one in the city.
Maybe, we were the first one on our street. Who knows... we've moved a couple of times.
(I have served a church that was the first in its geographical area-- and they don't call themselves First Church-- but I digress.)
So, I just have a hard time with First Church.
I will resist until I can no longer resist -- or until orderd to desist.

BUT-- and this important-- please note my objection is to the adjective, not the noun.
It is First, not Church, that causes me to frown.

Which is very much not the case for others in this congregation-- and this denomination.
(Denomination is another word that causes trouble, but we'll save that for another day.)
Recently, I was chastised, politely, to be sure, for repeatedly using the word "Church" in our worship service.
Many words were suggested as alternatives to Church.
Church, it seems is too powerful a word for some.
Which is a shame, really, because it is a perfectly good word.

It does not, as has been suggested to me, refer only to Christianity.
Sure, it has in the past. And, yes, Christians do call their houses of worship churches.
But, meanings change.
And if you look up Church on line, you will find, buried amongst the accepted defintions,
"a place of public worship of a non-Christian religion."

When is a church not a church?
When the power you give the word is more than you can currently accept.

If we change the word, will that solve the problem and remove that power...
or just change a word.

A church by any other name...
might not be playing this semantic game.