Comfort Words?

Sunday night I was a little frustrated. I’m still getting acclimated to our new place, I couldn’t tell what kind of crowd we had (turns out it was a very good one), I felt like I wasn’t being heard and more than that I felt like I wasn’t communicating/connecting with the audience. Frankly that is off the chain frustrating to me. If I’m not getting through then why preach, so you can imagine. Add to that the little tidbit that for about three weeks Melanie and I had both been going non-stop. Not getting much sleep and never a minute just to prop our feet up and breath. I’m not complaining there, just stating a fact.

With all that in the mix, while preaching, my mind went down a path of its own. I used a “comfort line” or two. It started thinking about “Comfort lines”. We all know by now about “comfort food” ((n) Defined as food that gives emotional comfort to the one eating it, these tend to be favorite foods of childhood, or linked to a person, place or time with which the food has a positive association.) When I feel disconnected from “my” audience, I find myself slipping into lines and phrases that I know and am comfortable with. I started thinking that if that is true for me it is probably true for others. And I wonder what yours/ours are. Some are used in speaking, some in writing and come in just casual conversation to make sure he person is “on board” with us. I mean drop a few comfort lines and it assures the other person we are “on the same page”. Here are a few: “sound” - just the word is a comfort word. “We’re a sound church”, “we’re looking for a sound preacher”, “he’s sound” - as if anyone would admit the converse, i.e. “We’re not looking for a sound preacher” :). So soundness to a degree becomes in the ears of the hearer. Another similar word is “solid” Or how about this phrase: “We’re a friendly church” or the catchy comfort phrase: “The End of Your Search for a Friendly Church.” Hmmm. Friendly? EVERY church says that. What church is out there saying, “we really aren’t friendly” or “we don’t want to be friendly”? I often wonder, friendly to who? To each other is often the truth.

Try this one on: “We all love each other here.” Really? While I’d love that to be true and while that may be the goal, let me investigate a little, I bet it isn’t true. I bet (and no, I don’t gamble) there are some who really can’t stand the sight of each other in your church. I bet there are some who don’t even speak to each other, or only do it ‘cause they have to!

Here’s one that I put on our bulletin masthead at Eva 25 years ago: “WHERE EVERYONE IS SOMEONE SPECIAL”. Oh, really, Dale, how about the practicing child molester or the bigot or the sister who hobbies in gossip and belittling others?

Comfort phrases, they may or may not be healthy or even true but they sure make us feel better. Some are good...I like most of mine...that’s why they’re called comfort lines.

So what are yours or some of the ones you’ve heard?