There are words I do not understand. These include the words of the year for 2007. Merriam-Webster has has chosen “w00t”, which is an expression of happiness, similar to “hooray”, as in “w00t! I won the lottery.” You might find this word in “facebook”, which is their runner-up. As in “Facebook me some time and we’ll talk.” The American Dialect Society has chosen “subprime” as their word of the year, and nobody likes that. The New Oxford American Dictionary has decided on “locavore.” Now that is a word I can live with. You might be a locavore if you pass up the supermarket and buy your apples and tomatoes at the Arlington farmer’s market. Locavores prefer to eat something that is environmentally friendly, and they don’t mind shaking the hand of the farmer that grew the thing.

Then not only do hundreds of new words pop up every year, but there are words that change their meaning. This is what makes me feel sorry for middle school English teachers. For example, even I know that if you’re hot you’re really cool, and if you’re good you’re bad, and if you’re really good (or is it bad?) you’re wicked good. As an uncool clergy person I know enough to recognize when somebody says the Patriots are wicked, they are not specifically talking about Randy Moss’s alleged behavior off the field. To make this even more confusing, when somebody tells you something exciting, your wicked cool response is “Shut up!” That is not a rude comment, but an affirmation.

“We just got back from a vacation surfing in Hawaii.” “Shut up!”

“I got a brand new Toyota RAV4!” “Shut up!”

“I’ve lost ten pounds since New Year’s.” “Shut up!”

You get the idea. Frankly, I sometimes don’t know what to say. Speaking of “frankly,” that’s a word I just can’t stand. People use it: “Frankly, we’ve always done blah blah blah...” It’s as if using “frankly” gives the statement more importance, more authority. It’s like a “win-win” situation. Lots of business types use this to describe an arrangement that is best for everybody. I doubt it. When the saleswoman who’s selling that Toyota starts talking real fast about a “win-win” deal, I usually suspect the poor customer is about to lose his shirt. Can you imagine Bill Belichick talking about a “win-win” outcome for the Patriots and the Giants in the Super Bowl?

So there are words I do not understand, words that change their meaning, and words I do not like.Then there are words so clear and unchanging, that I just cannot escape their call upon me. Words like Jesus said in Luke 11:28, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it."

I wonder what words would be used to describe First Baptist Arlington if we took that comment of Jesus most seriously in 2008? “w00t!”

Jon Dale Hevelone
Pastor