I like Jargon. I think it can be hilarious. I try so very hard not to use it daily, because it is a great way to make people feel excluded, but I love to laugh about it in my little Chas-brain.

I got this gem from a web discussion board about computer-controlled Christmas lights, "The unfiltered/unregulated voltage is not to power the board, it is for the ZC generation. The Ren-C gets its power (5VDC) from the Olsen/Grinch via the interconnect cables when J1 (on the Olsen/Grinch) is jumpered."

The "Olsen/Grinch" is a control unit designed by a geek named Olsen which is called the "Grinch." I own one, which my son added on to his order and has assembled and used in his huge Christmas light show, soon coming to a lawn very near where I am sitting at this moment.

But any Christmas light show fan who is worth their "Vixon driven, all dimming SSR controlled 640 channel" light show would know that in an instant. Normal people, not so much. I have read about these things for years and I still go looking for a definition now and then.

I enjoy the hobby of Geocaching. Nobody even knows what that is, let alone what it means unless they have done it a bit. But it has it's own Jargon, just like any hobby. When you find a hidden 'Cache' using your GPS, there will be a log inside of it. You sign the log - most people just sign the log and don't take any of the 'Swag,' so they simply write: "TNLNSL."

I am a licensed Jet mechanic, and a pilot, and I worked at NASA for one year on an internship as part of my schooling. I have never recovered from "Acronym Overload." Airplane guys don't call anything by it's name! I have never met so much Jargon, covered over in a layer of acronyms in my life! But you know that if you have ever watched any of the Apollo space shots on TV years ago. Your teenager might think they are on to something new with all the little short cuts they use in text messaging, but it has been around for a generation or two. GOI (get over it).

There is a remote-controlled aircraft flying right now which is called the "Ikhana." It is from a Choctaw word meaning, "Aware." But the NASA people have been steeped in acronyms so long that they just had to come up with some other use for the letters, so they came up with -
"I Kan't Handle Another NASA Acronym."

When I was preaching to youth, I had to watch it. We are guilty of creating our own shorthand, our own Jargon as Christians. Sometimes it has hilarious results. A young person asked prayer for their broken-down old car to get them to work one more week, till payday. I said, "let's lift up Chad's car in prayer."

A teen who was new to the whole church scene came up later and wanted to know how we were going to lift up the car - all together, or on some sort of a jack. His dad had a car lift and he was willing to loan it to us, if it would help. I realized I may want to keep an eye out for "Christianese" from that point on.

And if I hear the word "Propitiation" used in a sermon one more time I may throw a communion matzah. OK Chas, let it go- let it go.

I have worked so hard at cutting it from my daily use that I am having trouble thinking of examples right now. Figures. I can think of only a few - but keep an eye out for them. It may come spewing out of a mouth near you at any time. I think our job is to make the Christian life look inviting, not exclusive. I'm not advocating painting it as a dream-come-true, all-expense-paid vacation in eternity starting right now with everything you ever wanted, but I think we owe it to the people around us to at least keep the language clear.

TTFN