Narf. I think it comes from "Pinky and the Brain." "Pinky and the Brain" is an absurd cartoon about a couple of mice, who try to take over the world each day. It's a nonsensical word, with no meaning. Perhaps it is more accurate to say, with any meaning.

My son Elijah, and his buddy Andrew used this non-word profusely, for a time. If something was good - "narf." If something was bad, it could also be "narf"ed. If something was so obvious, that mentioning the subject was silly, one might also respond by saying, "narf." I suppose the distinction in definition was determined by context, and vocal inflection. It took quite a while, for us parents to get even a remote grasp of their use of this word.

Of course, by the time we figured it out, it wasn't as cool as it previously had been. I suppose the fact that we had cognizance concerning their communications, might be reason enough for the word losing its popularity. After all, Elijah is 11, and Andrew is 13. In this age bracket, youth are making up for the years in which their parents purposely used large words, or spelled words, in order to codify their communications, and hide the meaning from their children. Remember these discussions:

"You still need to put it together, honey"
"Put what together."
"You know, the B-I-C-Y-C-L-E."
"Oh yeah, I'll probably have to do it Christmas Eve."
"Do what dad?!"
"Oh nothing, don't you worry about it."
"Well, I know you're talking about something for me. Mom always spells big words when you're talking about something for me."

Sometimes, our communications in the church are like these examples above; they seem like nonsense, or code words to certain people. There are some elements of the Gospel which will always be like this. That is the nature of our message. It is hidden to those who are hardened towards God. Unfortunately, our communications are sometimes hidden, because of the manner in which we communicate.

I remember a home cell group that was - well, narf. We went from person to person, allowing each individual to share how they felt God was working in their life. That particular evening, the unsaved husband of one of the ladies, was there for the first time. It was, in fact, his first appearance in our church, after many years of his wife's faithful attendance.

During our time of sharing, two women in the group shared how they felt God was leading them through a time of "dying to self." They talked about some very personal experiences with the Lord, and had some edifying things to say, but their terminology was culturally Christian. Unless you had some familiarity with Christian terminology, or in one young women's case, psychology, you would have quickly been lost in their stories.

Later that same week, the unsaved husband told his wife how much he enjoyed the group. He thought Pastor Phil, and Bev (that's my wife - smile, smile!) had some good things to say, but the other ladies were too confusing to understand, and sounded a bit mixed up. I have to admit, I felt that way myself during the meeting. The discussion time was a bit - narf, you might say.

This is a dilemma in the small group, and in the small church. These terribly unprofessional communicators, some of whom think that they are very professional, get to take the floor, and share their confusing verbosity with everyone. The uninitiated individual, who has not yet learned the Christian Biblical terminology, or the latest psycho-babble, is quickly lost in the language.

If you have already discovered this problem, remember, every problem is really an opportunity. This particular dilemma is a wonderful opportunity. In a small environment of sharing and openness, we can teach one another to speak the Gospel plainly, and simply. In a large setting, where we never hear the people in our church discuss their relationship with God, we may not know how incredibly foreign they sound, to an unbelieving world.

I have learned to take the time with people, and ask them to redefine what they are saying. There are many Christians who are so entrapped within their Christian culture, that they do not know how to redefine their terms. So, for the person ensnared deeply in Christian culture lingo, or the latest psycho-babble, I will redefine their own terms for them. For example:

"So, God is teaching me to walk by faith."
"Explain what you mean when you say, 'walk by faith?'"
"Well, you know Pastor. Walking by faith, and not by sight."
"So what you're saying is, that God is helping you to keep cool in difficult circumstances. Instead of getting upset at the pressures you face, He is reminding you to believe, that He has the power to overcome those troubles."

Can you imagine a church full of people, who have learned to communicate their relationship with God in such simply understood terms? Narf, even a small church like this, would have a great impact!