I’m guessing you probably haven’t. But since we are in the “month called seven” for this month’s Go News (confused yet?), it made me think of other words we don’t often think much about. I guess it’s easy over time to become accustomed to the words we use for common things, but on reflection, perhaps we might not.

"Church" for example. The word "church" in Scripture is Ek-klesia. It was a common word used to describe when people were called out to meet for specific civic purposes. The church is gathered (Acts 14:27; Hebrews 10:24–25; Acts 2:46–47) not attended. It’s not a building or a denomination. We are the “called-out ones” and certainly not the hidden or safely tucked away from harm ones. But ask a person what church is, and they will usually say a building. Put that’s rather like calling the ninth month seven.

Another one of those words is "Christian." That name christianus was first used in Antioch in Syria. It meant “follower of or one of the party of Christ.” Believers did not use the word Christian about themselves, because they preferred to call themselves hagios, or saints, meaning, “one who is consecrated to God, holy and sacred.”

When we think of Christians today, what do we think of? Mini-Christs, holy, consecrated people fully dedicated to seeking the kingdom of Jesus? Or are we more used to thinking about a group of people who use Christian culture more as their rallying point for their own kingdom, rather than that of Christ? Does it bring up an image of self-righteous people who criticize others for their different values or morality, or do you think of disconnected people who are too heavenly minded to be of any earthly use, a people who gather in buildings each week and call it the church? What would it mean for us to be more in line with the original meanings of these words? We are called out from and we should be gathered as the church for the right reason—to be fully consecrated to Christ for His kingdom purposes.

I’m not suggesting we start calling September, "November" (the 9th month). After all this time, nobody cares. But truly being the “Church,” that is “the called out by Christ,” and “Christians,” who are followers (imitators) of Christ, holy and consecrated to His purpose, seems a more important thing. I think it’s nice to call a spade a spade, as my father used to say, rather than a shovel.

P.S. Two months were added to the start of the year and no one could be bothered to change the old months' names. That’s why the 9th month is 7.

Perhaps we should add "missionary" to the list of misused words. When we think of that word, we only think of odd, “special” folks who cross land and sea. But we all share the mission of God. In fact, Christ gave the mission He had been given from His Father to us (John 20:21). What was it? Jesus tells us in Luke 4:18–19:

1. Be filled with the Spirit
2. Bring good news to the afflicted
3. Proclaim liberty to those who are captives
4. Bring sight to the blind
5. Free the oppressed
6. Proclaim the coming of the years of the favor of the Lord

This is your mission now, should you decide to accept it. If you do or don’t, the Bible will not self-destruct in five seconds…

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Chris Jones is the Global Outreach Director at New Hope Church. He longs for the unreached people of the world to experience the life-changing love of God and for people at New Hope Church to find fullness of joy by obeying the Great Commission.