by Rev. Dorothy S. Boulware
Every space has its own jargon that is completely foreign to those on the outside.
A counselor or psychologist might refer to a noncooperative patient as “working their own program” or an offended narcissist as a “king baby.” A “professional patient” has been through so much treatment they mimic wellness with the lingo but it’s all a deflection.
Journalists talk about ledes and verticals, graphs, and HEDS — they might even blow a deadline or forget a byline. And did you know a wobbler is a crime that can be punished as either a misdemeanor or a felony? Attorneys do.
Even in the Black church, a visitor from another culture might have a hard time doing the right thing at the right time, unable to follow instructions given in church speak.
Before I’m excommunicated for being unholy, remember we’ve come through at least three generations who’ve not been indoctrinated into the Black church by parents, grandparents, or aunties. Visitors often come simply because they’ve been invited by a friend or coworker, and if they do, they’re likely to be lost without close supervision. They won’t know:
To avoid Sister Webber’s favorite seat
To stand when the scripture is read
To pray as we “approach the throne of grace”
To sing old hymns if hymnals and digital screens are not provided
To stand when the preacher is presented
To respond “All the time,” when “God is good” is recited. And the reverse
To praise with the crowd
To praise louder in response to, “You can do better than that”
TikTok added a few repetitive but alien phrases. The devil is a liar. God willing. You better sing. And for more, search the platform for “Blackronyms, church edition.”
@slaeyang702 You know you in the “COGIC” when the pastor gets down with one of these
♬ original sound – Brandon Vach
A recent unofficial Facebook poll yielded quite a few that many agreed on. How does one rest to one’s feet? Or stand in the presence of the Lord, as opposed to what, since the Lord is present everywhere? And who can resist, “First giving honor to God, who is the head of my life?”
What about, “I wish I had at least five of y’all who would talk back to me,” or “I don’t hear nobody”? (It’s because we are listening to you, clown)
More FB suggestions for consideration included “Y’all don’t hear me,” “Slap five with your neighbor,” “I wish I had a praying crowd,” and “Amen lights,” which got two mentions, and the addendum that you can’t start “sermon prep Saturday night and expect the Holy Ghost to bail you out.”
If those weren’t enough, there was the inimitable “Turn to your neighbor (which the booker admittedly refuses to do) and the accompanying “That’s the wrong neighbor. Tell your other neighbor.”
“Take your time.” That’s when the soloist’s voice is a little off and kinda cringe-worthy, but you extend some much-needed grace. (You still talk about them when you get home, tho ).
The Jargon of Prayer
One suggested annoyance was with repetition in prayer. We do use prayer jargon, but nothing so poetic and colorful as the prayers of our grandparents.
Generations ago, the deacons prayed with language so deep that it’s found a way into history books for posterity. They began prayers with stanzas of hymns or collected words of spirituals — all attributing present grace to the goodness of God. They expressed appreciation for beds that hadn’t morphed into cooling boards (morgue slabs) and sheets that hadn’t been required to function as winding chains (used to conceal lifeless bodies).
“‘Tis once more and again that a few of your handmade servants are gathered to call upon your holy name. We bow at your footstool to thank you for our spared lives. We thank you that we were able to get up this morning clothier in our right mind. For since we met here, many have been snatched out of the land of the living and hurled into eternity.”
”And now when this humble servant is done down here in this low land of sorrow: done sitting down and getting up: done being called everything but a child of God; oh, when I am done, done, done and this old world can afford me a home no longer, right soon in the morning…meet me down at the River of Jordan, bid the waters to be still, tuck my little soul away in that snow-white chariot and bear it away over yonder in the third heaven where every day will be Sunday and my sorrows of this old world will have an end.”
Today’s prayer repetitions are more likely to come from the Psalms of scripture and offer praise and thanksgiving for multiple blessings. It’s still a lot for an outsider to gather. One visitor suggested the prayer leader had just recited such a lovely long poem, having never been exposed to the Black church prior.
So while a first-time visitor to a Black church might initially stumble over words and phrases that feel like sacred code, they’re still welcome. Before long, they’ll learn that church-speak is a cultural signpost to the faithful, and every part of it resonates with purpose and belonging. And eventually, they’ll know exactly how to respond when someone says “God is good.”