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Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland
  Orange Standard

"Words: Actions"

Article 3 ~ September 2004

".......... the word that God speaks is alive and active, it cuts more cleanly than any two-edged sword; it strikes through to the place where soul and spirit meet, to the innermost intimacies of a man's being; it exposes the very thoughts and motives of a man's heart." Hebrews 4:12,13.

Words are essential for communication - information, explanation, education - person to person, and in family, community, church and country. In a world full of audio-visual marvels, words still matter.

Church! Religion for most people is very much a matter of words, spoken and sung. In Christian worship they are from specific sources - the Bible, prayer books, psalters and hymnals; preachers and singers; and in the vocal contributions and responses of the congregation.

Words make you think! Those used in the services of the church are thought provoking as they speak of God and to God, and with their concentration on the person and presence of Jesus Christ in the plan of God for the world. The words have many uses, serve several purposes, with the singular intention of bringing people to God, and to one another to mutual advantage, in selfless service together. Words to be well-used must ensure that their meaning is clear to the hearer. It must be of constant concern that the words be not just words used to express beliefs that need the content of faith in them, for them to be meaningful. To say the words is one thing, to mean them is something else. The reality is that words may stop short from meaning what they say for those who use them.

To say "I believe" is not necessarily a statement of belief. It could be a meaningless recitation of a creed, in company with others, who do believe in what they are saying. Words are used to express emotions that may not be those of the user. It is easy to say and sing words in a service and to remain detached from them. There is always the danger that familiarity will prevent people seeing through the words to what they mean.

Rudyard Kipling thought that "words are the most powerful drug used by mankind." The Christian faith, with its focus on words, is continuously emphasising its practical outworking, for words are never enough to do that. The faith must show itself in actions which prove the veracity, honesty and sincerity of the words. "Actions speak louder than words." It is a truism that what is best may not be expressed in words; how we act is what matters. Christian history reminds us that the first Christians "influenced thousands to embrace the Christian faith because they out-thought, out-lived and out-loved their neighbours." they had an unlikeness to others. Their likeness was to Christ.

Dr. Billy Graham, complaining of the imbalance, words and deeds, among Christians said: "We need fewer words and more charitable works, less palaver and more pity, less repitition of creed and more compassion."

The Christian must avoid the use of pious phrases meaningless to others, in order to make what they say meaningful through what they do for them. James said: "Religion that is pure in the sight of God the Father will show itself by such things as visiting orphans and widows in their distress and keeping oneself uncontaminated by the world." (1:27) It was he who said, "Don't I beg you merely hear the message: put it into practice." (1:22)

It is the case that the more people talk the less likely it is that they will do anything. I recall a committee set to organise a social evening. It had several meetings in which every detail of what was intended was discussed. After all this a vote was taken and it was decided not to have a social evening that year.

The thing that has hindered the progress of the church is not so much our talk and our creeds, but it has been our walk, our conduct, our daily living. The church is at its weakest when what it has to say is not heard, for people are not in church to hear and to listen. It is strong when it speaks to people by its actions; when it is serving people regardless of all but their need of help. The serving church is the living and growing church.

This is the reality! How the church responds to it will have meaning for its future in a world increasingly secular and irreligious.

Canon Dr. S.E. Long

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