A Preacher's Vocabulary

Have you ever wondered why a dime is minted with ridges along its edges? Maybe the design harkens back to the days when a dime could buy something, and the architects of our currency wanted to give the American people a grip on their money. After all, the sides of all the coins inferior to the dime, namely the nickel and the penny, are smooth as glass. Did one of our forefathers study the coping skills of Americans who habitually lost their money and draw a line between five and ten cents? It's possible.

Older dimes don't have the crisp tread of new ones. With use they are worn down until, like the penny, they start to slip through the fingers of newspaper readers and coffee drinkers everywhere.

The same is true of words. When a preacher puts a term into circulation, its initial use grabs the attention of his audience. It is planted in the listener's mind and grows roots into the memory. The next few times it is used, its effectiveness is lessened only slightly by its familiarity. However, with time, a word can be overused to the point that it becomes worn, and with smooth edges it slips through the hearer's consciousness.

For this reason, preachers need to work on their vocabulary. Reading is the best teacher of words. There are other ways to grow a vocabulary, but the main thing is to stay interested in they way people speak and write.

Next to Scripture, words are the preacher's most important tool. If they are not maintained regularly, their dullness can become a handicap.