Words are magic

---

I teach my son about drawing circles. I warn him strongly not to. What is drawing circles? Well it’s magic.

Eustace Scrubb found himself speaking with Jill in the book The Silver Chair, about summoning Aslan. But Eustace says that Aslan would not like that sort of thing because it was like them trying to force Aslan to do something. Lewis, in the Abolition of Man speaks of how magic and technology are the same thing – they serve to bend the world to their will. Eustace is noting that drawing circles would be doing exactly that. Are we even able to control God and make him do something?

– A quick aside –

If you find yourself in a church that says they are going to force God into submission by praying louder, longer, in more tongues, or if they tell you that if you really want God to change his mind about you getting rich (so that you can spend it on your own lusts James 4:3-4) – don’t go to that church no mo’. Seriously. Go to place where they worship God and try hard to live by his word.

– Aside over –

The answer to the question of control is: no.

But what about words? Prayer? Are they magic?

I’ve been thinking a lot about words because I have to write so much. Writing sermons is not an easy task. I’m sure it will get easier the more I do it. But I realize that the reason that I like good sermons, or speakers, is because they find ways to arrange words that not only teach me, but truly change my mind. And they change the mind by revealing the truth. They reveal what is already true about a matter. It is a particular magic. And unlike summoning monsters or casting love spells, this is magic that has been sanctioned for human use.

So, here are some musings about words being magic.

1. Definitions

All of good preaching is simply giving good definitions. “Thank you pastor, I could have learned that by opening up a dictionary, thank you”. And while I think that’s often true, I know that most people don’t go into any sort of study that would reveal the definition of a word that they aren’t currently thinking about. Good preachers are good at explaining what words mean.

Of course, this is dangerous! How, you might be asking? Because when we know the truth of a matter it forces us to make some sort of change. Doug Wilson has a whole book about how when something is proved you are morally obligated to follow it. That idea may be uncomfortable, but then what did you go to hear when you went to the church this week hoping to hear the word of God expounded? Did you only want to feel good? Or do you genuinely want to be conformed to the image of Christ?

2. Arrangement

The other part of this is arrangement. Much like a flower arrangement using petal shapes, contrasting colors, complimentary foliage, and then proportional placement, words that are well defined often of have an extraordinary effect when they are arranged well.

Joe Rigney, Mr. Pastor Doctor Joe Rigney, is my favorite preacher. I got to sit under his teaching for an entire semester, and he was likable, knowledgable, etc. He’s cool and all that. But when he preaches, while he’s not a different person is very short and too the point. He wastes no words. And every word is spoken with purpose.

It’s how he says it, and the order in which he says things that makes it that much stickier. While this is no improvised explosive so to speak, it has a sense of him throwing it, sticking to the slick surface of your brain, counting down a little bit, then simply exploding, because you understand what he meant to say. (Why didn’t you just say “mind blowing”? – you may never know).

Logical thoughts, complete and clear definitions, and the application. That’s what happens when he speaks. But again, I’ll point out that when you understand something to be true, it is your duty to utterly change your actions to match up with it.

3. Good, and good good

Proverbs 25:11 says that word fitly spoken, at the right time, is like apples of silver placed in settings of Gold.

Silver is good. It has industrial value (Electric vehicle empowerment!), but it has traditionally been considered a precious metal. It is gifted, collected, used for rings. It even, literally, makes the best silverware (spoons/forks) because silver kills just about everything it touches. Silver is good.

Gold on the other hand is and has always been considered precious – and we can’t find an industrial use other than electronics… and catalytic converters?! (who knew). While electronics (and catalytic converters) are everywhere, they are not ‘everywhere’, and you don’t need much to make it work for you. Gold is good good.

When you speak words in a great way, it is good within a good. Good good.

In this case words are magical because they have a certain way of entrancing you.

4. Cliff hanging

One place where words are particularly entrancing is when a speaker asks a question. Better said, they set up a question, or say out loud the question that you’ve been asking for the last 20 seconds, “wait but how”?

And in the moment you’re thinking this, they ask the question out loud.

Hooked. Caught. You can’t get away. You won’t get up to go the bathroom even if your bladder says otherwise. You simply must know what comes next.

In thinking about how words are arranged, one must think of what logical conclusions are being drawn by what you say. Dr. Rigney guffawed me when he asked “but there was one word that Jesus changed. What is that word?”

In retrospect I see that he had been setting up the listener to ask that question from the beginning (Psalm 31), Because Jesus is quoting “Into your hands I commit my spirit”. It was very good, and strikingly obvious once I heard it. You can go ask him yourself on twitter or something.

5. Persauasion

Ultimately, words fitly spoken, set in gold, etc. etc. etc. are meant to change your mind. They do intend to bend the world, at least your thought world, in a particular direction. This is why you ought to be wise and understand that just because you like the way it makes you feel when they speak – Dr. Robert H. Schuller., deceased though you be, I’m looking at you! – Joel Osteen has nothing on you! – does not mean that you should believe every word they speak.

The political sphere has always been filled with great speakers; Speakers that can make you feel something and then punch you in the emotional gut – at which point you realize that the strings are not only been punched, but pulled! And then the pull turns into a pluck and you hear mystical tones emanating from your heart – because that’s where the strings are.

They get you to vote for this or for that. But they are seeking their own glory, and a chance at ruling. Good speaking alone could get you there even if you’re evil in your heart, or utterly inept at ruling. They really weave a sort of a magical spell.

*trouble*

This is the smart girl who wakes up one day and thinks, “how did I end up married to this guy?!”. It’s funny how so many, truly smart, wise, attractive woman end up with someone who isn’t smarter than they are. (I’m being facetious, you see. You don’t see how? The joke or observation is that the woman who believes she’s so smart ended up marrying someone who wasn’t as smart as she is… it’s supposed to be ironic).

6. Full Circle

So, having drawn a full circle now I come back to getting God to do what I want.

Firstly, this is impossible. What I’m referring to is prayer. Written down prayers in particular.

Having been in the milieu of Christ Church and its’ offspring and way of worship I notice that a lot of people are either reading prayers written long ago, or they are writing down their prayers and reading them. Scripted.

I’m on board with this.

You may first think that prayer needs to be extemporaneous. And I assure you, it was extemporaneous when it was written. Someone at some point, written hundreds of years ago, or even 2000 of those years ago (Therefore pray like this, “Our Father, who are in heaven…”) spoke the words off the top of their heads. They improvised it.

It is incredible to see that a prayer I hear and know is written causes the prayer to focus my heart on the Lord. Prayer in this sense is manipulating me… it’s changing my mind about something it’s casting a spell over me! It’s not changing God’s mind, it’s changing mine!

In those prayers I am reminded that God is great, and who cares whether I have enough money for chipotle in that moment. When a prayer of confession is offered I am broken by what I hear spoken and am reminded of the sin which I need to confess. And so I confess them and am affected!

What? why?!

Because words are magic.

Truly, the worship service needs to go beyond lights and experiences. When are you going to start going to church in order to experience the transforming presence of the Lord – not through music – but through His word? When are you going to give up that sad “Oceans” song and actually start living and stepping out in faith? Start that business. Stop waiting for the approval of others. If it’s not evil, try it!

But you won’t be able to “try it” if you aren’t listening to the words prayed and spoken. Especially the word of God.

Imagine showing up to church, and singing what the bible says. Singing the words that God wrote down back to him. Praising Him, but being transformed at the same time that you feel the tinge of knowing that you have sinned against a Holy God. Imagine walking out of that service, where you are admonished by your fellow believer singing right behind you that God will strike down your enemies (because you’re actually singing psalms!).

Man, do you want to be transformed? Obey God, ingest His word, be transformed.

7. Words Renew

Jesus spoke about vain repetition. About trying to be heard by saying the same thing over and over again. But repetition isn’t the bad part. In fact repetition is one the greatest tools the Lord has given us.

Romans 12:1-2

(Paraphrasing) I beg of you, brother, by the mercies of God, present yourself as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. It’s just what you’re supposed to do. Do not conform yourself to the way the world does things – instead be transformed – by the renewing of your mind”.

Renewing your mind takes repetition.

For people who are just getting off of porn I simply encourage, “don’t worry, old habits die hard”. They do. You’ve spent years learning to associate words, shapes, and sounds with the anticipation of being hit with a very high dose of dopamine. Some are mysteriously and instantaneously freed, praise God. But most people have to change everything about everything.

Repeating words, and doing things in a new way is the only way to get out. God renews minds with words. And knowing the meaning of those words drive you to act. That’s the heart of faith, really, to hear, understand and then act. But faith only comes, by hearing the word.