Sermon Short for March 3rd, 2019
Reclaiming “OMG”
Exodus 34:29–35, Luke 9:28–36
Churchiness tends to make us use words and images that just
By Armando Alemdar Ara
don’t show up much anywhere else. Conversely, we tend to keep modern slang and vernacular speech out of our church lingo. But an expression that shows up across the culture divide between church and street is OMG – “Oh My God.” It means something very different in the different contexts. But does is necessarily need to?
Social media uses the OMG slang a lot. It expresses surprise, disbelief, a cry for more information. The scriptures use OMG a lot to express wonder and amazement toward creator and redeemer. I know when any hip social media enthusiast uses OMG they are likely not thinking about God as creator and redeemer. Yet I think it would be good for us churchy people to reclaim the OMG phrase for what it can truly mean – wonder and amazement.
Three disciples encounter Moses and Elijah talking with their rabbi, Jesus, in a cloud of dazzling white light – OMG!