When TLA's are OTT

An email this week got me thinking about acronyms – TLA’s to be precise. (Three Letter Acronyms). The note was full of information. But much of it used acronyms and short-forms; as such, if the reader was not ‘in the know’, it looked a bit like a secret code. (To be honest, even as someone ‘in the know’, I had to re-read several sentences to parse out what they were saying.)

Now, with any institution, acronyms become commonplace. But they can become a little OTT (Over The Top) – and when they do, communications can be cloudy or confused. In some spaces, context is helpful: CBC on the radio is a broadcast station, whereas in a hospital setting it’s a blood test; BS in a pastor’s calendar can mean Bible Study, in conversation it can mean… something else.

In communications, however, acronyms can become unintentional barriers. If we aren’t clear about what we’re inviting someone to; for example, an invitation to an ARE group in one church may mean ‘adult religious education’ and in another ‘anti-racist exploration’ – both are good things, but can have a very different focus.

We also may prevent folks from outside the church from connecting with us, when we use too much of our internal lingo. A church sign that reads “8BCP/10BASwSS” may be clear to us (8.00 am Book of Common Prayer/10.00 am Book of Alternative Services with Sunday School) can be baffling and off-putting to a newcomer.

When we are trying to live out the gospels, perhaps it’s best to take a lesson from the followers of Jesus: to speak in plain language, in a manner that is understood by the people, in a structure that is welcoming. After all, the Kingdom of God is not the KoG! Let’s do all we can to make our worship and service as clear and useful as possible.