4 minute read
Learning the (Adventist) Lingo
Sabbath? Pathfinders? Haystacks?
How confusing— well, at least for those of us who weren’t raised Adventist.
Earlier in my life, I certainly wasn’t familiar with these things. They didn’t ring a bell for me like they might for others. I was new to this group called the
who, as far as I knew, ate strange foods and didn’t have fun on the weekend. Coming into Adventism was sort of like walking into a room where the people in it are either playing a board game you don’t understand or speaking a language you don’t speak. There are certain norms and expectations that are definitely not negative things—just different!
When I was about the age of 11, I was brought into the Adventist sphere of influence by a family member who began attending an Adventist church. Soon enough, I too was attending the same church and found myself in Vacation Bible School, an Adventist middle school, and Pathfinders. One overarching thing everyone spoke of was the Sabbath, which was a completely new word for me. Prior to Adventism I was raised non-denominational, so the idea that on the same day I went to church also meant I couldn’t partake in so many activities, like watching certain movies/shows, was very odd to my younger self.
I would actually get upset and heavily question this new church I was going to. However, eventually I came to understand the reasons why and became just as used to it as those raised following the Sabbath. I came to learn that Sabbath is not just a day of rules or no fun; it’s a day to observe what God has given us, and a day to rest as He did upon the same day.
I know I’m not the only one who has had this experience. Many others have found themselves in culture shock when first encountering Adventism. A friend informed me of her transition into Adventism and what struck her the most: she was raised Presbyterian, a Protestant denomination that greatly differs from Adventism. She stated, “It was weird; definitely not what I was used to. The theology was really new, including the idea that the dead don’t go to heaven upon death. But the theology wasn’t the only weird thing to me. People used lingo I just wasn’t used to. Names for food, events and other things associated with Adventism were constantly thrown at me, which was a little alienating. I eventually came to know these words, either from being around other Adventists long enough to learn them, or by asking for explanations. After a while, I too was using the Adventist lingo. You just become sort of used to it all, and it becomes new and exciting. Now I’m the one that uses ‘weird’ words or references Adventist events my family doesn’t know about.”
The Adventist subculture and lingo is fun and makes Adventists unique. There’s a sense of unity in these things, and even when someone is unfamiliar with them, it’ll all make sense eventually as they become fluent.
If somebody is new to Adventism and does not understand these terms, help them out! A good way to do so is to explain what they mean.
Special-K Loaf - A baked loaf made from Special-K cereal
Haystacks - The Adventist spin on taco salad
General Conference Session - World church business meeting every five years
Pathfinders - The Adventist co-ed version of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
Ellen G. White - Co-founder of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Big Franks - Vegetarian hot dogs
Micah Rose is a communication major from Alpharetta, Georgia, attending Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska.
