A friend recently sent me a posting on the “Yahoo Answers” page. It was posted by a person named Sepia and is the best answer to date on the question: “What is the two letter word in the English language that has the most meanings?” In searching several dictionaries, I found, as well, that the suggested word has many meanings and uses. If not at the top of the list, the word is close to the top.
This two letter word that has more meanings than most two letter words is the word ‘UP’. It can be an adverb, a preposition, an adjective, a noun or a verb. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary provides many meanings and uses for the word ‘UP’.
I began thinking about the use of the word ‘UP’ in our churches, which includes the Bible, our liturgy our music and the coming and going about our churches. I have taken some of the uses posted by Sepia, as well as the dictionary itself, and created a shotgun list of the uses of ‘UP’ in our churches.
We look ‘UP’ to Heaven in prayer when seeking the Lord and when we realize we’re living in sin, we hopefully wake ‘UP’. At a Church meeting, many topics come ‘UP’. Some of the attendees speak ‘UP’. Our church officers come ‘UP’ for election every so often. The church secretary writes ‘UP’ the minutes of our meetings.
We have committees in church to call ‘UP’ members about coming events or needs in the church. We sometimes brighten ‘UP’ a church room or area. We polish ‘UP’ certain silver and brass items we use in our church. At church dinners we warm ‘UP’ the leftovers and clean ‘UP’ the kitchen. We lock ‘UP’ the church after our Sunday Services. We fix ‘UP’ old church appliances and other damaged items in need of repair.
We sing Stand ‘UP’, Stand ‘UP’ for Jesus many times during the year. We read and sing John 6:40, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and ‘I will raise him ‘UP’ on the last day.’”
Unfortunately, even in churches, some people stir ‘UP’ trouble. We line ‘UP’ for tickets to a church fund raising event. We work ‘UP’ an appetite for church dinners. We sometimes think ‘UP’ excuses not to go to church or to a church function. We typically get dressed ‘UP’ for Church Services. The Church Kitchen drain sometimes needs to be opened ‘UP’ because it is stopped ‘UP’.
We open ‘UP’ the church in the morning but we close it ‘UP’ at night. Church members volunteer for jobs and ministry in church if they’re ‘UP’ to it. We sometimes read ‘UP’ to 7 devotions a week as we seek to nourish our spirit in the Lord. We try not to give ‘UP’ in seeking the Lord in our lives, so we don’t wind ‘Up’ in trouble.
We need to allow God to take ‘UP’ some of our time. Letters from St. Paul take ‘UP’ many pages in the New Testament. We strive to build ‘UP’ our strength in the Lord, never giving ‘UP’ our hope. We do, however, give ‘UP’ things during Lent.
All Sundays are not sunny. Some cloud ‘UP’, but later clear ‘UP’. We try to get ‘UP’ and go to church no matter what the weather is. The church garden soaks ‘UP’ the rain, but soon dries ‘UP’.
In Ephesians 4:29 we hear,” Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building ‘UP’, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear.” In Isaiah 40:9 we hear, “O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee ‘UP’ into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift ‘UP’ thy voice with strength; lift it ‘UP’, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!”
Robert Halsey Pine was born at Newark, Ohio in 1943. He is a graduate of Northeastern University and completed the program of Theological Education by Extention: Education for Ministry, School of Theology, the University of the South.