Christian:  Both of you have brought up points that I agree with. However, I'd like to approach another way of looking at it. For me, one major difference between Christianity and most other religions people are buying into today is the reality claims behind it. Christianity relies heavily upon being historically correct: Jesus really did live, He really did die, He really did rise from the dead. However, through our metaphors, cliches, etc., we tend to make something real into something "spiritual." By spiritual, I mean that it loses some of its reality. Here's a good example of what I'm referring to. In my branch of Christianity, our songs have historically tended to focus on the blood of Jesus. "Are You Washed in the Blood," etc. These songs bring in cliches and metaphors that almost make Jesus' blood into some "metaphorical fountain." While this may have it's place, we neglect to promote the reality of Jesus bleeding like you or I bleed. Do we apply some spiritual symbol to our lives, or do we acknowledge the flesh and blood reality of it? Ironically, we cheapen it to a degree as we try to bring rightful deeper meaning to it. Most movies about Jesus depict someone who doesn't seem "real." He is some "spiritual woohoo" with no human personality. Our Christian movies about life always have trite, happy, quickly-resolved endings with not much reality base to them. Sure the world puts out things like that as well (sit-coms, etc.) but these aren't used to persuade audiences as Christians attempt to do, and these producers make it obvious to the audience that their goal isn't to present a real-life story.

If Christianity wants to compete today, we're going to have to become a little more real. Cliches, however real they may be to us, won't cut it. With all this said, the Christian must be careful not to swing to the other side of the pendulum either. Certain metaphors that we believe to have been given to us from God (i.e. those found in the Bible) should hold serious and long-lasting meaning to Christianity. But let's not get so hung on them that we make no attempt to bring Christianity into terms people can relate to today. I'm convinced that a real Christianity will appeal to more people than we could ever realize.  After all, if pure Christianity is indeed the truth, it will bear witness to those sincerely seeking it.

Hopeful:  Actually, you hit on the reason I ever even came to the conclusion that cliches can be dangerous in Christianity.  I have heard the phrases "God is love" and "God loves you" more times in my life than I could ever count.  Since I have heard these strong but simplified statements so often, they rarely mean anything when I hear a person use them.  I rarely stop to contemplate the sacrifice of God's love, and I rarely feel the awe I should that I even matter to the God who, I believe, created everything.  I am just so numb to the statements that I have to force myself to realize to grandeur of what they really say.  If I don't stop to think about what has been said, all it is to me is meaningless filler.  If this is how I react, I wonder how someone who doesn't have reason for a sense of awe would react.

Christian: Don't you just love those "fillers" from the pulpit? The one I hear the most (and probably most upsetting) is, "The presence of the Lord is in this place" or whatever variation on the theme. Either they're stating the obvious (God's presence is everywhere) or they're claiming that there is a special presence they can "feel." It's not so strong that "the priests can't stand to minister." Instead, it's some kind of presence that allows us to go into the announcements in our next breath--a presence we can turn on and turn off. In fact, it seems to be some kind of presence that occurs right after we have pumped up the worship. So do we attribute to God these feelings we are invoking ourselves? Even non-Christians are smart enough to point this out to us. They're laughing inside at us: "If that's God's presence..." If there's one thing I've come to learn from attending church, you can count on an offering and announcements every Sunday morning, but you can't count on allowing room to truly wait on God and truly allow Him to work. It's just easier using the cliche. After all, we're not lying, per se. We're just trying to create a "condusive climate" for God to move. After all, "God is present wherever two or three are gathered," right? and "He blesses both the gift and the giver," and  "We're seeking His face, not His hand," and "He's here to meet your need." So...  "We praise you," and "We worship you," and "We adore you," and "We need you,"  and "We this you," and "We that you," and "all God's people said...AMEN!"

Works great as long as no one is deeply hurting or confused or struggling or burdened in the sanctuary that Sunday morning. (That's hardly ever the case, right?) Then we'd have to be real with them, honestly understand them, and spend time seeking the Lord for them in our services. And even hang out with them the next day. These are the people who obviously haven't "laid it all down at the altar." No matter what their problem, we know the simple and trite solution: "Jesus is the answer." I wonder, is our sensitivity to God and His ways about as deep as a knee-jerk reaction?

Faithful: Perhaps it's really not our sensitivity to God (though it would have to be included since we expect Him to be communicating to us about the world around us), but rather the sensitivity we offer toward our culture.  We are so worried about doctrinal accuracy and precision (gotta get every detail right) that we forget that the big picture, the view, if you will, is what Jesus was all about.   Jesus' concern was for people (ex. the man with the shriveled hand), and he broke the rules of man (do absolutely zero nada zippo nothing on the Sabbath) in order to heal him.  We too easily get mired down in our own rules and boxes that we forget that God is way above and beyond our petty rules and boxes.  God is just looking for a heart seeking after Him.  It must be because of that heart seeking for Him that we do what we can to connect with the people in this world.  It's time to be more like Jesus with our heart and not our... relevant to the culture of the day and more concerned for people than any rules, ideas, and traditions of men.

Hopeful:  In conclusion, I do not want anyone to get the impression that using a cliche should always be taboo.  It is more something of which we should be alert in our everyday discourse, and be careful not to use as the meat of our discussion.  In some cases a cliche may be the best method to illustrate a point.  These cases are likely to be rare, though.  Christianity is not something that should be stale or irrelevant to the world.  Rather, it should be full of life, creativity, and intellect.  It is you who decides which methods emulate the positive of these traits.  Make the decision wisely.