The Biblein 365

Friends, you haven't heard much from me lately on The Masked Evangel. It's all good... no really; everything is good. Life has really been good in Oregon. I'm just spening a lot more time with my new blog 365 Forum. I've really been enoying it, and I think it's been benefitting my church family, too.

I'm going to keep The Masked Evangel open, and post occasionally, just because I don't want it to dry up and blow away.

Stop over soon, and say, "Hi."

In the mean time, "How about my Steelers?!"

365 Forum

My new blog 365 Forum has been taking a lot of my time and attention. That's why I haven't been posting too often at The Masked Evangel. I'm still here, and having a great time. Come on over and check us out. Oh yeah!

Woo Hoo!

Okay, I can't say that; it makes me feel like a chick. Just let it be known that I'm jazzed! Actually that's not much better... about two things!

First, I shared about getting my laptop worked on a few months ago. I was pumped at the time, and had great expectations for better performance. What I didn't realize was that somehow in the process, the computer tech apparently deleted the driver for my wireless card. I'm not a computer geek, so I might be saying this all wrong, but whatever the reason, I haven't had wireless access since. At work I can plug in to a DSL line, and I'm fine, but at home my only choice was wireless, so I just went without.

Today a friend started poking around in my computer, diagnosed the problem, downloaded a new driver, and (since we're snowed in) here I am, sitting in my easy chair, blogging. How cool is that? I've moved into the 20th century! As they say, one century at a time.

Second, I'm starting a new blog: 365 Forum! 365 Forum is geared toward Aloha Church of God members, but we're not limiting participation to just members of our church. This is a through the Bible type group study. Everyone from ACOG has been (or will be) given a The Bible in 365 card, which gives us all a framework for reading through the Bible in one year. Follow the above link to learn more. If you're not a part of ACOG, email me, and I'll send you a reading schedule.

365: 1 Thessalonians (Day 345)

You are our hope, our joy, and the crown we will take pride in when our Lord Jesus Christ comes. (1 Thessalonians 2:19)

I guess it's natural as the year winds down and Christmas approaches to take personal inventory. This year, more than anything, I'm catching visions of people from my past... people who have made a difference in my life, and some for whom (hopefully) I've made a difference in theirs.

I think about Evelyn Musolff, who was my Sunday School teacher when I was probably about 8 years old. I will never forget her. Or Larry Best, who was also my Sunday School teacher when I was a pre-teen, and who took me and a friend trout fishing on opening day. I think of Beverly Kerstetter, my piano teacher, who confessed to me years later that she sat next to the piano bench every week as I played, praying that God would use my music for his kingdom. And of course there was my mom and dad. From my mom I learned a subtle lesson of how to persevere when things aren't going my way, and in a more overt way, my dad was the greatest spiritual influence in my life.

This Thessalonians passage reminds me that bank accounts, fancy cars, media broadcasts and publishing deals are not how I measure my impact as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When I stand before God, my reward will be Christ, and the changed lives of those connected to him because I was available when God called me, and when they needed me.

365: 1 Corinthians 10, 11 and 12 (Day 333)

Something from the Spirit can be seen in each person, for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7)

Paul reminds us that everyone has a gift.

Here's the thing: the gifts of the Spirit are not for us. In other words, your gifts aren't for your benefit; they're for me, and my spiritual gifts are not for my gratification; they're for you. To really be fulfilled, I must share my gift with the church.

There are lots of people who can preach better than me. There are lots of people who can sing better. There are lots of people who can write better music. There are those who are more discerning, more merciful, and more faith-filled, but when God put my spiritual gift mix together, he made me just the way he wants me, and I'm the best me there is in the whole world.

But even in being the best me in the whole world, I'm still falling short, because no matter how good a me I am, I'm not you. We were not meant to work in isolation, but in community. No one has every gift; not everyone has the same gift; but everyone has a gift. It is in joining our gifts together, uniting for a common purpose, that we function as the church God intended.

As we approach Christmas 2008, what's your gift to the Body?

365: Romans 4, 5 and 6 (Day 326)

People cannot do any work that will make them right with God. (Romans 4:4 - NCV)

O Lord our God, grant us the grace to desire Thee with our whole heart; that so desiring we may seek and find Thee; and so finding Thee may love Thee; and loving Thee, may hate those sins from which Thou hast redeemed us. Amen. [1]

During these few days before Thanksgiving 2008, I find it necessary to once again thank God for his saving work in my life. Coming from a holiness movement background, it is always tempting to fall into the thinking that says my behavior earns me right relationship with God. Today I am reminded that my best behaviors are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6) before a perfect God.

God, help me remember that holiness is about loving you so much that if affects who I am, which in turn affects how I act. You don't love me any less when I leave my Bible unread for a few days, and you don't love me any more just because I spend extra time in prayer. John wrote that I love because you loved me first (1 John 4:19). As your love pours into my life, may it flow back to you. May your love for me be increased in how I love your children.

Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee, and worthily magnify thy holy Name; through Christ our Lord. Amen. [2]

[1] Anselm of Canterbury (1033-1109), as printed in Harry Emerson Fosdick, The Meaning of Prayer (New York: The International Committee of Young Men's Christian Associations, 1915), 3.

[2] The Book of Common Prayer, "The Holy Eucharist: Rite One" (New York: Oxford University Press, 1990), 323.

365: Mark 4, 5 and 6 (Day 297)

[Jesus] was amazed at how many people had no faith. (Mark 6:6 - NCV)

In Mark 6 we find the narrative detailing Jesus' return to Nazareth. Even though his hometown crowd was amazed at his teachings, they refused to believe in him. Before leaving there, the writer of Mark records Jesus reaction to their lack of faith: Jesus was amazed.

In another account, Matthew 8:5-13, Jesus has a different reaction to a centurion's faith: He was amazed. Wait, that's the same reaction. Nope, just the opposite. With his friends and neighbors, he was amazed at their lack of faith; with the soldier, he was amazed at his abundance of faith.

Just to cover the bases, let's examine a scenario from the final synoptic Gospel. In Luke there is an interesting set of bookends (a story within a story). Both verses include the phrase, When the Son of Man comes again... (17:24 and 18:8). The discourse may have been sparked by the Pharisees' question: When will the kingdom of God come? (verse 20) The Pharisees ask, When?, but Jesus answers a more important question. The question isn't, When will Jesus return?, but, What will Jesus find when he returns? According to Luke 18:8 - NIV, the question is, When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?

Let's put this all together. Jesus was amazed at his friends' and neighbors' lack of faith, and he was amazed at the centurion's abundance of faith. So when Christ returns, maybe it's a given that he will be amazed because of our faith, but will it be for its lack or its abundance?

If you're honest, you'd probably have to admit that you're not that different from me. Right now, whether Jesus was amazed at my lack or abundance of faith would depend on the day of the week. My faith has been stretched and deepened over the past year, but I remind myself of the man Jesus encountered seeking help for his sick son: If you can do anything for him, please have pity on us and help us.

Jesus said to the father, "You said, 'If you can!' All things are possible for the one who believes."

Immediately the father cried out, "I do believe! Help me to believe more!" (Mark 9:22-24 - NCV)

God finds my faith amazing. Is it for the right reasons?

365: Matthew 4, 5 and 6 (Day 288)

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. (Matthew 5:9)

Allow me to paraphrase: How fortunate are those who don't content themselves with being spectators at a fight, but who step in and initiate reconciliation, who take a volatile situation and guide it to resolution; and who, rather than say, "There's no hope," bring the encouraging word, "Give peace a chance." People like that resemble their heavenly Father, and people notice.

What if I refused to stoke a conflict, applying water to smoldering fires rather than gasoline? What if I actively advocated for peace, smoothing ruffled feathers and soothing frenzied spirits? And what if I had the kind and volume of peace in my life that overflowed to those around me?

When people look at you, how do they see evidence of your relationship with your Father?

365: Ezekiel 22, 23 and 24 (Day 255)

You became tired of your lovers, but I am going to hand you over to those men you now hate. (Ezekiel 23:28)

This is a good example of how the Bible isn’t always pretty. In this expanded passage, God likens the capital cities of Samaria (Israel) and Jerusalem (Judah) to sisters who have both engaged in prostitution. Their sin is that they have sold themselves to other nations and those nations’ idols, without any regard for their relationship with the Lord God, who rightfully should have been their one and only. God, the wounded husband, announces: You want to chase after your lovers? You can have them. You think this is a Harlequin romance? Just wait until you see the shameful way they treat you! (Pastor's Paraphrase) He spotlights the Assyrians (they destroyed Samaria in 722 B.C.) and the Babylonians (they destroyed Jerusalem in 587 B.C.), painting them as the handsome young men being flirted with by the two shameless sisters.

So, what lesson can we learn from a 6th century B.C. prophet, and two sister/nation prostitutes?

We can choose our actions, but we cannot choose the consequences for those actions. When we grab hold of sin, we should remember that it also grabs hold of us – and it has a strong grip. Just because we’re ready to let go of it, doesn’t mean it will let go of us.

What sin are you flirting with? Is someone whispering in your ear that just a little flirting never hurt anyone? Hmmm, I wonder who that could be… Satan?

365: Ezekiel 1, 2 and 3 (Day 248)

They may listen, or they may not, . . . But they will know that a prophet has been among them. (Ezekiel 2:5)

In this passage outlining Ezekiel’s call to prophetic ministry, God teaches the prophet-to-be that he is not accountable for the people’s response, but he is accountable for the message delivered.

Likewise, the farmer spreads the seed on all kinds of soil, even though most of it will never reach maturity (Luke 8:5-15).

This is not to say that the prophet cannot increase the reception factor, or the farmer the richness of the soil. Two of the biggest factors in how the word is received are prayer and relationship. If the seed (the word) is planted with prayer, and the soil (the heart) is cultivated with relationship, there is a much greater chance of the message accomplishing that for which it is designed – changed lives.

Beside all that, we often forget the work of the Holy Spirit. We may apply the word to needy hearts, but the Holy Spirit has already been there, preparing the way. The Holy Spirit continues applying that word for hours and days after we’ve put our notes aside and gone on to something else.

It is my calling to speak prophetically. It is also my duty and privilege to cover the seed with prayer and cultivate the soil with relationship. The Holy Spirit is responsible for the changed lives. One day the proof will be in the harvest.

365: Jeremiah 37, 38 and 39 (Day 242)

While your feet were stuck in the mud, they left you. (Jeremiah 38:22)

Zedekiah was the last king of Judah prior to Jerusalem's destruction by Babylonian forces, and its people being taken into exile. He was a wishy-washy king, who found it difficult to make a decision. In his defense, he was scared of being executed by the king of Babylon (Nebuchadnezzar), and things weren't looking good. His advisors were telling him to resist the invading army, while Jeremiah was telling him he should surrender. Zedekiah feared Jeremiah was right, but he was afraid of his advisors. After all he didn't want them thinking he was weak.

To shut Jeremiah up, the king's counselors were determined to imprison or kill him. Zedekiah didn't have the courage to resist them and gave the plan his permission. Jeremiah was thrown in a cistern, empty of water, but full of mud. Jeremiah was left there for a time, but thanks to another flip flop by the king, he was released. Zedekiah once again asked Jeremiah for advice, but Jeremiah was reticent to speak, considering where his words had already landed him.

Jeremiah told Zedekiah that, if he surrendered, he would fare better than by continuing the fight. He also said that if the king didn't listen to him, the women of Jerusalem would be taken captive by the Babylonians, and taunt him about being misled and abandoned by his most trusted friends. While your feet were stuck in the mud, they left you.

Jeremiah was the one dropped in the mud, but Zedekiah was the one who was stuck.

Have you ever been stuck and unable to make a decision? What did you do?

365: Jeremiah 13, 14 and 15 (Day 234)

When the enemy attacked, a woman with seven sons felt faint because they would all die. (Jeremiah 15:9 - NCV)

With Jerusalem forfeit to Babylon (this was during the run up to Jerusalem’s annihilation and the population’s exile), Judah’s confidence was gone. Having seven sons was a Hebrew word picture of perfect security. A mother’s retirement plan was her sons—with her husband gone they would care for her in her old age. During the battle for Jerusalem, her sons would be KIA, and her social security would be no more.

The scriptures are replete with warnings about putting our trust in the wrong things. When Hezekiah’s Jerusalem was under siege from the Assyrians over a hundred years earlier, Hezekiah worked hard to fortify the walls and build up the military, but when he encouraged the people, his words showed where his real trust was invested: Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged because of the king of Assyria and the vast army with him, for there is a greater power with us than with him. With him is only the arm of flesh, but with us is the Lord our God to help us and to fight our battles. (2 Chronicles 32:7,8)

The psalmist wrote: Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. (Psalm 20:7) Jesus warned us not to put our trust in treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19)

There are many securities in which we can put our trust: a bank account, a life insurance policy, a job, a spouse (and, of course, all of these are good things), but they can all fail us. When our trust is in the Lord, though everything else in our world should fall apart, God will never let us down. When everything else is gone, God will still be on our side.

In what (or whom) have you placed your trust?

365: Jeremiah 1, 2 and 3 (Day 230)

My people have done two evils: They have turned away from me, the spring of living water. And they have dug their own wells. (Jeremiah 2:13 – NCV)

I’ve never dug a well, but I have dug trenches for footers and water lines. It is hot, dirty work. Thankfully, a back hoe did most of the work for the water line. If you’ve ever done that kind of digging, especially by hand, you will understand the absurdity of the people’s choice, and the frustration felt by Jeremiah. Put yourself in their place. It’s a hot, dry day. Someone offers you a pitcher of pure, refreshing ice water. Rather than accept this life-saving, thirst-quenching gift, you raise your hands in the international symbol for stop, and declare, No, I’m going to dig my own well. Not only is the work going to be physically exhausting, but the water you’re going to get (if any) is hours, maybe days, away. Not to mention that it will taste terrible by comparison. Sure, it might keep you alive, but that’s about it.

Why would anyone make a choice like that? Why is it when God freely offers us his best love, we find ourselves prone to go dig up something greatly inferior?

We’re like hemoglobin. (How’s that for a left turn?) Did you know that if the hemoglobin in our red blood cells is given the choice, it prefers to bond with carbon monoxide rather than oxygen? What that means is that if hemoglobin has a vacant seat, and both an oxygen molecule and a carbon monoxide molecule are waiting on the curb, the hemoglobin will pick up the carbon monoxide almost every time. The problem is that carbon monoxide doesn’t have what we need, and so hemoglobin can fill us up with CO and our tissues will suffocate… and so will we.

For every gift that God offers us, Satan has a counterfeit that will choke us to death. We would do well to heed Moses’ words: I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life. (Deuteronomy 30:19)

365: Isaiah 55, 56 and 57 (Day 226)

Foreigners who have joined the Lord should not say, ‘The Lord will not accept me.’ (Isaiah 56:3 - NCV)

When Jesus cleared the Temple of the money changers and lamb salesmen, he was thinking of this expanded passage. It is written in the Scriptures, ‘My Temple will be called a house for prayer for people from all nations.’ But you are changing God’s house into a ‘hideout for robbers.’ (Mark 11:17 - NCV) The Bazaar of Annas was set up in the Temple area set aside for foreigners. The Sadducees’ entrepreneurial scheming was putting a barrier between God and the people coming to worship him. It made Jesus angry that the poor and the alien would be exploited in the name of God.

Isaiah, more than anyone who came before him, made it clear that the blessing of Abraham was not reserved for the Hebrews, but that it was meant for people of all nations. Here, he lets the alien know that whether one is born a Jew or a Gentile has no bearing on being accepted by God; all are accepted the same. Foreigners are accepted the same as nationals. Outsiders are accepted the same as insiders. Damaged are accepted the same as whole.

We may be tempted to think there is some reason God would not accept us, but that is absolutely false. Likewise, we may be tempted to think people have to be just like us in order to be accepted by God, and that is just as false. As Bill Hybels says: You’ve never locked eyes with anyone who doesn’t matter to the Father. [1]

God, help me accept others just as you accepted me.

[1] as quoted by Mark Mittelberg, Building a Contagious Church, 37.

365: Isaiah 16, 17 and 18 (Day 213)

My heart cries for Moab (Isaiah 16:11).

The people of Moab, a perennial thorn in Judah’s side, were getting their comeuppance. Their earlier pride seemed foolish in light of their present troubles. God’s response to their misfortune is somewhat surprising. Isaiah writes that God cries for them, and with them, too (vs. 9).

Here Moab is receiving the consequences for their behaviors and choices, and yet God has compassion on them. How can God allow discipline into the people's lives and, at the same time, cry for what they are enduring? Does he also cry for us when we pay the price for our disobedience?

Moab was an enemy of God’s people, yet rather than rejoice over their downfall, God’s heart was filled with the kind of heartache reserved for loving parents of wayward children. There is a lesson for us in these words. We shouldn’t gloat when someone who has chosen to be our enemy tastes the bitterness of defeat. God cries for them.

Paul reminds us: If someone does wrong to you, do not pay him back by doing wrong to him (Romans 12:17), and, Do not let evil defeat you, but defeat evil by doing good (12:21). And did not Jesus say much the same thing? They are blessed who show mercy to others, for God will show mercy to them (Matthew 5:7) and, Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you (5:44).

Is there any better test of love than to do good to those who do evil to us?

365: Isaiah 10, 11 and 12 (Day 211)

A new branch will grow from the stump of a tree. (Isaiah 11:1 - NCV)

In the 1995 movie A Walk in the Clouds, Keanu Reeves stars as orphan turned WWII hero Paul Sutton, trying to reintegrate his life upon returning stateside. He meets and falls in love with a young woman of means, Victoria Aragón whose family owns a vineyard and winery in the Napa Valley. As an orphan, Reeves’s character is drawn to the strong family ties demonstrated by the Aragóns, but he is squarely rejected as not good enough for his daughter by Victoria’s domineering father. During an argument between the two, the older man throws a lantern, igniting the tinder dry grape vines, engulfing the vineyard in flames. The family’s financial future seemingly goes up in smoke along with Paul’s desire for belonging.

Then Paul realizes the parent vine (the vine brought from Europe to Mexico and finally to California), though burned, was set off a short ways from the main vineyard. Taking a knife, he cuts into the root to discover that the heart of the vine has been untouched by the fire. Though it will take time and hard work, the family’s fortunes are restored, and Paul is welcomed into the family.

Many will recognize Isaiah 11:1 as prophesying the birth of Christ. The phrase stump of Jesse (NIV, NRSV KJV) indicates the Christ will come from the line of King David, but David’s line has been all but destroyed, like the parent vine from the Aragón vineyard. However, no matter how dead things may look, there is life under the surface.

How many times, in crying for God’s deliverance, have we despaired as the axe fells our tree of hope? Isaiah’s lesson to us today is that even when it seems too late, that we’ve been abandoned, that the tree is dead, God may just be up to something. Even if it seems the time for deliverance has passed you by, hold on in hope. As sure as God lives, there is new growth waiting to sprout from the root of your life.

I am about to do a brand new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert! (Isaiah 43:19 - NIV)

365: Proverbs 28, 29, 30 and 31 (Day 201)

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. (Proverbs 31:8)

Why is it so easy to stand by and do nothing? Is it apathy? …cowardice? …assuming that someone else will do something? The primary example of this is Kitty Genovese, the 28-year old New York woman who was stabbed to death right outside her apartment building in 1964. Her extended attack lasted over 30 minutes, but neighbors (by popular report up to 38 of them knew something bad was going on) huddled indoors and did nothing. Ten years later, a woman was beaten to death in an adjacent building while again, the neighbors heard her screams, but did nothing to help. [1]

Those are extreme cases, and it’s easy to read about them and assure ourselves we would behave differently. Yet Jesus’ story of the Good Samaritan informs us that this is not just a 20th/21st century phenomenon. It’s part of who we are as human beings. In every city, there are those who are poor, oppressed and in need, who have no voice to speak up for themselves.

Who will speak up for the poor? Who will speak up for the oppressed? Who will speak up for the fearful? Who will speak up for the abused? Who will speak up for the indebted? Who will speak up for the hungry? Who will speak up for the addicted? Who will speak up for the enslaved? Who will speak up for the children?

The only thing needed for evil to prosper is for good men to do nothing. – Edmund Burke.

For whom should you be speaking up? If you ask the Holy Spirit about this, someone WILL come to your mind. Try it.

[1] Rorschach of the 1985 graphic novel Watchmen (to be released as a motion picture in March of 2009) is a regular guy, motivated to don a costume (another Masked Avenger candidate?) and fight crime, by Ms. Genoveses's murder.

NOTE: Does anyone besides me wonder when comic books became graphic novels?

365 – Proverbs 16, 17 and 18 (Day 197)

Proverbs 18:17 (NCV) reads: The person who tells one side of a story seems right, until someone else comes and asks questions.

Have you ever heard the headlines on CNN and then turned the channel to FOX? It’s amazing how a news report can sound so reasonable, and yet be given a completely different slant by someone else. And if you’re surfing in the other direction, the illustration works just as well going from FOX to CNN.

The same is true of any testimony. The writer of Proverbs states that the first one to tell the story has the advantage. Even though someone else coming along with a different version of the story may be credible, it’s difficult to overcome that first imprinted idea.

Yes, cross examination is a wonderful thing. If the prosecution offered a witness in a court case, and the defense was not allowed to cross examine, the defendant’s goose would be cooked. On the other hand, if the defense was able to tell its story, and the prosecution was not allowed to produce any witnesses, no crime would ever even go to trial.

There are basically three levels of belief: dogma, doctrine and opinion. As Christians we would say that someone who doesn’t agree with our dogma cannot be a Christian. Someone who does not agree with our doctrine might fit better in another denomination. Someone with another opinion just isn’t as insightful as me. Unfortunately, one person’s opinion may be another person’s dogma, or may threaten another person’s dogma. The more dogmas a person holds, the more difficult it is to engage them in dialog. Everything becomes a tirade.

Dogma comes from one side, holding the reins of power, imprinting on one side of the story and never looking back. The problem is, once something is reduced to the level of dogma, discussion is unnecessary, or even threatening. Anyone with a dissenting opinion is labeled a heretic. Whatever happened to: In essentials UNITY; in non-essentials LIBERTY; in all things CHARITY?

I thank God my professors in college and seminary taught me to look at both sides of a question. We had to be able to state the argument from the conservative (or traditional) side as well as the liberal (or critical) side, and then clearly state our own opinion giving evidence to back it up. Among other things, this taught me that someone might have really good reasons for his opinion, even if I don't personally agree, and just because someone sees something differently from me doesn't mean he's a monster on the fast track to hell.

Does anyone have a story about being blown up by a dogma bomb? On the other hand, are there things you’re defending as dogmas that really aren’t?

365: Psalms 124, 125, 126 and 127 (Day 186)

What if the Lord had not been on our side? (Psalm 124:1)

What a powerful thought! How many times have I asked God (at least in my subconscious), Where were you when I needed you? It's easy to assume that if things don't go the way we want, then God must have abandoned us, or at least taken the afternoon off.

The truth is we only see what happened, not what could have happened. There's no telling how often when things seemed bad, that we were only seeing the tip of the iceberg as far as how bad things could have been. What would we have suffered if God had not been on our side?

And to take it a step further, we don't even see everything that did happen – we just see what we can see with our physical eyes. We have no idea what transpired behind the scenes in the spiritual realm on our behalf.

The next time you wonder why God didn't show up, ask What if the Lord had not been on my side?

365: Psalms 101, 102, 103 and 104 (Day 180)

In Psalm 101:5 (NCV) the psalmist writes: If anyone secretly says things against his neighbor, I will stop him.

The book of Proverbs does not have kind words for gossips. They betray confidences (11:13), drive a wedge between friends (16:28), and provide the fuel that prolongs misunderstandings and quarrels (26:20). Every single one of us has been hurt by people talking about us, when they should have talked to us. But if we were honest, we’d also have to admit that we’ve all said things we shouldn’t, often about people who weren’t there to defend themselves.

The first step to vanquishing gossip is to keep our mouths shut. Our mothers were right: If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.

But what should we do when a gossip tries to engage us in a conversation about someone? That can be an awkward and even embarrassing situation. We don’t want to be rude, so it seems the easiest thing is to listen, and then look for an opportunity to excuse ourselves from the conversation as soon as possible. Somehow we think if we don’t pass the information on, we aren’t guilty of gossiping.

The problem is it takes two to gossip: one to speak, and another to listen. We all know there are things a Christian shouldn’t say, but there are also things a Christian shouldn’t listen to.

The tried and true technique of excusing ourselves after an awkward silence just won’t cut it. That’s much more passive than the psalmist’s assertive approach portrayed in Psalm 105. The writer apparently has determined that it’s not enough to not speak; it’s not even enough to not listen. He takes it to the next level: I will stop him.

But how? Well, what if someone tried to gossip, but no one would participate? Let me suggest a simple plan to end gossip:

1. Outgoing: If you can't say something nice . . . You know the rest.


2. Incoming: When someone says something they shouldn’t say, and you shouldn’t listen to, try active non-participation. Here’s an example. Say, Excuse me, Bill’s my friend, and that’s not something I want to hear. (Or, I don’t know Bill, but that’s not something I want to hear.) I suggest you not talk to anyone else about this, but if it’s something you feel strongly about, you should probably go talk to Bill, just between the two of you. Of course, there’s always the ever popular option of responding with Plan B: Hey, I’ll be talking to Bill later today and I’ll be telling him everything you said about him.*

I’d be surprised if you ever need to have that conversation with someone more than once. Of course it won’t stop them from talking about you.

Remember, the key is active non-participation. Easier said than done, I know, but anything less and you’re really guilty of gossip yourself.

* Note: The above-mentioned responses should only be used if the person being gossiped about is named Bill. If the person’s name is Janet, it would be inappropriate and frankly silly to defend Bill.

Do you have any suggestions about how to stop someone from gossiping?