What are people saying, who are people talking about, and why do they talk about others? Wish I had the answers to those questions. The premise of many radio and TV shows, some gossip conversations in supermarkets, even blab sessions in church parking lots have no basis in fact. They are simply talking about someone who is not present.

Just this morning I heard gossip that was a real "whopper!" I was talking with an old friend who had heard people gossiping in one of my former pastorates. The conversation went roughly like this:
'Did you hear what Pastor Walker is doing these days?
''Why, no - do tell!
'Well, I've heard that he has left the ministry and moved to Hollywood to become an actor.'

With my hand to the heavens, that is a report of gossip making the rounds in a small town! 

King David wanted to set the record straight about his life before he died. There were so many stories about him; some gossip, some true. He saw himself as a vessel for God's words: "The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me." He made no such claim that he was the end-all and be-all of his works. Neither was he a gossiper about others. Through David came the lineage of Jesus of Nazareth, who said, "I tell you the truth…." (Luke 18:29). David - and Jesus - challenges us to tell the truth, not lies or gossip about others.

Pastor Bob

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"A Letter from Our Conference Minister"
Dear Bob,
On behalf of the Indiana-Kentucky Conference of the United Church of Christ, I would like to thank your congregation for their support of Our Church's Wider Mission Basic Support in 2007. Your dollars were carefully used to enable the Conference to perform its mission…. Thank you for your past, continuing and future support of the ministries of the Indiana-Kentucky Conference and the wider United Church of Christ!