24 Aug, 2010
Words from the Word
Vuvuzelas make it into dictionary
LONDON (Reuters) - The ever-present hum of the vuvuzela during this year's soccer World Cup catapulted the plastic trumpet to prominence and now it has earned a place in the Oxford Dictionary of English.
Vuvuzela is among 2,000 new words and phrases added to the third edition of the dictionary, published on Thursday, which is compiled from analysis of two billion words used in everything from novels to internet message boards.
The rise of "social media," itself a new term, has spawned several additions, including "defriend," removing someone from a list of friends or contacts on a social networking site, and "tweetup," a meeting organized via posts on Twitter. Other words include:
Bromance: a close but non-sexual relationship between two men
Buzzkill: a person or thing that has a depressing or dispiriting effect
Cheeseball: lacking taste, style or originality
Chillax: calm down and relax
Frenemy: a person with whom one is friendly despite a fundamental dislike or rivalry
Interweb: the internet
John 1:14 (ESV)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
What does God’s Story scripture teach us about the Word?
One of the titles given to Jesus is the Word. Why is it that he is called the Word? One of the reasons is because words can be seen. They can be written down, looked at, observed. And so it is with Jesus. He came down to earth and during his time here was both fully God and fully man, so that when people saw him they were beholding God in the form of a man.
Later in John, the words that Jesus speaks are mentioned multiple times. In one instance, Peter tells Jesus that he will not desert him because he has the words of eternal life. In another instance, when Jesus is describing events at the end of the world, he says that heaven and earth will pass away, but his words never will.
How can we connect God’s Story scripture to our lives?
Although there are many words that we will hear and read and write and say over the course of our lives, there is one Word that we should give all of our life to. Jesus is the Word, the one who gave up his place in heaven to come and live among us and ultimately offer his life for us so that we may be forgiven of sin and have new life in him.
Although there are many different people in our world who have many different ideas about what truth is, may we always remember, like Peter, that it is Jesus alone who has the words of eternal life. May we continue to stick close to Jesus, through thick and then, remembering that his words will last even when all that we know in this life passes away.
How can we connect today’s story, God’s Story scripture, and our story to others?
Today’s story reminds us that the words that are used in our society are constantly being changed and updated. Words that used to be common are no longer used, while words that were never heard of a few years ago are now in our vocabulary on a daily basis. In the midst of a world of changing words, may we remember the true Word that does not change.
Use today’s story to have a conversation with your friends about the changing nature of words. Then share with them about how one of the titles given to Jesus is the Word and how his words never change or fade away. Invite them to give their lives to Christ, trusting that he alone has the true words of eternal life.
- May 2012 [14]
- April 2012 [19]
- March 2012 [21]
- February 2012 [19]
- January 2012 [18]
- December 2011 [20]
- November 2011 [15]
- October 2011 [15]
- September 2011 [14]
- August 2011 [22]
- July 2011 [19]
- June 2011 [21]
- May 2011 [20]
- April 2011 [20]
- March 2011 [21]
- February 2011 [20]
- January 2011 [21]
- December 2010 [21]
- November 2010 [21]
- October 2010 [21]
- September 2010 [22]
- August 2010 [21]
- July 2010 [22]
- June 2010 [20]
- May 2010 [18]
- April 2010 [20]
- March 2010 [23]
- February 2010 [19]
- January 2010 [22]
- December 2009 [22]
- November 2009 [21]
- October 2009 [22]
- September 2009 [21]
- August 2009 [20]
- July 2009 [21]
- June 2009 [22]
- May 2009 [18]
- April 2009 [15]
- March 2009 [7]
- February 2009 [17]
- January 2009 [20]
- December 2008 [23]
- November 2008 [19]
- October 2008 [22]
- September 2008 [22]
- August 2008 [19]
- July 2008 [22]
- June 2008 [11]
- May 2008 [19]
- April 2008 [22]
- March 2008 [21]
- February 2008 [18]
- January 2008 [20]
- December 2007 [18]
- November 2007 [15]
- October 2007 [19]
- September 2007 [18]
- August 2007 [12]
- July 2007 [12]
- June 2007 [9]
- May 2007 [11]
- April 2007 [10]
- March 2007 [11]
- February 2007 [14]
- January 2007 [7]
- December 2006 [4]
- November 2006 [13]
- October 2006 [17]
- September 2006 [11]
- August 2006 [16]
- July 2006 [10]
- June 2006 [3]
