The “One Word Monologue” is Back & Win a Free Book

Hi Fun Seekers,

Today is another edition of fun Friday. And we are going to resurrect a previous innovation. It’s an exercise I created back in 2009 called The One Word Monologue.

Applause.

Whistling.

Summersaults.

Cartwheels.

Yes, girls and boys, today’s edition of Beyond Evangelical will feature our third . . . count them, 3rd . . . one word monologue.

Here’s how it works.

I give you a word. Then you comment on that word. Say whatever you wish about the word (so long as it comports with the Blog Manager’s rules, of course.)

Write a sentence, a phrase, a full paragraph, a mini-novel. Whatevah . . .

The word for today is . . .

TWITTER

That’s right . . .

TWITTER

Btw, if you happen to use Twitter, would you Tweet this post so we can get as many responses as possible? You can also click here to connect with me on Twitter.

Finally, the Blog Manager is going to select several people who comment today to receive a FREE copy of one of my books.

So let the responses begin . . .

Related:

Twitter vs. Facebook

Advice for Bloggers: 25 Tips

Top 12 Posts Since January:

God’s View of a Woman

The Art of Being a Jerk Online

B.E. II: Four Divergent Groups

The Forgotten Beatitude

N.T. Wright

A Farewell to Self-Righteousness

B.E. VI: The Uneasy Conscience of Evangelicalism

Rethinking the Gospel

The Young Man and The Cowboy

Who is Jesus, Really?

Thoughts on the Coming Revival

An Audience of One

125 Responses to “The “One Word Monologue” is Back & Win a Free Book”

  1. Courtney Cantrell March 23, 2012 at 1:37 pm #

    As far as I can tell, Twitter is currently the best available online tool for initiating connections for business and with the like-minded. I’m a fiction author, and I’ve found that the best way for me to initiate contact with potential readers is to find them on Twitter. If I’m doing my job right, they’ll follow me to my blog and eventually buy my books. As a marketing platform, Twitter is invaluable.

    Twitter is also my primary news source. I find news media thoroughly depressing, what with 9 reports out of 10 concerning death, destruction, and despair. When my Twitter feed starts blowing up on a certain issue, I know it’s something I should pay attention to. (Latest example: I first heard of Trayvon Martin on Twitter.) And the good thing is that my Twitter peeps share good news just as often as they share bad news.

    Along those lines, Twitter is also a fantastic place for people to let their voices be heard where otherwise they’d silent, thereby effecting positive change. Egypt is the example that first comes to mind. But I’ve also seen individuals tweet their personal struggles — and get flooded with encouragements from friends and strangers from all over the globe.

    When I first heard of Twitter, I thought it was stupid — yet another time-sucking, mindless form of social media. When I first started twittering myself, I didn’t see the point.

    Now, I’m thankful that at this point in my life, I don’t have to be without it. ; )

  2. Seth March 23, 2012 at 1:34 pm #

    Twitter…ADD world on steroids! Thought I was the only one who had brain “squirrel!” where was I. hey more thoughts randomly coming at me with no filters “squirrel!” I guess I didn’t have enough random “squirrel!” things for all over coming at me.
    For all who don’t know “squirrel!” comes from the movie UP by lizard and the dogs keep saying it randomly. My friends and goof around about it especially when my brain just goes off that way. I have ADD and live with it, Twitter makes almost everyone seem like they have it too so I feel right at home!!! SQUIRREL!!!!! LOL

  3. Joanna March 23, 2012 at 1:29 pm #

    Once it was just birds that twittered, but now……..

  4. Jerry Payne March 23, 2012 at 1:16 pm #

    Twitter Dee, Twitter Dumb

  5. Tina Camara March 23, 2012 at 12:45 pm #

    Twitter…where everyone can follow me, while I do nothing.

  6. Derek March 23, 2012 at 12:42 pm #

    Twitter…the place where you try to express yourself in as few words as possible and hope somebody understands you.

  7. Tori Lane March 23, 2012 at 12:41 pm #

    Twitter: a practice of using less words to convey a deeper meaning. Simplify life, simplify words, simply twitter.

  8. Cornel Marais March 23, 2012 at 12:33 pm #

    Life is like a twitter feed. You never know what you are going to get…

  9. Paul Woodrich March 23, 2012 at 12:30 pm #

    I don’t Twitter, or Tweet
    and I’m still complete
    In Him.
    Can ya believe it?

  10. Lukie de Beer March 23, 2012 at 12:13 pm #

    Fire is to wood what espresso is to twitter. #deepertweets

  11. Hal March 23, 2012 at 12:12 pm #

    Twitter:

    Has been shown to take up valuable mental space when I decide to read about what celebrities are trying to decide what to have for lunch. (and me stupidly following the crowd)

    Twitter can at times be used to bring a chuckle or belly laugh at the time that is needed.

    Twitter is also a tool to be used by some amazing people (and I hope sometimes me) to encourage the faith and to challenge independence of thought.

    Twitter is the power of 140 keystrokes for our message of FAITH, HOPE and LOVE. That Jesus is who He says He is. :)

  12. marta March 23, 2012 at 12:05 pm #

    Twitter–SCARY ! I refuse to learn it. WWII generation wants phone calls, Baby Boomers want email, Gen X, Y and Mill’s want TWITTER..nope I refuse to tax my brain to learn one more new thing :)

  13. Genoise March 23, 2012 at 12:01 pm #

    Twitter. Operative word: twit.

    >>…twit the noun comes from twit the verb. The latter has its origin in twite, which was formed, via aphesis (the loss of an unstressed initial vowel or syllable), from atwite “to reproach”. Its Old English form was aetwitan “to reproach with”, from at + witan “to blame”. Wit, of course, meant “knowledge”, and aetwitan therefore meant “to not know, to censure”. It was not until the 18th century that twit gained its “idiot” sense from association with “one who is reproached”. Some etymologists also believe that it might have been influenced by such other derogatory words as twerp and its similarity to nitwit (nit- The egg or young form of a louse or other parasitic insect, esp. the egg of a head louse attached to a human hair). << http://www.takeourword.com/Issue017.html

    I like my humor the way I like my chocolate, a little dark. ;-)

  14. Sean Gladding March 23, 2012 at 11:58 am #

    Twitter: the sound of tiles colliding, swirled by nicotine stained, wrinkled and storied hands to begin another Friday night of Mah Jongg

  15. Bobby (@reformedlostboy) March 23, 2012 at 11:57 am #

    Twitter- the place where the people you follow are your friends, your followers are, well… just followers until they mention you, where strange purple eggs attempt to lure you to places you don’t wish to go, you’re limited to be concise and clever by 140 characters and a single impressionable thought can be multiplied like a viral epidemic.

    The first rule of twitter is do not talk to purple eggs or their new colorful friends.

  16. Rick L March 23, 2012 at 11:53 am #

    Using Twitter is like writing a high tech haiku. Keep it to form, keep it precise, make it say something of value, make it be read, make the reader pause.

  17. Matt Ziemer March 23, 2012 at 11:48 am #

    Twitter we be, twitter we some, twitter we do that Jesus may come!

  18. Brad March 23, 2012 at 11:45 am #

    To
    Willfully
    Injest
    Trimmed
    Tepid
    Emotional
    Responses

  19. Tony F March 23, 2012 at 11:43 am #

    Twitter, flitter, pitter, patter, pancakes for breakfast, pour the batter, what Frank writes, yes it matters, if you don’t like it, go get Mikey (you know he’ll like it!).

  20. Alice Blackwelder March 23, 2012 at 11:40 am #

    Utterly useless without context.

  21. Jonathan Curtis March 23, 2012 at 11:40 am #

    Twitter: Your life displayed for the world to see in 140 characters or less.

  22. Kevin D March 23, 2012 at 11:38 am #

    Would Jesus tweet? Yes, I think He would. He was a man who did not spend His words or His time wastefully. He reached out to people where they were, so I think that were He physically in the world today yes, He would use Twitter and 140 characters would be no problem.

    In reality He does use Twitter, and those led by the Spirit post His truths every day, Encouraging, enlightening, speaking life, light and hope into the lives of many.

  23. Natalija March 23, 2012 at 11:37 am #

    Twitter Haiku:
    This spring of chances
    Slovak Christian doesn´t use-
    twitter in its worth

  24. Ian Matchett March 23, 2012 at 11:35 am #

    Twitter: The wonder of connections, creating new places for God’s love to pass from person to person.

  25. Jim Wright March 23, 2012 at 11:25 am #

    Sow a twitter, and you might reap a blog!

  26. Todd McGehee March 23, 2012 at 11:23 am #

    Twitter: Where global movements start and spread through 140 characters or less.

  27. Josh March 23, 2012 at 11:19 am #

    Dr. Twitter and Mr. Hyde: Sometimes a great source of information and encouragement, and oftentimes a great distraction.

  28. Patti March 23, 2012 at 11:14 am #

    Never got the hang of it :)

  29. Joe Perrott March 23, 2012 at 11:09 am #

    necessary fritter

  30. Brian March 23, 2012 at 11:01 am #

    Twitter is like Olive Garden, when you’re on Twitter, you’re family.

  31. Jim Puntney March 23, 2012 at 10:53 am #

    Twitter
    To
    Win
    Influence
    Through
    Thoughtful
    Encouraging
    Responses

    Richard Blankenship’s post is infectious
    = )

    • Richard Blankenship March 23, 2012 at 11:26 am #

      Twitter

      Texting
      With
      Internet
      Technology
      Tracking
      Electron
      Routes

      Thanks for the shout out Jim, but I think yours wins…

  32. Lynley March 23, 2012 at 10:50 am #

    Like Old MacDonald used to say, “Here a tweet, there a tweet, every where a tweet tweet”

  33. Jorge Luis Martinez March 23, 2012 at 10:50 am #

    Not have much in your mind to say? Twitter is the answer then!

  34. james mcalonan March 23, 2012 at 10:42 am #

    twitter fulfills the human condition:
    “I wish that my words could be written down or chiseled into rock. I know that my Savior lives, and at the end he will stand on this earth. My flesh may be destroyed, yet from this body I will see God. Yes, I will see him for myself, and I long for that moment.” (Job 19:23-27 CEV)
    twitter fulfills the purpose of God:
    “Jesus did many other things. If they were all written in books, I don’t suppose there would be room enough in the whole world for all the books.” (John 21:25 CEV)

  35. Stan Hilliar March 23, 2012 at 10:39 am #

    Twitter seems to keep people as acquaintances. You never get to know the real person until you can get over just chatting to them in 140 characters. But it does get you (and me) to see how God is moving in people lives with similar ideas all around the world.
    @stm101

  36. Al Boyce March 23, 2012 at 10:38 am #

    Twitter, twitter, the digital treat
    The more you follow, the more you tweet
    The more you tweet, the more you blog
    So let’s not tweet, for the love of God!

  37. Tess Spaulding March 23, 2012 at 10:36 am #

    1) To utter a succession of small, tremulous sounds, as a bird.

    2) To tremble with excitement or the like; be in a flutter.

    Both of these definitions hold strong memories of my childhood. The first definition reminds me of walking through the backyards of my youth, listening to the birds … and the second was how my Grandmother described my state of being most of the time. :)

  38. Bethany March 23, 2012 at 10:30 am #

    The world is TWITTERpated by the amount of opinion, gossip and information at our fingertips through social media networks. It’s an obsession with knowing everything all at once.

  39. Richard Blankenship March 23, 2012 at 10:28 am #

    T.W.I.T.T.E.R…
    Tweet
    Whenever
    Indwelling
    Thoughts
    Target
    Eternity’s
    Reality

  40. Sam March 23, 2012 at 10:25 am #

    Twitter: How the gossip bird communicates. tweet, tweet, TWEET!!!!

  41. Pat Campbell March 23, 2012 at 10:24 am #

    Twitter chatters only what matters. :)

  42. Jack Wolfe March 23, 2012 at 10:21 am #

    I will weigh in, while I do check it from time to time and I have given in to Facebook some, what concerns me most is that we no longer have any filters in our society. All forms of communication should be used with caution. I have watched people filled with emotions both good and bad and feel the need to Tweet instantly. So many people have been hurt and offend because of the instant feed back with out thinking. In the old days you might be upset with someone and begin to write them a letter, before you are done you rip the letter up because you have had second thoughts, and that letter goes in the trash. Today once it is out there it is out there. Slow to speak quick to listen comes to mind. I try to remember that I have one mouth and two ears. I made a challenge on Facebook in days gone by that you could only use Facebook to post good things about others. So Frank while I do not post much I appreciate your amazing heart and insight I am a better man because of you and the Lord

  43. Karman March 23, 2012 at 10:20 am #

    Twitter: A universe of thought planets.

  44. Sean March 23, 2012 at 10:11 am #

    Twitter: helping you distinguish between genuine encouragers and theological blowhards since 2006.

  45. Phil Wyman March 23, 2012 at 10:03 am #

    In our short attention span society it might be better than nothing that Jesus gets our attention in 140 character bursts through the day, but I am sure that Jesus used his pithy tweets (i.e. “Remember Lot’s wife” or “blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted”) to draw our attention back to His lengthy blog posts (Sermon on the Mount, Passover Seder Dialogues, and Emmaus Road). Then even that is insufficient. It seems He is looking for face-time and not facebook.

    My guess is He wants to move in with us. He’s got some obsession with being LinkedIn, and something He calls “abiding.”

  46. Michael March 23, 2012 at 10:02 am #

    To twitter or not to twitter, that is the question.

  47. Josh Deerinwater March 23, 2012 at 10:02 am #

    Twitter. If you can scrap enough cash together to get a cell phone, which many third world youths have done, you now have a voice. Heck, you can get cell reception in a village that has very little water in Malawi (the 5th poorest country in the world). So, if enough voices ask, discuss, TWEET on the same topic… people just might notice. For most of us twitter is entertainment, but for others it is freedom, hope, and power that once was unattainable. The world now has a platform for anyone and everyone to communicate: Twitter.

  48. tophat56 March 23, 2012 at 9:58 am #

    TWITTER – is what birdies do when happy. Learning lots from your messages.

  49. Marc March 23, 2012 at 9:53 am #

    Twitter is for a challenge to write almost daily a 140 characters devotional, thought or poem. http://twitter.com/#!/MarcActiveGrace

  50. SYBILJEAN March 23, 2012 at 9:49 am #

    TWITTER -> One way I pass along God speaking through others and myself. (Don’t need a free book though Frank; have them all : )

  51. Brady Toops March 23, 2012 at 9:46 am #

    Twitter, oh Twitter
    How you steal my thoughts
    Whenever I’m bored
    I fall to your plots

    Oh how I wish
    I could fly far away
    Where there never was Twitter
    To capture my day

    Amen.

  52. Marlos March 23, 2012 at 9:44 am #

    @FrankViola Twitter is as a Two knife edges. If is used on one side can to hurt, but by other side can Building and Encourage.

  53. Shon March 23, 2012 at 9:36 am #

    Tweetle-Dee Tweetle-Dum

  54. Justin Westcott March 23, 2012 at 9:31 am #

    Instant influence from mentors from afar.

  55. Guy Sperlazzo March 23, 2012 at 9:30 am #

    Twitter is like blogging for those with short attention spans.

  56. cathy March 23, 2012 at 9:22 am #

    I am an important individual who has something to say

  57. Chuck McKnight March 23, 2012 at 9:22 am #

    “Like a swallow, like a crane, so I twitter; I moan like a dove; My eyes look wistfully to the heights; O Lord, I am oppressed, be my security.” (Isaiah 38:14, NASB)

  58. Linda March 23, 2012 at 9:21 am #

    Hello!

    I’m not a tweeter user (nor a facebook user by the way…).
    But I would be really happy to receive a free copy of one of your book : it will help me to improve my english (and to seek the Lord Jesus more and more of course).

  59. Chris Newbern March 23, 2012 at 9:18 am #

    Twitter Twatter: Kinda Like Pitter Patter

  60. Wendy March 23, 2012 at 9:15 am #

    Twitter: noun: A series of short, high-pitched calls or sounds. Or… the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord. Depends on what you do with it.

  61. Ali Campbell March 23, 2012 at 9:14 am #

    All that twitters is not gold (but, if you want the good stuff, come and pan for it on http://www.frankviola.org)

  62. George Shaw March 23, 2012 at 9:10 am #

    God uses Twitter (the Holy Spirit) to talk with us.

    • Efrain Zavala March 25, 2012 at 11:22 am #

      The Holy Twitter. Hehe, I like that.

  63. Dallas March 23, 2012 at 9:09 am #

    Jesus said, “this very night, before the rooster crows, you will retweet me 3 times.”

  64. Jessica March 23, 2012 at 9:08 am #

    Twitter: where the smart people escaped to when the dumb people took over facebook.

    Too harsh? :)

  65. Ben Merritt March 23, 2012 at 8:50 am #

    Twitter helps me stalk famous people in a non-creepy way. This is better for everyone involved (besides, I lost my good pair of binoculars).

  66. Lisa A Brown March 23, 2012 at 8:43 am #

    Birds of the same feathers flock together!

  67. Lisa A Brown March 23, 2012 at 8:36 am #

    Tweet Tweet

  68. Kate March 23, 2012 at 8:33 am #

    Twitter me this, twitter me that… all the world’s a twitter.

  69. Jim Allen March 23, 2012 at 8:10 am #

    Twitter: Like vanity plates for bloggers with all the tricks to shorten words and phrases.
    @jallenrt

  70. Tony Whittaker March 23, 2012 at 7:54 am #

    Twitter: instant listening

  71. Efrain Zavala March 23, 2012 at 7:48 am #

    I’ve always thought Jesus prefers Twitter over Facebook. After all, He said “follow me” and not just “like me.” I believe modern churches look for “Facebook Jesus:” someone they like and agree with in every single thing. “Twitter Jesus” has the freedom to be more controversial. I certainly do not like some of the things Jesus said; However, I struggle with them, trying not to domesticate them. So, when it comes to Jesus, don’t just compulsively hit the “like” button. He invites us to follow and find out how likable He really is.
    Shalom.

    • Marie Whitehead March 23, 2012 at 9:13 am #

      Love this response!

    • Omogbolahan March 23, 2012 at 4:34 pm #

      If someone doesn’t have any meaningful thing to say, their sin on twitter will find them out.If they do have something meaningful to contribute I follow them on any other engaging social or web media they may have.

      Peace.

    • Ahiba Stéphane March 23, 2012 at 5:26 pm #

      I was about to say ” I just like the answer”, but I refrained!
      Shalom to you too.

    • Ahiba Stéphane March 23, 2012 at 5:37 pm #

      I never bothered to know what it was. This platform has helped me to learn more about Twitter as well as the benefits. I’ll be on Twitter straight from here and start twitting!

      Thanks to all

    • Angela March 25, 2012 at 2:29 am #

      Like

  72. joshua mcafee March 23, 2012 at 7:47 am #

    Twitter me this, twitter me that!

  73. Jim Puntney March 23, 2012 at 7:43 am #

    Twitter: make a point and entice interest

  74. Aaron Saufley March 23, 2012 at 7:22 am #

    Twitter: my one stop shop for all things Frank Viola and Snooki. All in 140 characters or less.

  75. Michael Shaw March 23, 2012 at 6:48 am #

    Buzz

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