Our churches are filled with varying flavors of people, with varying 
levels of skill, talent, giftings, wisdom and etc. in which, as a whole, 
cover the needed area of the churches daily business. You have Brother or 
Sister Dollar Bill who is gifted in financial wisdom and tracking to bean 
count the churches receipts and keep things lawful and etc. You have 
Brother or Sister Sound Byte who are gifted in audio concerns. And perhaps 
you have Brother or Sister Hand Shake who are people person's and gifted 
in making anyone and everyone feel welcome and at home. Each using what 
they are good at for the building and maintaining of God's house of 
worship, feeling good about what they are doing because they are busy 
about the work they do best. Sitting next to any one of these fine people, 
or even perhaps any one of these folks may have a dual personality that go 
by different names like Brother or Sister Sandpaper. No matter how they 
rub you, it seems rough and cross grain. Or Brother or Sister Wax paper, 
no matter what goes on in life, they seem just so smooth like glass, 
providing an opaque finish to give the appearance you can almost see 
through them, but just enough clouding to prevent or protect any real look 
at what goes on inside. Otherwise known as Brother and Sister Pickett 
Fence.  We also might have Brother or Sister Megaphone that no matter what 
they do in the church, they blow their own horn and wish for all to know 
what they've done no matter how subtle they choose to announce it; it 
seems loud and clear nonetheless. And of course we have Brother or Sister 
Cupped Hand. They do not find satisfaction in what they do in church, or 
perhaps do not have anything to do in church but put a cupped hand to 
mouth and talk about what others are doing, spreading the disease of 
gossip like a computer worm over the internet.

Can you recognize some of these folks? Perhaps you know some, are friends 
with them, or have been or find you are one yourself even at times. 
Perhaps we all have put on the Sand or waxed paper suit, carried a 
megaphone with us for a time and even found our hand to be cupped around 
the mouth rather than over the mouth. I know I have as I look back. God 
forgive me.  The whisperings whispered  are like gaulker traffic, drivers 
by an accident that really do not want to see the gore, yet can't help 
themselves and therefore stare as they go by taking mental pictures for 
better of the telling of the story when they get to the office. Seems we 
find similar   telling of the unfortunate spiritual accidents or wrecks 
encountered on life's highway by those who whisper their morsels 
passionately among those who will listen. Charlie Daniels has two very 
bold Christian CDs out since the 90's which one contains the following 
song and illustrates the scripture to follow.

New Pharisee
By Charlie Daniels

They go walking into church
Every Sunday morning
They're the self-appointed sin control
Well they whisper and they gossip
Behind the back
Of anybody that they can't control

See that girl in the choir
She's got evil desire
She must be drinking from the devil's well
She's a downright disgrace
With that paint on her face
She looks just like a Jezebel

And you're running around putting everybody down
What are you trying to do?
You need to pick up the book, take another look
'cause brother I got the news for you
'Cause Jesus was sent with a new covenant
And he even died for you…
You Pharisee, (You Pharisee)
Like a fatal disease, (Like a fatal disease)
Always a flapping your jaw, (flapping your jaw)
Trying to live by the law, (awwww)

You see that boy over there
With that long shaggy hair
Ought' a be ashamed of his self
He's wearing hip hop clothes,
Got a ring in his nose
Don't he know he's going straight to hell?

And then yesterday morning
Me and Sister Johnson
Were talking on the party line
She said that deacon Brown
Was having dinner downtown,
Someone seen him with a glass of wine

And you act so righteous
And you look so pies
You always pay your tithes
But there's a rock in your heart
And a fire on your tongue
And there ain't no love in your eyes
Bad news is beguiling
And the devil is smiling
You gossip and you criticize…
You Pharisee, (You Pharisee)
Like a fatal disease, (Like a fatal disease)
Always a flapping your jaw, (flapping your jaw)
Trying to live by the law, (Trying to live by the law)
Well you can't live by the law, (can't live by the law)
So quit flapping your jaw, (flapping your jaw)
New Pharisee, (new Pharisee)
Yes you're a lot like me

Ouch!

Proverbs tells us…

"For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, 
contention quiets down. Like charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire, so 
is a contentious man to kindle strife. The words of a whisperer are like 
dainty morsels, and they go down into the innermost parts of the body. -- 
Proverbs 26:20-23

Not only is God talking about whispers going into the innermost parts of 
our body physically, poisoning our minds and thought, but also the body of 
Christ.

My pastor in a former church use to have a rule… if you aren't directly 
related to the cause of a problem or directly related or assigned to the 
solution, he didn't want to hear what you have to say about it and it was 
merely gossip. It really is amazing how a whisper will carry farther than 
any shout for help. And, with the repeating of the whispered morsel, it 
gets juicier and juicier with each telling. If you don't believe me, or 
just want to try a humorous yet sobering object exercise, gather about 20 
or so people in a room and without telling them why you are doing this, 
instruct each one to repeat in a whisper to the person next to them what 
they've heard whispered to them. Then when done, announce the original 
statement and have the last one say what he heard. You'll be amazed how it 
changed from the original statement in one room in a matter of minutes. It 
is human nature to obviscate or embellish what we hear simply due to our 
own interpretation of words or the desire to tell it juicier than we heard 
it in attempts to wow others with our telling.

So what do we do if we see Deacon Brown with a glass of wine? I'd think 
nothing. What if we saw five empty glasses sitting along side his plate? I 
might pray for God's protection and guidance if it is needed in that area. 
What if we saw him staggering drunk down the sidewalk? Perhaps approach 
him quickly, take him into your care, sober him up, and confront him on 
it, pray with him, and go with him to see the pastor or leader of the 
house of worship he serves. In any case whispering morsels of gossip is 
not in order and serves no godly use. What do we do if we begin to hear 
someone whispering to us? Stop them and tell them you do not wish to hear 
about such things and recommend if they have issue with someone to 
approach the person they are about to gossip about  and if it is not wise 
to approach them for some reason, bring it before the pastor. If it is a 
real concerning issue it is best the pastor know, if it is petty or turns 
out untrue, I expect you'll get a good talking to and instruction in what 
to do in the future. What if you offend the person whispering to you? 
Good. They need to be jerked out of that mode and tell them why you do not 
participate in such talk.

In any case always remember that we are in no way perfect, we all  do make 
mistakes, as well project how it might feel being the topic of juice among 
others if we made a real mistake and try to get past it, or to be falsely 
accused as you casually sip your harmless glass of wine.

Brad