Has this happened to you as a pastor? ? ?

[JerryNumbers]

A while back I received an anonymous note in the mail, no return address. It asked me to give a sermon on talking behind a friends back, and please tell no one where you got this idea. Of course I could not I had no idea who sent it, yet you know how big talkers are, they always spill the beans, sooner of later.


A lady that attends church with us that is not a member of our church had company one day. While this company was there her best friend calls. They talk for a few moments and it seems she did not hang her telephone up properly, them set down to talk with her company about her good friend, with her good friend hearing every word both of them said on her telephone.

This person told my wife about the incident. Every little piece of it, including her trying to apologize to her, and even calling up her two grown sons apologizing to them for talking about their mother behind her back.

One son talked with her, the other one would have nothing to do with her, this son had fully paid for this woman and her husband to go on vacation with him and his wife, his father and mother for the last 4 years because he felt for them for they have no family.

This lady lost a good friend, lost all expense paid vacations.

In the past they had been having Christmas with one another, this past Christmas, the woman that talked about her friend invited herself and husband to the home of the good friend she talked about on Christmas morning, unannounced. It was a very cool Christmas morning from what I understand inside that house where there was plenty of heat.

This woman is a nosey woman, always has been, always will be I suppose, she is the age of my older sister and it seems I've know her forever. Trouble followers her, and her mouth is constantly getting her in trouble and she had lost several friends because of her nosy ways and talking mouth. Yes, when around her one has to guard their mouth, she can turn anything into a juicy pieces of gossip.

If you knew her as I did you would fully understand this part of this verse.

Jas 3:5 "...Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!"

And I suppose people as her they never understand the big fires their little member creates and that if they would learn not to let their mouth run, and be so nosey, they would have many more old friends without having to make a new friend quite often in order to have a friend.

I might add that with summer here and my wife home I have not been on very much. Plus she had to have test run, had one last week and because of some problems she has to go through about the same ordeal for a different test next week.

[Anon]

Wow. Sounds like she definitely reaped what she's sown.

I know of some pastors wives who are huge gossips. Gossip, then, ends up running rampant in the church. I try very hard NOT to be a gossip, the best I can. Hopefully, that goes the same for our church people as well.

Too bad....

[JerryNumbers]

Yes, I try to use my ears much more than my mouth, it seems that is a good way to get in less trouble. I might add, the wife and I had added 2 + 2, on who this was about when I received it on about April 22, 2011. Them low and behold, she fills my wife's ears with all of the details, at that point we knew who sent it, and who they were pointing out.

Oh, the note is signed, { A friend. ? I'll talk to you later. }

It put a new meaning on the fire that a tongue can start.

[HappyChristian]

Wow! What a lesson for all of us, eh? There have been times in our church where our pastor has had to confront someone about gossiping. He does preach on it, as well. I don't know if he's ever gotten an anonymous note - probably, as long as he's been pastoring!

That is just a heartbreaking story, Jerry8!

Thanks for letting us know about Linda - she's been on my heart the last couple of days, and now I know why!