[Vision2020] A Labor of Love

[DonaldH675 at aol.com]

Visionaries and especially Christ Church Members:
 
A letter has been written to your  pastor addressing issues that concern us 
all. I believe that the author  deliberately concealed his identity not to be 
clever but in order to keep the  subject of his letter paramount. And in this 
respect, I believe he achieved his  goal. Few pastoral letters rise to the 
level of an epistle. A Labor of Love does. It exhorts,  rebukes, comforts, 
inspires, and challenges all who read it. While it was,  arguably, addressed to 
saints, it calls to sinners as  well. 
However, if the anonymous nature  of the letter tempts you to dismiss it 
outright, then I would like to remind you  that anonymity played a central role in 
the history of Presbyterianism. John  Calvin used at least three pseudonyms 
throughout his ministry, and John Knox  wrote his best-known work anonymously. 
(I refer to The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous  Regiment of 
Women (1558),  (I shall resist the temptation to  comment on that work).  
These  men hid their names because they feared retribution from the established  
Church.  The same set of circumstances ring true today in the  Kirk.  A Labor 
of Love  says this as well: “Many of you who sit under his [Doug Wilson] 
teaching know  this and you say nothing out of fear of retribution. Don't tell me 
you ‘fear’  his kindnesses.” 
Over the last two  years Moscow’s controversies between the  leader of Christ 
 Church and his  opponents (locally and nationally) has grown to unexpected 
dimensions. They  escalate and expand almost daily. I know that, even though he 
pretends  otherwise, he does not speak for the majority of you. I know that 
Doug Wilson's  vindictive behavior and sarcastic rhetoric is dismaying to many 
of  you.  I know that you believe are powerless to address these  concerns.  
Please believe me when I say in truth you are not alone,  and you are not 
powerless.  
I also know that your pastor has  deliberately isolated you, effectively 
holding you captive, and you are afraid  of him. I know that most of you are good, 
decent people who love God and would  prefer quiet and peaceable lives to the 
mandated bunker mentality that has swept  over the Kirk.    I know these 
things because I have been contacted  off-list by many kirkers who have borne 
witness to these  truths. 
For these reasons I encourage you  to read A Labor of Love. It  offers 
pastoral counsel to all of us, whether evangelical or Catholic, Quaker or  Reformed, 
liberal or conservative, right or left. It is written from the  heart to the 
heart. Its words reflect an sincere interpretation of Scripture,  free of 
sophistry or twisted defenses. And most especially because it speaks  truth to 
power.    
The link to a  website with Labor of Love on it is: 
_http://www.geocities.com/pastoral_rebuke/index.htm_ 
(http://www.geocities.com/pastoral_rebuke/index.htm)  
Rose  Huskey  


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