[Vision2020] (no subject)

Art Deco deco at moscow.com
Thu May 4 17:50:03 PDT 2006


Can you say "Cult?"

W.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Michael 
To: vision2020 at moscow.com 
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 5:21 PM
Subject: [Vision2020] (no subject)


 


  
May 4, 2006 
  
Michael Metzler 
P.O. Box 8282 
Moscow, ID 83843 
  
Dear Michael, 
  
The session of Christ Church is interested in bringing some level of closure to our interaction with you. Humanly speaking, for a long while now, we've obviously ceased to be any pastoral help to you. You appear to have decided to cease worshipping and sharing the Lord's Supper with us. We had hoped you would join us in trusting in the Spirit's work in the Supper because any attempts at interaction with you only created more tangled layers of misinterpretations. But now you've stopped communing with us. At the same time, you have continued to make public accusations and have declined to submit any of these accusations to us to evaluate in a biblical, accountable, orderly, and responsible manner. 
  
We, therefore, propose the following options: either (1) repent wholly and fruitfully, (2) file a charge immediately, or (3) we'll release you from membership. 
  
 (1) The first option seeks to have you repent immediately for your ongoing disrespect and disorderliness for the manner in which you have created your web of accusations in a public and unaccountable way. This option would include taking down your blog (for your sake), remove yourself from all Christ Church disputes, seek forgiveness, and begin attending Christ Church again regularly. Nothing we've seen in your correspondence suggests that you are in any way inclined in this direction. 
            Your blog should be much more of an embarrassment to you and your family than to us. A faithful church is supposed to generate this sort of false accusation, and when we compare its bizarre disconnect from reality, it only confirms that we're doing something right. When we cease provoking sentimental men, then we will have failed in our calling. 
            You've created a web of unfalsifiable accusations and psychological conspiracies in which you are always the victim. With God as our witness, our consciences are clean in regard to your accusations, and we unhesitatingly believe that you will be terribly surprised and ashamed of your claims when we sit as brothers on Judgment Day. You clearly have no idea how far from reality your vision is, and we clearly lack the means of persuading you otherwise. 
  
(2) The second option urges you to take responsibility for your accusations, justify them coherently, and allow them to be evaluated and cross-examined in an orderly manner before our session immediately. As always, we're far from perfect and always open to correction. We now lack, however, the confidence that you are any longer able to discuss these items with us informally, and so this option asks you to justify your accusations carefully and precisely. At the same time, this option includes taking down your blog and removing yourself from other disputes as evidence that you are willing to pursue these issues in an orderly manner. 
  
(3) Given that you have declined to follow your membership vows to submit to our government and discipline while pursuing purity and peace, as evidenced by your refusal to worship with us or heed our counsel, this option has us confirming your actions by immediately releasing you from your membership vows and our obligations to you. This is not excommunication or suspension; we believe those would be of no spiritual benefit to you. We wish we could release you in good standing. We count you a brother in need of great help we can't provide. With this option you would be free from us. 
If you wish, please immediately contact the current moderator, Mike Lawyer, with evidence (e.g.,  letter of repentance, submitted charge form and justification, your blog down, etc.) that you are pursuing the first or second options. 
  
Please feel free to circulate or post this correspondence as you see fit before God. 
  
  
For the elders of Christ Church in session, May 4, 2006, 
  
  
  
  
Doug Jones 
  
 



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