Kopp Disclosure
(John 3:19-21)
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Clergy Meology (4/1 and 4/4 editions of KD) has stirred up some...
You may want to go back to those CM editions and read the representative responses.
I think some raw nerves were...
Like mine.
Anyway, this personal letter really caught my attention:
Dear Saint Francis, I mean, rather, Dr. Kopp,
So you say you want to live like Jesus?
Prove it!
How about giving your motorcycle to me?
Or maybe you're still the same hypocrite who preached so
eloquently in those rich churches of yours about what
it means to be a Christian while living a life of such
contradiction.
So here is your chance!
Give your motorcycle to me!
Or how about your house?
I didn't think so.
You had it all, didn't you? And now that you don't,
you say you want to give it all away.
Stoles?
How about that motorcycle of yours?
You are such a hypocrite!
I rejoiced when you left ___!
___ you!
Obviously, he missed the KD on the "N" and "F" words (3/21/11).
Uh, maybe not.
Be that as it is or isn't, I'm glad he's not my bishop.
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I wrote back:
Brother,
Thank you for sharing your thoughts with me.
I've sinned so much against Him and His in
my life, try not to sin so much now but surely do,
and will definitely sin more in the future.
I'll never outgrow my need for Lord Jesus as Savior.
Thank you for reminding me of my need for Him to
forgive my past, present, and future.
I also want to thank you for challenging my faith and
dedicated devotional desire to love Jesus by
loving like Him.
You caused me to consider the stuff in my life that
I want to keep the most: two Bibles, mule, golf clubs,
and truck concomitant to His call through Rick that
I don't have yet because no one will trade me straight
up for my 2001 wagon.
I'm not including my house or anything related to
being a husband and father. I'm not called to give away
what our Lord intends me to provide for them. It's like
I tell the faithful folks of First on occasion, "Your first
priority in giving is to take care of your children and
family. Then you can manage the rest in obedience
to His call in your life..."
Aside from that, you can take anything; because it
really belongs to Him anyway. I'm just the steward.
Though I discern you're trifling with me as inspired by
someone or something other than God, I will give anything
other than what God intended for my family to you if you
want it.
I have other Bibles; but you can have my personal favorites
if you'd like them.
My mule saves a lot of $ on personal psychiatric care and
has allowed me to reach more people for Jesus than I ever
thought possible; but, sure, you can have it.
I guess I can borrow clubs from my dad or children.
I don't have a truck yet to fulfill God's call through Rick
of using it as an instrument of service; but I have that
old wagon and...
Here's the deal.
I love Jesus so much; and I've been falling more and
more and more in love with Him than ever before and
really don't need anything or anyone but Him now or
ever.
Don't get me wrong.
I love my family and l really like having/using the
things mentioned above.
But after they're all gone, I'll still have Jesus 'cause
He's got me.
I'd like to talk to you about that/Him sometime.
I know we never talked much in seminary or after;
'cause I was so selfish, hypocritical, and caught
up in being an important imperial pastor.
I was a pastor for so many years before inching
closer to getting it/Him.
I'm not saying I get it/Him any better than anybody
else now; but I am inching closer and closer and
closer by giving up my need for anything or anyone
but Him.
So, yes, you can have it all.
He will supply so much more than I can ever give
away or have taken from me.
Same for you!
One more thing.
Please forgive me for any way that I have sinned
against you; and please help me to identify people
that I have sinned against because I need to ask
their forgiveness too. I was out of my/His mind.
Pray for me to be more faithful; for, yes, I have
been such a hypocrite for so long. Still am.
Blessings and Love!
Yesterday, I sent that to him.
No response...from him.
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Blessings and Love!
KDs are designed/developed/inspired/mused/auto-suggested/indigested to make folks think; an especially uncommon experience among Democrats, Republicans, and jingoistic mainline denominationalists who continue to discourage dissent with their ever-threatening thought police.
9 comments:
I think what I love so much about you is your transparency and honesty...such a breath of fresh air. I know you'd give up everything for Him...these are not just words you say, but you'd back them up.
Bless you,
Ella Jane
Dear Bob,
I have so much admired your honesty; especially as I well knew that Second Church of Kansas City, having been a pastor in St. Joseph!
Bruce
Bless you! Give up that "mule," even if he didn't ask for it in a very Christlike way. Anyway, according to His Word, you may find yourself possessing more "mules" than you'll know what to do with. (see Matthew 19.29, which may not mention "mules" specifically, but I believe would extend to your determination to be more like Him by holding on loosely to the "stuff" he's permitted you to have for a while, to the point of giving it away.)
Now, if you have any spare cash laying around...
Jim
Hi Pastor Bob, Thanks for the offer. I'll take green, red, purple, and white, if you've got them. Thanks so very much on a seminarians salary I'd have to wait until I retired..lol. You can send them to my school address. Keep up the good work bro. (if the presbytery isn't looking maybe I'll wear the green one when I come preach this summer) thx so much
Bob:
I haven't given up the F-word yet...so you can tell whoever sent you that letter that I said he can ____ off!
I'm damn tired of so-called shepherds beating up on other trying-shepherds that I would like to be called to a ministry of beating the crap out of the ____s among us.
Ahhh...I feel better. But you can tell that SOB that I said to ______ off and if he wants to have a conversation with me, he can come on down!
Chuck
I’ve been thinking…. I do that occasionally. I think that your comment, even though filled with personal integrity, is not worth the effort. The comment? The one that says you’ll give the mule away in some sort of personal effort to make Christ more the center of your life.
The book reminds us to not cast pearls before swine – first not to give anything of value to the dogs (Mt 7:6 – as if you didn’t know). Sometimes we keep valuable things not because they replace Christ but because they remind us even more of God’s grace to each of us.
OK so you’re willing to give the mule away. Good. Now go ride the darn thing and give thanks to God for the opportunity and the gift.
But you knew all this already.
Blessings,
Rich
Thanks, friend.
Your love from Him through you helps buoy me.
Blessings and Love!
These KD's are what keep me going! Still searching up here in "lib land" to hear the Word preached!
Please tell me what the BBP means as in BBPBHO. I must have missed the KD when you first started using these letters.
Thanks!
Please send him this note from me:
Dear Brother "__________ you" (at least I think this is your name, it seems to be how you signed your e-mail to Bob -- only I suspect that Bob has edited out your first name, which I suspect rightly begins with the letter "F"),
Seeing as how I never had it (big steeple church, ungodly terms of call and the like) nor was I ever declared an up and coming pastor by any magazine ever published (more likely I would have been declared a down and going pastor) and desire muchly to be more like Jesus despite my total depravity, and seeing as how you want your brother in Christ to rise to the level of spirituality that you seem to enjoy and from which you are appealing to him to follow Jesus more closely in giving you not only his coat but his tunic also -- metaphorically speaking, but I think the exegesis is good here and extends to his mule and golf clubs and other items you would like him to pass along to you... in the same spirit of calling a brother to growth in Christ and living the example, I am asking that when you receive said items from Bob that you, in turn, pass them along to me, so that I may assist you in Christian growth. In the meanwhile, until you go pick up the items, I am asking that you also give me your credit cards (the bills can remain yours), your automobile (I'll take whatever you have -- and if you still have a note to pay, you can keep that too), title deed to your house (mortgage can remain yours -- and uh.... unlike Bob, I don't really give a crap where you and your family reside after I get the house), collectable items in your possession that may be a hobby of yours, any major league sports tickets you possess, as well as your computer, cell phone, and GPS. If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. Oh.... and your stoles.
No?
I didn't think so, either. But maybe I'm wrong.
<<< Eat ____ and die, hypocrite -- like you think you are not one. Ha! Takes one to know one. >>> Take this part out, would you, Bob.
If you DO decide to be like Jesus and give me all the goodies, send them to Bob (except the house -- just send him the keys -- I'll use the place as a vacation home) who will pass them along to me. I figure that's the best approach, so that I remain anonymous to you, so your left hand doesn't know what the right is doing and your giving will be in secret. And you will get your reward in heaven -- if you are actually among the elect. That's between God and you to sort out. Actually, you are not involved in that at all. Which is lucky for all us hypocrites.
Thanks.
Rev. A. Nony Mouse
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