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Dear Mike:
Regarding Mike Pappies' Mars Hill letter, and your astonishment:
Didn't you younger brethren know that stuff about ST "being Elijah?"  The
voice crying in the wilderness?  I'm sure if I heard that voice clip you
refer to about "well, that means I'd have to be a prophet first..."  if I
was IN, (say in '78) I'd interpret it (inwardly) to mean, from the
"older" point of view, that ST was referring to the "fact" that he really
IS Elijah, but people (either OUTSIDE or those who aren't so exclusively
spiritual like the "enlightened ones") just don't RECOGNIZE it... this is
not to say that he pushed it a lot.  He did, however, make insinuations
to this many times; thankfully it did not become a 'doctrine.'

If you think that is weird, one time he said "I am Jesus."  In context,
he "meant" that as the Head of Cobu, he was "like Jesus to us."  But it
was a bit weird for me, even then.  One time he also said, "I'm the most
humble one here."  (Jim said, not real loud, but for the others around
him: "Not in so saying!") When ST said this, at a brother's meeting,
Chuck Troxel stomped out, making a wonderful noise in his cowboy boots,
across the wooden loft floor.  (Jim always kinda admired that moment).

ST delighted to see what he could "get away with" semantically.  Even if
his "cleverness" was supposed to pass for wit, if you think about it, it
is creepy.  It is both self-promotion and meglamaniacal pride.  Anyone
else, as a (paid) PASTOR would be taken to the mental hospital or at
least studied by some committee to fire him. I do, however, wish that
some "fiery chariot" would come scoop him away from bothering any
brethren anymore... your sis

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