My boy James asked me last night how my thinking on Reformed theology conferences had changed as my views on ecclesiology have shifted, given that we are going to a conference this weekend. I love me some Reformed theology conferences, I try to go to a couple a year at least, more if there are local ones like the one this weekend. If Together for the Gospel were held every year, I would go every year even though I am not a pastor.
My view used to be that these conferences were great because I could go, learn more about Reformed theology and bring it back to the church. It was very practical, almost like a boot camp or a training seminar. It was more about being better equipped to take Reformed theology to the people.
I guess now these conferences for me serve more as a time of refreshing and fellowship, spending time with other brothers in Christ, having lunch together, sitting under solid teaching together, buying books at the ubiquitous book tables that I won’t read for a year together, personal growth in my study of the Word. It is far less practical in application for me and more refreshing for me personally. It is less about bringing this information back to the church and more about spending time in fellowship with the church.
I see this shift as a part of the evolution in thinking I am going through, as I try to shift my thinking away from the local, organization church body being the focus and more on living a life of worship and glorifying God in everything I do, not just when I am gathered with other believers. That is a difficult shift for me, I like the structure and clearly delineated roles in traditional church organizations, but I think that much of the frustration I feel stems from a misunderstanding of the church and worship.
More on that later today.
3 comments:
"refreshing fellowship, eating together, sitting under solid teaching, book tables, refreshing"
Why can't this be every week at a local church? Why shift your thinking away from the local church?
Could not Holy Spirit filled, word saturated brothers in Christ help you identify the causes of your frustration?
Do you guys have book tables in Vanderbilt? Actually, they do have shelves of books at Graham Community Church, all good Reformed books too.
It really is for selfish reasons. When we "go to church", we have to get ourselves and eight kids ready, load them up, drop them off, pick them up after a couple of hours and go home. At conferences, it is just me. And really, why can't this fellowship with word saturated, Spirit filled brothers be outside of a local church organization? I enjoy our time together and we have never worshipped in a traditional worship service together.
Yes,
Getting away from everybody and everything and going to a sanctified setting is indeed a joy! Tell the folks at Graham I said hi.
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