I've written a few responses on the conference so far, but haven't given a full recap of it . So here it is:
I had learned about the Ligonier Ministries National Conference "Light and Heat: A Passion for the Holiness of God" with R. C. Sproul and guest John Piper last fall when my good friend and theological kindred spirit emailed me with the announcement - and in the subject line: "Ahhhhhhhhh!" Which, in our terminology, translates to, "Wow, what a line-up! It would be amazing to go!" I promptly responded with an equally ecstatic "Ahhhhhhhhh!" Oh yes it would! As my walk with Christ has deepened in the past five years, R. C. Sproul and his ministry resources, John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Tim Challies, and the larger modern Reformed realm in general have informed my theology, giving me a structure within which to understand and know God more. To go to a conference where they would be present, to sit under their teaching, would be a great dream.
The Lord's good providence made it a reality.
The Lord's good providence made it a reality.
We got there early to check out the bookstore (my friend and I were in our element), and I had no idea there's free stuff at a conference - what a blessing! Free Piper book at check-in, free Tabletalk magazines, free resources from the exhibit tables, discounts on all the books in the giant hall, the cool Missional Wear people set up in the corner. I got my little name-tag. And the place was huge! I've never been in a church so big! Thousands of us coming to learn about the holiness of God. We barely got our fill of the bookstore before heading into the main sanctuary for the first session.
Thursday began in the afternoon with R. C. Sproul, who had been seriously ill the week before, but who braved it and stuck it out, and held to his schedule of talks with grace, commitment, and brilliance. In "Forty Years of Proclaiming God's Holiness," he spoke about what it was like to come to know God, and about his influential book The Holiness of God. In "War on the Word" Steven Lawson laid out five ways Satan attempts to undermine God - and it always starts with attacking the inerrancy of His word. Sinclair Ferguson spoke on "Why the God-Man?", delivering an amazing picture of Christ as last Adam that could only have come from a place of deep contemplation and fixed gaze upon Jesus. I delight in Dr. Ferguson's craft of sentences, all rich with understanding of the person and work of the Son of God. During the dinner break my favorite blogger Tim Challies did an optional session in which he talked about the topic of his new book: technological discernment, and the way Christians should live and interact with technology in a Biblical way. A last minute addition to the line-up, Challies' presence was like a last minute delightful surprise to me! A Q&A session capped the night, with Sinclair Ferguson, Steven Lawson, R.C. Sproul, Jr., and Robert Godfrey discussing their favorite books, recognizing God's grace by seeing our own depravity, temptation and Satan's challenge to the church, contemporary pastoral positives and negatives, and above all, Christ. Between talks we all stood together and sang hymns of old, accompanied by the Ligonier Symphonia, and the church's mammoth pipe organ.
Friday - the long day! - began early with what I could only describe as a throw-back to my college philosophy classes: R.C. Sproul and apologetics. In "Defending the Faith" Dr. Sproul made the connection between faith and reason, who are dependent upon one another, and the mind's role in the life of the Christian. He then delved into Augustine's logic of proving God's existence, using Descartes' "Cogito ergo sum" to enforce that a knowledge of God's existence begins with an awareness of ourselves and our own finiteness. It was thick thinking, and delightful! R.C. Sproul, Jr. followed his dad, and in his talk "Almighty Over All" he asked the age-old question of "Why suffering?" He took us through texts that talked about instances of suffering in the Bible, and then departed from it, telling us his own story of suffering: his wife's third bout with cancer, his own bout with cancer, his daughter's disability. In it he has to live out what he believes about God's sovereignty, His love and goodness, and His desire to conform us to Christ by using whatever means necessary. It was a look at Reformed theology application in the real moments of life. Worshiping the Lord in suffering: a real, tangible, freeing, comforting truth that the church needs to clutch. Steven Lawson talked of heaven's throne room worship in Revelation 4 in "Worshiping the Triune God." A quick lunch, more bookstore time. And then it was John Piper, giving the basis for his book of the same name in his talk "Don't Waste Your Life": God means to be known and treasured, Jesus is the apex of the glory He redeemed us to see, and joyful suffering of the saints glorifies God. R.C. Sproul returned with "Clothed in Righteousness," connecting Adam and Eve's God-crafted clothing to Jesus' imputed righteousness. We then sang the hymn "Clothed in Righteousness," written by Dr. Sproul. Sinclair Ferguson conducted an optional session based on his book By Grace Alone. The night ended with a treat: R.C. Sproul and John Piper on the same stage, giving "Ministry Reflections" upon their times serving the Lord, and leading Ligonier Ministries and Desiring God Ministries, respectively. These two men could be said to be the giants of today's theological world, yet they both exuded humility and dependence upon God, giving preference and deference to His Word and statutes before their own wants and ideas. One of the sweetest moments came when, forgetting the moderators, Dr. Piper began to ask Dr. Sproul questions, like a student before his teacher! They spoke of the beauty of God, the public radiance of His glory, the necessity of gazing on Jesus to escape corruption, and their pleasure in seeing the younger generation of Reformed Christians stepping up in public writing and teaching roles.
Saturday morning, the last portion of the conference, began with John Piper speaking on "Evangelism and Missions," admonishing that missions must stem from a love of God's sovereignty and work in the earth, and not out of our own will. He talked of the forerunners of the modern missionary movement, and the global geographic shift of Christian centers. Robert Godfrey addressed the question of "Pleasing God," using the example of Mary's ointment, the Puritans, the church at Smyrna, and the martyrs of the Reformation to link listening and obedience to pleasing God. John Piper finished out the morning, and the conference, with "Twenty-Five Years of Desiring God," his heart's statement on delighting in the Lord, and being happy in Him. It was "classic Piper": animated, cutting in its truth, quirky in analogy, deeply affecting. What is at the bottom of our structures of happiness: a desire for our own name and will, or a desire for God and His will? As a farewell, in Ligonier tradition, a hundred or so attendees from the audience climbed on stage and sang the Hallelujah chorus in a bright, spectacular, final reverence in the glory, sovereignty, and majesty of the Lord.
I have to say, it was a classy conference. Well put together, honoring of God, honoring of His word. Dr. Piper prayed that it would be like an oasis for us, and I know for me it was: drinking deeply at the fountain of Jesus, engaging my mind and my heart towards understanding, and going home spiritual refreshed, wanting more of Him, more of Him, more of Him!
Thursday began in the afternoon with R. C. Sproul, who had been seriously ill the week before, but who braved it and stuck it out, and held to his schedule of talks with grace, commitment, and brilliance. In "Forty Years of Proclaiming God's Holiness," he spoke about what it was like to come to know God, and about his influential book The Holiness of God. In "War on the Word" Steven Lawson laid out five ways Satan attempts to undermine God - and it always starts with attacking the inerrancy of His word. Sinclair Ferguson spoke on "Why the God-Man?", delivering an amazing picture of Christ as last Adam that could only have come from a place of deep contemplation and fixed gaze upon Jesus. I delight in Dr. Ferguson's craft of sentences, all rich with understanding of the person and work of the Son of God. During the dinner break my favorite blogger Tim Challies did an optional session in which he talked about the topic of his new book: technological discernment, and the way Christians should live and interact with technology in a Biblical way. A last minute addition to the line-up, Challies' presence was like a last minute delightful surprise to me! A Q&A session capped the night, with Sinclair Ferguson, Steven Lawson, R.C. Sproul, Jr., and Robert Godfrey discussing their favorite books, recognizing God's grace by seeing our own depravity, temptation and Satan's challenge to the church, contemporary pastoral positives and negatives, and above all, Christ. Between talks we all stood together and sang hymns of old, accompanied by the Ligonier Symphonia, and the church's mammoth pipe organ.
Friday - the long day! - began early with what I could only describe as a throw-back to my college philosophy classes: R.C. Sproul and apologetics. In "Defending the Faith" Dr. Sproul made the connection between faith and reason, who are dependent upon one another, and the mind's role in the life of the Christian. He then delved into Augustine's logic of proving God's existence, using Descartes' "Cogito ergo sum" to enforce that a knowledge of God's existence begins with an awareness of ourselves and our own finiteness. It was thick thinking, and delightful! R.C. Sproul, Jr. followed his dad, and in his talk "Almighty Over All" he asked the age-old question of "Why suffering?" He took us through texts that talked about instances of suffering in the Bible, and then departed from it, telling us his own story of suffering: his wife's third bout with cancer, his own bout with cancer, his daughter's disability. In it he has to live out what he believes about God's sovereignty, His love and goodness, and His desire to conform us to Christ by using whatever means necessary. It was a look at Reformed theology application in the real moments of life. Worshiping the Lord in suffering: a real, tangible, freeing, comforting truth that the church needs to clutch. Steven Lawson talked of heaven's throne room worship in Revelation 4 in "Worshiping the Triune God." A quick lunch, more bookstore time. And then it was John Piper, giving the basis for his book of the same name in his talk "Don't Waste Your Life": God means to be known and treasured, Jesus is the apex of the glory He redeemed us to see, and joyful suffering of the saints glorifies God. R.C. Sproul returned with "Clothed in Righteousness," connecting Adam and Eve's God-crafted clothing to Jesus' imputed righteousness. We then sang the hymn "Clothed in Righteousness," written by Dr. Sproul. Sinclair Ferguson conducted an optional session based on his book By Grace Alone. The night ended with a treat: R.C. Sproul and John Piper on the same stage, giving "Ministry Reflections" upon their times serving the Lord, and leading Ligonier Ministries and Desiring God Ministries, respectively. These two men could be said to be the giants of today's theological world, yet they both exuded humility and dependence upon God, giving preference and deference to His Word and statutes before their own wants and ideas. One of the sweetest moments came when, forgetting the moderators, Dr. Piper began to ask Dr. Sproul questions, like a student before his teacher! They spoke of the beauty of God, the public radiance of His glory, the necessity of gazing on Jesus to escape corruption, and their pleasure in seeing the younger generation of Reformed Christians stepping up in public writing and teaching roles.
Saturday morning, the last portion of the conference, began with John Piper speaking on "Evangelism and Missions," admonishing that missions must stem from a love of God's sovereignty and work in the earth, and not out of our own will. He talked of the forerunners of the modern missionary movement, and the global geographic shift of Christian centers. Robert Godfrey addressed the question of "Pleasing God," using the example of Mary's ointment, the Puritans, the church at Smyrna, and the martyrs of the Reformation to link listening and obedience to pleasing God. John Piper finished out the morning, and the conference, with "Twenty-Five Years of Desiring God," his heart's statement on delighting in the Lord, and being happy in Him. It was "classic Piper": animated, cutting in its truth, quirky in analogy, deeply affecting. What is at the bottom of our structures of happiness: a desire for our own name and will, or a desire for God and His will? As a farewell, in Ligonier tradition, a hundred or so attendees from the audience climbed on stage and sang the Hallelujah chorus in a bright, spectacular, final reverence in the glory, sovereignty, and majesty of the Lord.
I have to say, it was a classy conference. Well put together, honoring of God, honoring of His word. Dr. Piper prayed that it would be like an oasis for us, and I know for me it was: drinking deeply at the fountain of Jesus, engaging my mind and my heart towards understanding, and going home spiritual refreshed, wanting more of Him, more of Him, more of Him!
1 comments:
very good jess. fun to re-live the experience!
Post a Comment