last week …
This summer just keeps adding one tremendous week on another. Last week …
Sunday – got to speak at Cedar Ridge on Mark 5-6. You can listen to or download the talk here … It’s always good to be at our home church!
Tuesday – Recorded a “blogging heads” diavlog with SBC Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission leader Richard Land … which hasn’t been posted yet, but I’ll post a link here when it is up. We talk about what terms like “conservative” and “liberal” mean and find lots of common ground by seeking higher ground.
Wednesday – Thursday – I really enjoyed my time at the Preaching Peace conference at Messiah College. I had a chance to present a lecture called “Pre-emptive Peacemaking” (I’ll post a revised version of the slides here on the site soon.) But even better, I had the chance to hear some top-notch lectures and participate in some truly “generative” dialogue. If you’re looking for a good conference to attend – where you’ll hear things and think about things that virtually nobody else is addressing – check out one of their conferences. Christians preaching peace … what a concept!
Friday – Visited our daughter and son-in-law newly relocated to Iowa City. A joy to be with them.
Saturday-Monday – I was in Grand Rapids, Saturday night doing a booksigning at Baker Book House, and Sunday and Monday with Mars Hill … one of my favorite churches on the planet to visit. (I presented another version of the “pre-emptive peacemaking” talk … will post powerpoints soon.) Highlights included getting to spend some time with the Mars Hill Staff, Rob and Kristen Bell, Aaron and Shauna Niequist, and other good friends. Aaron led worship at Mars on Sunday … he’s writing some of the best worship songs anywhere these days, and it was an honor and pleasure to work with him.
In between, I worked with Mara Vanderslice on an ad for Matthew 25 in support of Barack Obama for president.
I just told a friend that I have to consciously take time to thank God for recent blessings and opportunities, because new ones roll in so fast. And on top of everything, it’s summer, when green and sunlight and warmth and fruitfulness show the glory and goodness and beauty of the Creator in special, wonderful ways that can never be captured in words, as hard as we try.
