Sunday night a few people from Redeemer Fellowship, The Church in DeKalb and Doxa Fellowship met up at The House Cafe to catch William Elliot Whitmore. Steve blogged about the show, so head over there and read up. Click the pic for a larger image.
Jesus is the best hiding place and covert from the tempest of an agitated conscience. When the lightning of conviction flashes upon the soul, and guilt with its thundering voice spreads its dark folds over the mind, no where but in Jesus can be found a covert from the bursting storm. To what other refuge can a sinner fly when the horrid nature of his rebellion is laid open before him? At what time his ingratitude to the God that made, redeemed and preserves him appears; at what time he is terrified and confounded by the frequent repetition of his sins and the obstinacy of his corruptions; at what time guilt, superadded to guilt, rolls its dark wreaths over the soul, like clouds that “return after the rain,” no where but in Jesus can he find a refuge from the gathering tempest. The blood of Christ, sprinkling his conscience from dead works, has a wonderful power to relieve from the pangs of conscious guilt. It is the most sovereign balm to a wounded spirit.
“Give me Jesus or I die,” cries the agonized soul. “None but Christ, none but Christ. Take away that cloud that I may see him, and I shall live.” What other refuge can a soul find that is racked with guilt? Let him go to his wealth, his honors, his pleasures; they are all unsavory ashes in the mouth of a man dying with hunger. Let him go to philosophy, it is a stranger to his case, and knows nothing either of his griefs or his wants. Let him go to speculative divinity, it is no physician, but only a corpse laid by the side of a dying man. Let him go to the courts of the Lord,—let him go to his Bible, to his knees, and all without Christ are nothing. Let him go to God, and God out of Christ “is a consuming fire.” But let him only come in sight of Jesus, and get near enough to “touch” if it be but” the hem of his garment,” and all his pains are instantly relieved,—the fire in his conscience is quenched, and he is as much at ease as though he never felt a pain.
- Edward Griffin (1770-1837)
A few months ago Steve McCoy and I (and a number of other pastors and thinkers) were a part of a creative meeting led by Ben Arment to talk about Ben’s idea for a conference that would stand out in our ever growing conference culture. Ben’s vision and enthusiasm are compelling and I love the concept of a conference that is all about The Story that we are all part of. Here’s the rundown:
STORY is a first-of-its-kind experience for communicators of the Gospel – the greatest story ever told. It will be held on Wednesday, October 28 at the Paramount Theater in Aurora, Illinois. Speakers include Donald Miller, Nancy Beach, Dave Gibbons, Ed Young, Stacy Spencer, Chris Seay and Mike Foster. A day of workshops will follow on October 29 at nearby Orchard Valley Community Church, featuring illustrators, designers, scholars, authors and communications experts. Register for the conference and enter to win 2 free trips to the Kilns – CS Lewis’ home in Oxford, England – at www.StoryChicago.com.
Count me in just to hear Chris Seay and Don Miller talk about The Story, but add to that everything Ben is attempting with this event – and I am very excited. Check out the very cool website, and read Ben’s blog for more information.
Yesterday I asked via Twitter and Facebook, “What’s the best book you’ve read so far in 2009?” I got a pretty good response and thought I would share it on the blog. Some interesting stuff. Of course, some of these books received multiple votes (And don’t start slamming someone else’s pick).
Here’s most of what I got back:
Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church
The Cross of Christ
Divinity and Humanity: The Incarnation Reconsidered
Dracula
Dracula Was a Woman: In Search of the Blood Countess of Transylvania
Exegetical Fallacies
Fluke
God’s Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible
A Gospel Primer for Christians
The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture
Holiness: Its Nature, Hindrances, Difficulties, and Roots
In My Place Condemned He Stood: Celebrating the Glory of the Atonement
In the Dust of the Rabbi
Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography
Just Do Something
Leading with a Limp
Let the Reader Understand: A Guide to Interpreting and Applying the Bible
The Living Church: Convictions of a Lifelong Pastor
Living for God’s Glory: An Introduction to Calvinism
The Message of Prayer
The Man Who Ate Everything
Memoirs of an Ordinary Pastor: The Life and Reflections of Tom Carson
The Mission of God: Unlocking the Bible’s Grand Narrative
The Noticer
Planting Missional Churches
The Prodigal God
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism
Same Kind of Different As Me
Sexuality and Holy Longing
Simple Church
Total Church
The Truth War
Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1)
Vintage Church
What He Must Be: …If He Wants to Marry My Daughter
You Can Change: God’s Transforming Power for Our Sinful Behaviour and Negative Emotions
I didn’t define “best” – intentionally letting this be as subjective as anyone would want. My answer points to the most helpful and enjoyable book I have read so far this year. There have been some powerful reads, but for me, the bright spot is A Gospel Primer for Christians
Feel free to drop your best read of the year so far in the comments.
I am the Lead Pastor of Redeemer Fellowship, husband to Jen, Dad to Katherine, Elias and Madeline - and the short, bald guy in Starbucks writing in a Moleskine journal.
