Monday, January 14, 2008

tension in the community

I'm feeling tense because NSV sponsored some folks to go the long trip to IHOP in Kansas City and now we have had guests related to them speak the past two Sundays. At the same time, just around the corner in Louisville, New Attitude is planning their 2008 conference and we haven't heard it mentioned.

I don't know, something about hearing John Piper, Joshua Harris, Al Mohler, Mark Dever, Eric Simmons, C.J. Mahaney. The conference theme is rediscovering the well-worn pages of our Bibles - considering the certainty, sufficiency, and relevance of God’s word – that it may become to us a joy and our delight. Sounds great to me. And in all of that - I expect God to speak as well.

Here's the NA promo video ...



You can see the IHOP promo video here. Some of it's good, some of it I don't get, and some I don't like ... clearly I am biased.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Rick, who do you see coming to the NA conference?

ricki said...

jonathan - I think you are asking me who from NSV (the church I attend) would I like to see going to the NA 2008 conference.

I guess I wonder why folks go to conferences anyway? I thought of information sharing, simply a break from the normal routine, desire to 'experience' God in a focussed environment, etc..

For all of the reasons I came up with, my value for what is done at IHOP is low to actually negative. I have the opposite bias toward NA. I read their materials not stuff from IHOP.

I guess I would dismiss it as me being out of balance if there was a mix wanting multiple kinds of conference experience. My tension is caused because there is only interest in IHOP and so I am completely out of step with some amount of the community to which I belong.

So to answer your question, some balanced number of people from those that are conference goers in the first place. I had no target profile in mind.

Did that answer your question?

Anonymous said...

Sort of. I think they reach VERY different audiences and will likely attract different crowds. From what I know about you, I would see you going to NA. It just seems like your appeal. But maybe those going to IHOP are looking for something different.

I see conferences as a gathering of like minds around a conversation.

Have you asked people who want to or are goign to IHOP why they are going?

ricki said...

yes I did and I didn't like what I heard ... and as noted, they invited two speakers to our Sunday meetings and I didn't like what they taught ...

Anyway, seems I'm not in line with a larger percentage of my church than I thought. Tension ...

cp said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
cp said...

Hey man :) Glad to see some stirring-of-the-pot!

Don't think that we're completely changing the direction because we've had a few speakers the last few weeks. I like it that we've brought in people that don't have the exact same perspective as we tend to have. I typically learn as much from those I don't whole-heartedly agree with as I do from those whose books I devour!

I do hear you though...

I'm genuinely interested in the NA conference... What are you up to that weekend?

reftagger