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Miscellaneous

A Long Cool Drink

By June 23, 2010June 21st, 2014No Comments

WaterfallAs a pastor, I experience fairly long periods during which output exceeds input. No matter how faithful I am in seeking the Lord and feeding on His Word with the goal of nurturing my own faith, there is an intake deficeit. I’ve become convinced that God never intended that any believer live for extended periods of time without taking in in the form of attending to the preaching of the Scriptures. As Pastor Dan Davey has emphasized over the last couple of days, we need the “the Holy Text,” and the work of those who seek to communicate clearly what God says so that “the text preaches itself.”

I’m delighted to report that the first two days of this year’s conference have provided a much needed long, cool drink for me in that department. The book of Daniel speaks powerfully to our times and our personal lives because it focuses so clearly on–another theme that has been prominent in the preaching–God’s transcendence and His immanence. My heart has rejoiced along with many others at the focus on the incomparable superiority of our God’s wisdom and power and being as well as the amazing way that immeasurable superiority mingles with His interest in us and eagerness to pour mercy out on us.

Who can’t feel refreshed from that? But the first two days have nourished me in other ways as well. The fellowship of other pastors and ministry leaders is another way we need to take in. And the conference has already provided many rich opportunities for that.

I look forward to saying more about that later, especially in regards to The Quest workshop and dinner and the encouraging heart I’m seeing in that whole effort.

But even that doesn’t exhaust the forms of helpful intake. The reports have been encouraging, the music stirring, and the new contacts enlightening. For more on that, you can find a fair amount of conference blog posts over at SharperIron as well (look for a sidebar labeled “Event Blog”), including some very unprofessional photography, and perspectives of Pastor Brian McCrorie, who is a newcomer to the GARBC.

-Pastor Aaron Blumer (Grace Baptist Church, Boyceville WI)