spirit and truth

Several of us on staff are at the "Reform and Resurge" conference in Seattle. We have heard some great thinkers including former Southern Seminary professor Ed Stetzer, currently with the North American Mission Board. He has written several great books, including his newest book Breaking the Missional Code. Ed told me he reads my blog so I promise to only say nice things about NAMB from now on.

In all seriousness, Ed gave some powerful lectures that I hope to dialogue with him about in coming weeks. We are very blessed to have talent like this at NAMB. I am also hoping that one day Ed will come to CRBC to lead a conference.

Tim Keller has given some amazing insights in his lectures over the past two days as well. Yesterday he quoted a John Newton hymn I did not recognize- so I looked it up. The words are rich and poiniant. One of the refereshing things for me about the conference has been some of the classic hymns that have been utilized in our worship. Such rich theology!

To all of you young artists out there who are gifted in writing music, consider the theology of Newton and how it informs the believers mind:

Come, my soul, thy suit pre-pare:
Je-sus loves to an-swer prayer;
He Him-self has bid thee pray,
There-fore will not say thee nay.
There-fore will not say thee nay.

Thou art com-ing to a King,
Large pe-ti-tions with thee bring;
For His grace and power are such,
None can ev-er ask too much.
None can ev-er ask too much.

With my bur-den I be-gin:
Lord, re-move this load of sin;
Let Thy blood, for sin-ners spilt,
Set my con-science free from guilt;

Set my con-science free from guilt;
Lord, I come to Thee for rest,
Take pos-ses-sion of my breast;
There Thy blood-bought right main-tain,

And with-out a ri-val reign.
And with-out a ri-val reign.
While I am a pil-grim here,
Let Thy love my spi-rit cheer;

As my Guide, my Guard, my Friend,
Lead me to my jour-ney's end;
Lead me to my jour-ney's end;
Show me what I have to do,

Ev-ery hour my strength re-new:
Let me live a life of faith,
Let me die Thy peo-ple's death.
Let me die Thy peo-ple's death.