A Week of Joy

I am happy to report that I've had the most wonderful week. It was spent away from the normal routine of church ministry, but it was work indeed. I attended a conference in Nashville, TN called the Festival of Homiletics.

If you are a seminary type then get ready for jealousy when I tell you who I heard lectures, sermons and seminars from. . .

The guests included:

• Barbara Brown Taylor (my all time preaching hero)
• Tom Long
• Walter Bruggeman
• Fred Craddock
• Will Williamon
• Brian McLaren
• And that is to just name a few

Music From:

• Sweet Honey and the Rock
• Kyle Matthews
• Ginny Owens
• And many more

I feel like I am 15 again and I just got home from youth camp. Not only did I hear some amazing speakers, but I worshipped alongside 1,600 other preachers from the Mainline church (Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Episcopal, etc). I traveled to TN with an amazing group of senior pastors from the DC region. I spent two nights hanging out with my best friend from college-- a dear friend who always is such a joy to be around.

Overall, it was 0ne of those experiences where you were on a mountain top spiritually for a while, so it was very sad to think about coming home.

But, I'm thankful for all I learned, the ways I was challenged to think of the preached word and worship in new ways and the encouragement I received from being around such dynamic people. It makes going home not as depressing, knowing now is the time to put feet to all I've found to be true.

Yea for great weeks at conferences! It is what pastors stay spiritually alive on, for sure!