Renovare Conference

The Conference was filled with thoughts to ponder, resources to study. Here are a few quotes that that were particularly meaningful to me.
Dallas Willard: (in discussing works in James) “grace is not opposed to action, but to earning”.
John Ortberg: “what we get out of life is who we become” (as opposed to stuff)
One of the speakers read an epitaph from a professor he knew, Prof Pelikan: “If Christ is risen, nothing else matters. If Christ isn’t risen, nothing else matters.”
Richard Foster: Spiritual formation is not a tool to fix our culture or the church, but for individual renewal.
Obstacles to congregational renewal is that we have a “hurried” sickness…spiritual formation is slow. We are a scattered, not gathered community.
Cultural renewal has two parts:
contemptus mundi…we must be torn loose from earthly desires
amor mundi…we must be quickened to divine compassion for the world.
The host church’s (Memorial Dr Pres) pastor, Dave Peterson, shared his church’s fundamental goal of congregational life:
B…the bless challenge…bless someone…be more available, we are part of everyone else’s story…speak, establish contact
L…Listen to God…invite God to use something in your life to remind you He loves you and is active in your life
E…Eat with someone…take the initiative, show courage, stay close…over a meal
S…Study Jesus…take the whole of scripture, learn Who Jesus is, what He did…become His disciple
S…Serve generously…be willing to let God stretch you, trust God’s ability to empower you to do it, be a living sacrifice.
Chris Webb (in regard to reading the classics & Scripture): let your reading be transforming reading not just informing reading. Read for relationship not just information; it’s not just about principles & application, but relationship.