As readers of this blog will know, Tim Challies took on the huge and admirable task of live-blogging last week’s WorshipGod06 conference. He really did do an outstanding job (as always), and I’m looking forward to his live-blogging Desiring God‘s 2006 national conference Above All Earthly Powers: The Supremacy of Christ in a Postmodern World.

But, words are finite. And while they can convey actions, it is extremely difficult to capture an atmosphere or spirit about a meeting or conference session. Tim posted some final reflections on the WorshipGod06 conference and in particular the worship service held on Friday night of the conference. His post has garnered fifty-one comments (at the time of this post’s writing). The discussion deals with the fact that Sovereign Grace Ministries is both reformed in its view of soteriology and charismatic. Indeed you don’t find that combination very often. Some of the comments have been harsh; others more muted. Some commenters have shown amazing humility in realizing that their early words were perhaps harmful and they have shown us all a great example of what it means to be Christ-like.

Bob Kauflin has posted some thoughts worth reading on his blog, WorshipMatters. The more I read from Bob, and now especially after having worshiped under his leadership and learned from him firsthand, the more my respect for him and his ministry grows. He is a valuable asset to followers of Jesus Christ, and I thank God for him. I point you to his blog and his reaction because they are words we need to hear regardless of what issues we might face. They are good, Bible-centered words of exhortation. Thank you, Bob.

I’m still working through a lot of what I experienced at WorshipGod. Generally by this time following a conference, I have returned to a normal routine and the conference notebook has been shelved. Not this time; I will be re-reading my notes, listening to the sessions again, and pouring over Scripture in an effort to constantly check what I currently believe against what the Bible says. I was deeply challenged in several areas of my thinking last week. And I am more grateful for that than I can communicate.

It may give me nice warm fuzzy feelings to attend a conference and hear the speakers and teachers say everything we already believe and know; but we never grow that way. Who knows? I may not change my beliefs at all after all this study (I doubt that will be the case, though). But at least I will have thought about the issues and interacted with the Scriptures rather than taking for granted what I thought I already knew.