October 24, 2006
Random Remarks on the Ligonier Conference
Let me just blurt out random and unrelated thoughts that may or may not have any significance, but I know a few of you are interested in how our trip is going.
**This conference is different than others I have been to. Very sober. Quiet. When Baptists get together it’s like camp. When Presbyterians get together it’s more like a convention of librarians.
**A lot of beards. Presbyterians definitely grow more respectable beards. Baptists could learn something from this.
**Good singing. Piano accompaniement. Straight. No fancy chording and runs. All 12 verses. But 340 men singing anything pulsates with life. However, lest our exuberance be unleashed, we only sing one song per session. “All Hail the Power of Jesus Name” (the tune with the melismas) was powerful. I was glad it had six verses.
**Ligon Duncan is a genius.
**R.C. Sproul is very interesting. Witty. I’m glad I don’t live with him.
**Steve Lawson is the man of the hour. Yesterday his voice was gone. He couldn’t even whisper. The schedule was rearranged. This morning God graciously responded to our prayers by helping him recover his voice and he preached the most electrifying and powerful message on the Sovereignty of God that I have ever heard. But I’m a young man that grew up in arminian-ish background so what did R.C. Sproul, the elderly reformed statesman think? He said it was the best message he had ever heard. I will never look at Romans 11:36 in the same light again.
**As a meek and mild dispy, I am very much in the minority here. Thankfully Chris is here to protect me against any sudden eruption of violence that could occur. Want to see Presbies get emotional? Just whisper the word “dispensational.”
**I wasn’t supposed to come to this conference. Mark was going to come. Here I am in spite of our original plans. I am happy with that now, particularly after today.
**The price for this conference was $150. This included four nights in a hotel (Hampton Inn or Marriott), all meals every day (two of which are fancy and plated), and a $150 gift certificate to the book store (also free books). I have never been great a math, but I think that is a fairly good deal. Chris is not good at math either, but he thinks this is probably a good price. If we are getting ripped off, please do not tell us.
**The service has been outstanding. The Ligonier staff is exceptional.
**Ligon Duncan is a genius.
**After Steve Lawson’s message I wonder why I have ever been so presumptious as to think that I could preach.
**Steve Lawson uses a manuscript. Ligon Duncan uses one page of notes with outline and a few reminders. R.C. Sproul thinks notes and manuscripts are for sissies.
Posted by Bob Bixby at October 24, 2006 06:00 PM | eMail this entry! | 468 WordsThis entry was posted in the following categories: Conferences
Want to see Presbies get emotional? Just whisper the word “dispensational.”
I’m a baptist dispensationalist calvinist in a Presbyterian church. Our men’s fellowship was being slow about choosing our next book to study. I said they’d make up their minds, or I’d just get a bunch of copies of Ryrie’s Dispensationalism Today.
Voila! A choice was made!
Posted by: Dan Phillips at October 24, 2006 06:57 PMI’m just simply stunned that Bob would BLURT something out. Isn’t that conduct unbecomming for Pastor Bob. :)
Posted by: Bruce Countryman at October 24, 2006 07:44 PMHey, Bob, get on Chris about blogging… he needs to give us his insights. The Fundy blogosphere seems to have gone silent for the most part. Where can we rumble?? Except here of course, but you are posting a lot I agree with lately…
Regards,
Don Johnson
Jer 33.3
Seriously? Only 340 people? Wow.
Posted by: Ben at October 25, 2006 08:25 AMOf course we get emotional about dispensationalism — we use every part of our being to avoid and abolish false religions!
(Now I’ll ruin the joke by explaining it — something unfortunately necessary in commenting these days — I used to attend a Baptist church and one of the “wisest” and most attended to of the sunday school teachers was an extreme Chafer disciple. If anything other than extreme dispy understanding was mentioned [and by extreme I mean the kind that says Matthew isn’t for the church only the epistles to gentile churches are for the church], his wife would say, “It’s almost like it’s another religion.” This comment was applied with the most vigorous shock and awe in reference to covenant theology — which of course we all know is the only true religion.)
Posted by: Keith at October 25, 2006 11:00 AMA couple months ago I attended a Ligonier conference in Anaheim CA. It was one of the most refreshing and enriching conferences I’d ever attended. The theme was the Cross and Atonement. I have never left a conference with so much doctrine pounded into my head than that one. It was wonderful, I can’t wait to go to another one.
And yes, Ligon Duncan is a genius!
Posted by: William Dudding at October 25, 2006 04:15 PMDo you have a link to any mp3’s from the conference? Specifically Lawson’s message? I couldn’t initially find any online. Thanks.
Posted by: Steve Bradley at October 26, 2006 12:16 PM
