Remembering Tulsa

I want to regress a little and talk about the Tulsa Workshop. I don't know how many times I've gone, but it's been a lot. Since twice in my life I only lived 90 miles away, it was a highlight of my year. Many times I went to represent a Christian college where I was working. But there are some intangibles that are there every year.
First, the preaching is always terrific. I can't think of a single year where I came away and said the preaching was awful. Marvin Phillips and Terry Rush have made sure that we had some of the best and brightest speak every year. Bob Russell, the senior minister from the Christian Church in Louisville, KY, mentioned that our preachers were the envy of the Christian Church. Isn't that amazing? Yet, so many of them take the arrows of my "brethren" for being too liberal, too entertaining, too (you fill in the blank). I have to admit, there is a side of me that covets being able to speak. But then when I come away from each workshop, I know that God has placed the right person in there to speak and I don't need to be that person.
Second, the singing is always heavenly. Last Friday night, I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I closed my eyes and sang like there was no one else but God listening to me. One of the best arguments for a capella singing is just that, the beauty of thousands of voices togethter praising God's name. Some of the songs have changed, others haven't. If you were there, did Our God, He is Alive make chills run up and down your spine?
Third, it's fun to go into the Expo Hall and look at all the goodies. I came back with so many new books, three new Bibles, and several prints. I remember a time when we were still doing the Joy Bus thing that they used to drive buses right into that hall.
Fourth, I saw so many friends. It was so good to talk to Rubel, Jeff, Mike, Steve, Carroll, Connie, Larry, Buddy, Dub, Nancy, David (I didn't forget you, DU!!), Sue, Larry, Troy, Carolyn, Jim, Kay, another David, Sue, Bob, Mike, Gay, Mark, Anne, Amy, Trish, Jackie, Mackie, Marshall, Kristy, and a host of others I already knew. But I also was able to meet new friends like Franklin, Tracy, Fischer, Jim, Carson, Kristin, and others.
Can you imagine what heaven is like? It's going to take the first part of eternity just to meet everybody!! Tulsa just helps us get prepared for it. "I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you. I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to compoletion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God." Amen, Paul. Amen!
This is a verse for all of you out there whom I know and love, not just those I saw at Tulsa. By the way, this year was really a double joy for me. Not only did my wonderful wife get to go with me (this has been two years in a row), but my son also went. I think he'll be back. Now my old married daughter is complaining she didn't get to go. That's a nice problem to have. Have a great day. JW