Old Acquaintances: The Stepperdine Experience

I tried to blog recently but lost the whole thing. I take that as a sign from God and realize that maybe what I said didn't need to be said. :). Anyway, last week my wife and I spent the week in Malibu, California at the Pepperdine lectures. What a tremendous experience to be able to listen to the caliber of speakers, one after another. I texted our youth minister one day with this: Rick Atchley, Rubel Shelly, Mike Cope, Randy Harris, Chris Seidman. That is my schedule for the day. If you are a member of the Church of Christ, you know that those are five heavy hitters in the church. What an enjoyable, tiring, emotional, physical, spiritual, experience it was.
But what meant the most to me was seeing people I haven't seen in a while. It helped me to understand and truly appreciate God's kingdom. I saw a man who I had in a Bible class I taught in 1975-76 at West Birmingham Christian School. He is now a preacher in Mississippi. I saw a friend of mine, a preacher, who lives just 40 miles away in Lincoln, NE. Two of my former ministers were there--Mike Cope and Rubel Shelly. I saw a man and a woman with whom I'd gone to school with (the wife in high school, the husband in college). He is a successful businessman, but takes time every year to attend these lectures to fill his spiritual bucket. Another man I saw there was a man I see maybe once a year. A preacher in the Kingdom who is always positive, encouraging, and funny. I saw a former colleague of mine from when I worked at one of our Christian schools. I hired him over 20 years ago. (In fact, I saw several former colleagues). I saw a man who preaches in the Kansas City area whose Dad was the education minister when I preached in Northwest Arkansas. What an encoouragement it was to be in their midst. To hear their stories, to hear their accomplishments, to hear their commitment to Jesus.
It helped me once again to realize the greatness of God's Kingdom. And what a joy it will be to enter heaven and spend eternity with these and many other people just like them. Have a great day. JW