Think Tank 2009

As the silence of the blog may have indicated, it’s been right busy around truthXchange these past few months as we sped down through the last few planning weeks before Think Tank (CWiPPTHINK) 2009.

We are thrilled and exhausted.

What can I say?  This was my first Think Tank (CWiPPTHINK) conference and so it might be hard to gauge how objective my, “This has changed me profoundly” reaction is.  It might be, that is, if it weren’t for the fact that I got to sit in the conference room after the close of the think tank and look at the planning committee’s faces as we all reveled and shared about all we saw God doing among those who attended.

There were two common phrases that came up on Friday night as every member of the conference met and shared together in a general discussion at the end of the day:

1. “I have felt so alone.”

2. “I’ve kept wondering, what happened to us?”

The first was shared by so many — Anglicans and Episcopalians who are watching with grief as their churches split over issues of gender and sexuality; ministers to our youth who pine to see this generation of children saved from the predatory lies thrown at them from nearly every corner of the culture; college students who find themselves isolated as they see their peers self-destruct while swallowing the false promises of “new” spirituality.

The second, shared so eloquently the first time by one of our attendees, came up time and time again from participants in the 25 – 35 age range.  It came up more in personal conversations we had over meals and during breaks between sessions.  Time and time again, each of us in this group found ourselves saying, “Finally we can see what’s happened to us.”

It was hard not to feel desperate as speakers shared their expert insights under the general topic of the conference, which was “The Sexual Body: Epicenter of the Worldview Battle.”  But together we were also reminded constantly that, no, it is not hopeless because we trust in Christ who has already overcome.

To those of you who spoke and those of you who attended, thank you.  I can not say it profoundly or deeply enough.  We are so thankful for you.

To those of you who could not come, stay closely tuned to the blog and site as audio and articles will begin to be posted soon.

In following days and weeks, I will share (hopefully along with some of my other colleagues) the lessons we learned at CT’09, the insights we gained, and the goals that have been set before us.  In the meantime I would urge you and plead with you to pray for Dr. Jones and those of us working with him.

Pray for guidance. Pray for clarity of purpose. Pray for protection.  Pray, most of all, that the glorious truth of Christ’s work as our savior and our redeemer would be held up and magnified in all that we do.  Pray that lives would be changed by it and, in this, that He would be glorified.