McKnight @ wts

Had a really nice day today over at Winebrenner Seminary in Findlay, OH for Ritz Lectures. Of course, the highlight was seeing daughter Carrie, and having son Isaac go along. Here are Carrie and Isaac at her desk. And if you've never been to WTS - it is a b-e-a-u-t-f-u-l building, and a fine institution (and not just because I'm an alumnus or my daughter works there). :)

And I have to admit, after several years of reading his blog almost every day, it was pretty cool getting to finally *hear* Scot McKnight. He is an entertaining and engaging dude. ;) At left is a pic from my phone while he was talking with an attendee. I wanted to get a pic of the two of us together, but the times I talked to him I forgot. I also didn't get him to sign the books of his that I own. Oh well. Anyway... The topic for the day was *Conversion.* Session 1 was Conversion as Leaving and Finding; Session 2 - Leaving Church, Finding Independence; Session 3 - Leaving Wheaton, Finding Rome; Session 4 - Leaving Synagogue, Finding Church.

These are just some random notes I scribbled. I didn't do a very good job. I hope what few things I did jot down are somewhat close to correct. I'm sorry they're so incomplete, and this won't likely do a lot of good for anyone, but I just wanted to write them down before I forgot.

A main thought was: "People respond to the story of the Bible."

** "God's Spirit awakens people to faith, not our arguments."

SIX ELEMENTS OF CONVERSION:
1. Context -
- Absorb the context of where our people are.
- Relationships with others is a part of responding to the gospels.
- Jesus told the gospel story in a NUMBER of ways (so should we).
- Adapt the story of the gospel in the context we find ourselves in.

2. Crisis -
- People commit to Jesus out of crisis
- It can sometimes be as "gentle nods of the soul" (not always major).
- Crisis can be defined in a number of ways.
- Lewis Rambo(?) defines 10 crises that precipitate conversion.
- We shouldn't try to provoke crisis in others.* (Superficial crisis leads to a superficial conversion).
- Crisis leads to conversion, but we shouldn't try to create a crisis.

3. Quest - (questers are seekers)
- A person in a crisis will be on a quest to find resolution.

4. Encounter - (there is an interaction/encounter between convert & advocate)
- Advocate can be person, program, or whatever.
- An advocate seeks to correlate the message with the potential convert.
- Encounter is connecting with potential converts.

5. Commitment -
- All kinds of different ways to make commitments: going forward, joining small group, joining church, settled in mind, etc., etc., etc.

6. Consequences -
- The ongoing surrender of a persons life that makes changes in their actions, thoughts, minds, etc.

ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS...
- "Conversion means you join the church."
- We need to be connected to other Christians.
- idea of "Pre-moral Society" (sin makes no sense; it's thought of more in terms of shame than sin).
- above idea from Allen Mann's book Atonement In A Sinless Society.
- We all experience sin differently.
- In response to current Young Life situation: "Conversion happens in so many different ways we cannot manufacture *a* particular way." "We can't institutionalize the response."
- Find the reasons for the crisis and you can find the pattern to the conversion stories.

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SESSION ON APOSTACY: WHY PEOPLE ARE WALKING AWAY...

**Ecclesiographies - stories of churches that work (People go to places like Willowcreek because they can see that something is happening there).

People are walking away from Church (crises) because of (besides and in addition to: guilt, independence, it doesn't make sense anymore):
1. Scripture - is it more important to practice Scripture or just have a right theory? (story of kid who was questioned by youth pastor about innerancy. Kid finally says, "If it's so true, why are there like 2000 references to caring for the poor, but you don't know a single poor person?"
2. Science - We are not hospitable enough to people who have questions. We've got to get over the take-it-or-leave-it approach to the Bible. Scientific evidence is the most common collision point. 95% of his Christian students believe in evolution. We (the church) need to begin to look at evolution differently. Examine it.
3. Behavior of Christians - not just hypocrisy, but immorality.
4. Hell - We need to talk about hell; allow people to ask questions. How can endless punishment be just for temporal sin? How can God justly punish eternally?
5. The God of the Bible - Some find him unnacceptible. God seems mean; some think he's too soft.
6. Education - a) unfulfilled biblical promises; b) one's social location; c) randomness of birthplace; d) theodicy; e) the demand on one's life that faith expects (discipleship demand).

Thomas Payne's "The Age of Reason" - #1 book for leaving; everything leads back to him. Too many resonate with Payne's "My own mind is my church."

What we need: Churches that are safe places for people to ask questions.

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The next session was on ERC's (evangelicals who convert to Roman Catholicism). This is where I quit taking very good notes (it was after lunch).

A major crisis for ERC's is a desire for transcendence. They are seeking: Certainty, History, Unity, and Authority.

"There is no such thing as a Bible-alone idea. Every interpretation is subject to the interpreter."

700 former Roman Catholics are baptized per year at Willowcreek.

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I don't even have scribbles from the last session on Jews becoming Christians.

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THOUGHTS ON THE DAY:
- A darn good day. I enjoyed the ride over with Tom and Isaac, and even moreso the conversation on the way home.
- Had a nice lunch with Carrie, Isaac, and Tom.
- WTS is a fantastic facility, with some topnotch people.
- Glad to see some of our denominational leaders there.
- I wish I didn't feel like such a misfit in our denom.
- Disappointed there weren't more CGGC people there for this. I think our denom. is rapidly declining/fragmenting. I miss seeing old friends. I don't understand why cggc pastors don't attend stuff like this.
- Disappointed no one else from the CGGC blog was there (Bill left before I had a chance to talk with him).
- Overall... Good day. Not near as tired as I thought I'd be.