So, my friends want to know about the conference in Rome. I have to say that I enjoyed it. In large part I enjoyed it because my wife was with me. She and I were minor celebrities at the conference as the couple on their honeymoon. There’s a part of me that wants to be taken seriously for the teaching work I do in Omaha, but considering my lack of participation with other ‘teachers’ at the conference, it didn’t bother me too much.

Except for one message, the keynote sermons were quite good and thoughtful. Personally, I’ve hungered for a thoughtful sermon and had resorted to memories of past sermons as a young teenager. At that time, I knew a man from CBN UNiversity (now Regent University) was the professor of Bibilcal Exposition and Teaching there. I heard him do an exposition on the book of Ephesians and other New Testament books. I knew then that I wanted to speak like him, and in some ways, I do.

The one message I did not like talked about vision. He made a great point about complicating the gospel (good news + my awesome church) instead of presenting a simple gospel (Jesus and Him crucified), but then he digressed. He seemed to replace reaching the world in one generation with buidling teaching schools all over the world. I suppose when the next reformation of the ICC occurs, he will be calling for vision in regards to that as well. I don’t want to pick on the speaker, but a pep rally speech sandwiches between two scriptures doesn’t excite me. I decided to not be disruptive and simply stare at the ceiling until the next scripture emerged. In fairness to having vision, I do pray that members of the ICC will dream about what the new churches will be like. I truly believe that if individual members do not begin to dream of what their church can be, that they will allow yet another charismatic leader (YAChaL(tm)) to shape the church in their image. Unfortunately, I believe that many with vision, simply went to find it elsewhere because few would listen. I may end up searching for that vision elsewhere as well.

Otherwise, I enjoyed talking to folks from Europe. I made it a point to avoid Americans, and except one night at dinner, I did. I consider the couple leading the Zurich Church of Christ as friends and I enjoyed discussing the effects of George W. Bush with them. All four of us agree that re-electing Dubya was a bad thing – I joked that I would get a Canadian passport if I travelled to Europe again.

I also enjoyed talking to a man that was a minister for 14 years on two continents. We had a great discussion about inbreeding and the need for outside help with the ICC. He serves on a leadership team in the UK, but is no longer a minister. Talking with him was encouraging in that it was good to talk with somehow that shared some of my viewpoint. I have his email address and I look forward to talking with him further. I also spoke with Malcom Cox, the only paid minister in London. We prayed together near the end of the conference. I encountered a man that was trying very hard to be a great husband, father, and minister. He shared some personal feelings and struggles about his life in the Post-HKL Renaissance(tm). I was glad to encourage him that he was not alone in his struggles – there’s a couple here that share some of his experiences.

I only made one verbal comment during the keynotes. The speaker was saying that God demolished the clergy-laity distinction with HKL and I responded, “But it’s coming back.” I believe it is, especially after reading the so-called discipling methods used in Orange County. I think there are quite a few people that think the Orange County method is a good solution because it is a compromise between “no discipling” and “one over another discipling”. Not to return to a familiar rant, but the fallacy of the Golden Mean is infuriating to see.

I enjoyed the visit to Pompeii as it is a city that is not too different from Corinth. I saw the market and a cloth merchant’s house. Someone in my group mentioned Lyddia and the connection fit quite well. A church met in Lyddia’s home for some time and using the home in Pompeii as a model, I can understand why they chose it as a meeting place. The home in Pompeii had 50 bedrooms, 2 courtyards, fountains, baths, and lots of open space. There was easily room for hundreds of people to meet, although I’m sure that many primitive churches never used all the space available to them at a rich merchant’s home. Outside of space, it also showed me that rich Christians in the early church were not ordered to impoverish themselves, but were expected to be generous with others.

Overall, though, the biggest thing I picked up from the conference was the danger in confusing religion for patriotism. It’s a trend that occurred in Rome and is currently happening in the US. I truly believe that some voted for Dubya because he was ‘more Christian’ than Kerry. I believe that the political debate has been used to discuss the Christian merits of a candidate instead of the issues. Anyone running for office seems to be a good strong Christian with a Christian family, and I resent that. I especially bristles during the third debate when it seemed that both of them were discussing their views on God instead of discussing something of importance. There’s more to this idea, but I’ll have to write it later.

I still believe that things will have to get worse before they get better. I still sense a big resistance to outside help and a trend to become a nicer version of what we once were. However, I did enjoy meeting folks for whom the dramas of polity are not really issues. What I mean are the 17 members of the ICC in Baghdad. I’m certain that the politcal reality before and after the war prevented some things from happening, but now, they are more concerned about staying alive than the proper mode of ‘discipling’. I pray for them to be safe and to survive the war.