TOAM: Day 2 (so far)

Earlier start today as seminars and training tracks kicked in, I've elected the track on 'Shaping Culture, Changing Lives.' There was a change of programme and my friend Martin Charlesworth spoke instead of Dave Stroud.

He was excellent, including an excellent brief dissection of materialism and call for a robust response to consumerism. I highly recommend you listen to this talk when the audio is available. He painted a great picture of how a local church can be aware of national issues that shape our society but respond in their local context in a way that has a profound impact on its town/community. Stirring stuff and a reminder to me to continue to step up my political lobbying and efforts to engage with politics (local/national/international) even by writing letters/emails etc...

Then we're into main sessions which means it's time for some more OT characters and we weren't disappointed. Dave Stroud gave us Daniel and Stephen van Rhyn gave us Abraham. That makes the scores on the doors Main Sessions: 2 (5) v OT characters 2 (4). Running aggregate scores in brackets.

Dave Stroud spoke on shaping culture from the perspective of a minority and used Daniel as his example. It should have been a home run for me, he talked of empowering and equipping those in business, journalism, medicine, law etc... wonderful. There were lots there that I resonate with but perhaps because I've heard him talk about it before, or Tim Keller speak on it and Mark Driscoll and others. Perhaps because I was tired, perhaps because I'm sinful but I just wasn't inspired and I'd hoped I would be.


On another positive note England are 194-3 at tea on the first day of the Ashes.