Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Gospel Coalition (TGC) Live!

Or put another way, TGC from someone who is living the experience 
for the first time and is VERY thankful for it.
 There are approximately 7000 people registered and roaming at TGC here at the super conference aka Chicago's famous McCormick Place - a facility that makes the Metro in Toronto look like an exceedingly small fry with no biggy size option.  Indeed, the spaciousness and beauty of this place make it rather difficult to believe we are in the company of so great a crowd.  There are vendors and exhibitors abounding and a bookstore to rival Books a Million...
and with 35% off most titles? 
I am utterly undone.  
No. 
I am tortured in the extreme.

      Today's line-up of blockbuster experiences?

  • Roundtable Q&A What I've Learned from Years of Preaching Christ in the Old Testament featuring Phil Ryken, Alistair Begg and Mark Dever
  • Introduction to Conference by Don Carson 
  • Corporate Worship with The Getty's 
  • Studying the Scriptures and Finding Jesus  John 5:31-47 by R.Albert Mohler Jr.
  • Getting Out (Crossing Over) Exodus 14 by Tim Keller
  • From Foreigner to King Jesus Ruth by Alistair Begg
  • Panel Discussion Preaching from the OT                                                                                    featuring Tim Keller, Lignon Duncan, Crawford Loritts, Don Carson, Bryan Chapell
  • Concert Sing Them Again:  An evening of Old and New Hymns

The WOW factor antennae have not stopped vibrating all day long and my cup runneth over - is in fact, spilling all over the place!
Thanks to a dear friend back home, you are hereby supplied a link to a live coverage stream online: http://thegospelcoalition.org/conferences/2011-media
(Thanks Lilly)
Now those who truly desire to tap into this enriching spiritual feast can follow what's happening here without my having to sort through a pathetic convolution of notes.  
As my hubby calmly suggested after witnessing my desperate hair-on-fire attempt today..
"we'll buy the CD"   

There is also an Art Exhibit in the Grand Lobby entitled Resonant Vision featuring the work of nine Christians who make contemporary art. They were each asked the question, "How does your Christian faith inform your work?"
This is none too familiar territory for many of us and makes me eager to snoop around
and explore this exhibition;
particularly because it is a world that our 3rd year theatre/arts double major baby girl is pursuing with great gusto at Redeemer and one in which we need to gain a deeper understanding.


Dearest choir peeps, Voila!  The uilleann pipes we spoke of once before while listening to the Getty's recording of By Faith --- played before our very eyes!


Part of the apparatus of simulcast wonderment was parked right beside our row in the Main Stage which by some feat of the miraculous, seated all 7000 of us comfortably and effortlessly.








 A steady stream of Coach buses delivered and retrieved conferee's every half hour throughout day one;
a day that ran so smooth from an organizational standpoint - the team behind the scenes get a five star rating from the two of us and everyone else whose company and conversation was our pleasure today.
Tomorrow's schedule begins at 7am and culminates with a Getty Concert of Praise at 9pm.
This girl needs to go to bed 
-- like right now  :)
Toodles and sleep sweet, a directive I will surely follow if I can shut my mind off.