It's an eight and a half hour drive from La Mirada to Tucson, so I had a lot of time to think. Also, lots of time to eat Pringles. They're delicious, but there is something disturbing about the uniformity—every chip perfect, every chip like every other one. It reminds me of the Stepford Wives. And Dolly the Sheep. I feel like a character in a Michael Crichton the-future-is-out-to-kill-us-novel when I'm eating them.

The one negative I felt about GodBlogCon was that it was too white, too Protestant, and too Republican. I'm certain that wasn't the intention. Somewhere the conference became associated in some people's minds with the right, and others who might have joined in stayed away. Their loss. But it seems as if the planners for GodBlogCon 2006 might need to do some outreach to the under-represented Christian blogging segments to be sure they feel welcome.

That said, GodBlogCon 2005 was a terrific event. As a Christian school with a strong commitment to the use of technology, Biola University was the perfect venue. Biola has excellent conference resources, and the Biola staff went way beyond the call of duty to make all of us feel welcome and comfortable.

Matt Anderson and his staff handled the logistics flawlessly. A bigger thanks should go to Dr. John Mark Reynolds, who somehow coerced the University into inviting a wild-eyed mob of internet denizens to take up residence in Reuben Torrey's hallowed halls.

It could have been very ugly. Instead, it was an example of the body of Christ in relationship—beautiful.

Let me tell you some of the things I enjoyed about the conference.

First, the fellowship of men and women who are doggedly pursuing a call to be salt and light on the World Wide Web. I've updated my links, adding at least 20 new blogs discovered as a result of GodBlogCon.The links on the right are blogs and other resources that I would read daily if I had the time. They are male and female, Catholic and Protestant (and a few of other faiths), but they all share a commitment to excellence. After you have finished at AnotherThink, let me encourage you to exit by one of the blogs on the right.

Second, the chance to pick the brains of gifted people, to learn. I believe God intended us to be lifelong learners. In the story of Mary and Martha (Luke 10:38-42), Mary is at Jesus' feet listening and learning while Martha is doing the stuff that needs to be done. There is always a tension between the intrusions and realities of the real world and learning, but we must struggle to create opportunities wherever we can to stop what we are doing and sit at the feet of Jesus. And, to sit at the feet of others who are fellow travelers in this world and have struggled ahead of us with the same struggles, questions and doubts.

The particulars of GodBlogCon will be showing up in my posts for some time to come. Again, thanks to everyone who worked to make this conference a success.

Posted by Charlie at October 16, 2005 11:41 PM
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