Reflections on Lent… Travel to Conferences!

Once again this winter I was able to take in two of my favourite conferences – one related to my professional life, the other to my interest in the evolving world of church and theology…

The professional conference, the Association of Practical & Professional Ethics (APPE), was held in Portland Oregon. Once again it was a top-notch experience with several excellent keynote speakers, a number of invigorating sessions and of course the Finals of the Ethics Bowl. I didn’t stay at the conference hotel, choosing instead to stay at the Benson an old, classic hotel very nicely refurbished by Hilton. The staff are exceptional and the quality of everything from breakfast through to evening drinks excellent. It also was about 1.5 kms from the conference hotel which meant I had a delightful walk each morning and evening as the weather, while often a bit damp, was not frigid. The highlight though was the Ethics Bowl – my pick to be the ultimate winner this time turned out to be the case – the Naval Academy team of young men and women were brilliant. Dressed in their blues they looked as sharp as they spoke. A second memorable moment was Sunday morning when I was able to walk a few blocks to First Presbyterian. A large downtown church that was surprisingly full that Sunday, had a firmly reformed service both re spoken word and musical moments. An additional bonus – it was Communion Sunday which I seldom manage to participate within a congregation these days. The third moment which was more surprisingly than anything else was a small kiosk at PDX (Portland’s International Airport) – a craft distillery was selling its wares, complete with a tasting. Since I was not in a hurry I stopped by: the Oregon based Westward turned out to be very good so I bought a bottle of 125 proof whiskey. It was a nice companion throughout the entire trip…

The theological conference, Theology Matters, was in Hilton Head. Due to flight changes I landed in Savanah, Georgia with an afternoon to spare which allowed me to spend several hours just driving around that most interesting city. As I had been fed on the plane I opted not to stop and eat, but part of the reason was that Hertz gave me a big RAM pick-up truck and I wasn’t sure where on most downtown streets I could actually park the thing!! But the drive-about was educational. There were neighbourhoods with homes exuding southern charm, there were then places where old antebellum monster houses were being renovated among others that were in sorry shape. Then I would come across very nice homes that were quite small and then neighbourhoods that didn’t seem to care how their houses appeared. It was a collection of contrasts. I even came across a very active port (including the appearance of a Trimac truck carrying chemicals of some kind) as well as some very marshy lands that suggested one should not walk off the roadway let alone adjoining walkways!!

The conference itself was a thoughtful, theological moment. Almost all of the sessions were lectures by brilliant, well-spoken theologians (most of them Presbyterian) and so it was a feast for the mind. Among the more interesting sessions were a couple dealing with the diminishing presence of young adults (and older teens) in the church. In one instance research was brought forward suggesting that Gen Z (or whatever the most recent groupings are labeled) actually believe more in their own idealism (including spiritually) that they feel is more relevant; furthermore, this extends to a belief that they are going to change the world, not that it can change them. Another speaker bemoaned the fact that the church worries more about who isn’t attending than really being of significant help and support to those who are. The comment was: if you can’t look after your own, why would an outsider think you would be able to give them serious support when they need it? Others pointed out how seldom do we seriously examine and re-deliver the messages of the original reformers, leaving the world to continue the negative myths about Presbyterianism, Protestantism, and even Christianity as a whole. Lots to ponder.

But the design utilizing many lectures also meant that there were breaks in the agenda. One day was specifically designated for the delegates to take an hour or so and walk on one of the local beaches and ponder or meditate. That moment really reminded me of the times I lived on PEI, and I chose to ponder. By the way, while there the temperature was warm and sunny and so the entire time in South Carolina was refreshing. One of the interesting results of the conference is that there is going to be a very intriguing graduate studies program in partnership with The University of Dubuque Theological Seminary. It has three streams and has almost as much focus on the laity as one the ordained ministry. I think if this program had been developed a decade or so ago, I might even have been tempted to sign up. Elders particularly would benefit from this program, especially if some of the leaders at the conference are also involved in the teaching.

From there I traveled north to Montreal, but that part of the trip will be outlined in the next part of this chapter…

These two conferences were a good way to spend part of Lent…

g.w.