There are more conferences these days than time to attend them, a reality that requires one to exercise great wisdom in choosing where to devote his time and resources. Input from friends is always valuable in such decisions, since virtually every conference looks good from the brochure or website. This being so, I would like to heartily endorse a conference that is scheduled for October 17-18 at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in S. Hamilton, MA. By clicking on the above banner, you’ll access the website that provides the details. Before you do so, however, let me say two quick words about it.
First, it is in honor of Dr. Gary Pratico, a first-rate Hebrew Scholar, and, as every student who has had the pleasure of sitting in his classroom will testify, a genuine man of God. One of the concepts for which Dr. Pratico is most famous is the biblical theme of divine presence—the gracious way in which God draws close to his people through the history of redemption, culminating in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. I vividly remember in class when he challenged us to read through the entire Bible with a highlighter to mark all the places where this theme appears. I did it for a couple of books (Exodus and Ephesians), and it is amazing. Scripture is replete with examples of God drawing near to give us the gift of himself. As you’ll see on the conference website, this event features some of the brightest minds in biblical theology who will provide insight into this theme.
Second, I want to encourage any of you who are GCTS grads to leave a comment on the blog that has been created for the purpose of expressing gratitude for Gary Pratico’s ministry. Perhaps you have a special memory or anecdote that you would like to share. You will see that I have shared one of my own. Simply click here to do so.
