becoming

Here are some highlights from tonight’s lecture at University of Toronto:

Creation Renewed (Rom 8.18-25)

"The ass is puzzled and patient, waiting for the Children of God to open their eyes to reality, yet we blame it on the donkey."
— referring to 8.21 while using Balaam & the donkey as illustration on the relationship between humans and the creation.

"The world is waiting for the redeemed resurrected-being to run it"
— referring to the creation waiting for its liberation & its own exodus.

"Getting rid of Evil is not the same as getting rid of the world, but redeeming it."
— when talking about present-day interest on Gnosticism & Anti-terrorist Compaigns.

"The Righteousness of God is God’s Restorative Justice….We [as Christians] are called to be restored restorers, justified justificators"
—  from one of his concluding remarks.

Things I learned (not about Romans 8):

1. Everything is Exodus — no really, EVERYTHING!
2. His wife Maggie is a saint, he said it himself.
3. His new book Evil and the Justice of God (not out in North America yet, but in UK) is on Romans 8.

The Refresh! conference will begin on May 9. As I mentioned before, I will attend the evening plenary this coming Wednesday and Thursday nights.

So far, I know that Vincent will attend the full conference, while Jessica, Annie and myself will attend the evening plenary. Anybody else? Let me know so that we can meet somewhere before the meeting and sit together.

Okay, I have registered and will attend the evening plenary on May 10 ("Creation Renewed") and 11 ("The Spirit’s Powerful Groaning") where NT Wright will be the speaker.

If you are interested, you can register here or call Sarah Peake directly at 416 946-3535 x 2500. Although I won't promote it in church, I really think it is a great opportunity to hear one of the most important New Testament scholars of our times to speak. Really encourage you to go if you have time!

Let me know if you are going so that we can attend together! 

N.T. Wright will come to Toronto as one of the keynote speakers on the 2nd annual Refresh! conference which will be held from May 9-12 2006. The theme of the conference is Ministry in the Power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8)

From the conference website:

The Holy Spirit was once called the “quiet member of the Trinity,” and so has been the Spirit’s profile in the history of theology. But by contrast the contemporary scene is flush with competing accounts of the Spirit’s work, whether in the depths of the psyche, in political activism, or in renewal movements. Paul treats life in the Spirit in Romans 8 in the richest context: the freedom of prayer to the triune God, the groaning of all creation, the Christian’s hope of glory, and our confident battle with the powers of the world. What would it look like for us as Christians, lay and ordained, to develop a rich doctrine of the Spirit for ministry at the present time? Both guest lecturers and members of the Wycliffe faculty will help to answer this question in the second annual Refresh! conference.

You can find the conference schedule here. General information can be found here and the Conference program here. Registration has started as well.

If time allows, I will attend the evening plenary on May 10 ("Creation Renewed") and 11 ("The Spirit's Powerful Groaning"). 

Anyone interested?

P.S. Wright did speak about "The Holy Spirit in the Church" last year at the fulcrum conference. Another related talk was his 2000 Charles Gore Lectures entitled, "Coming Home to St Paul? Reading Romans a Hundred Years after Charles Gore", which he laid out the structure and thought-process behind Romans. And of course you can always refer to his NIB commentary on Romans if you have THAT much time.