Graduation

I'm realizing that there is a sort of graduation that I'm experiencing. This Church Planters conference is really where I was last year. However, it's not where I am now. The speakers are good and say informative things, but I'm realizing that I need to hear different voices now. Neither starting out or established, I'm in between, and looking for leaders who will challenge me to the next steps for my leadership.

It's been a good conference, but I'm much more interested in hearing from God, so I've slipped away from the plenary sessions (dealing with how to mother new churches) and I'm back at my room. Turning off the computer and taking time to just hear from God. I think he's been speaking to me, and I want to hear him clearly. He is so gentle. Gentleness is power under control. Sometimes I feel like I wish he'd be less gentle and more confrontational. But I don't know that I could handle the slap upside the head that I sometimes crave.

In the mean time, I think I'll just settle down and try to listen to a still small voice.

--Ben