best talk at Urbana 2006
According to Soong-Chan Rah, the best talk at Urbana was by Pastor Oscar Muriu. Excellent Global perspective b/c Christianity’s center of gravity is indeed NOT in the United States.
I still like Rick Warren, even though he stayed with his purpose-driven message, clear and simple; and that’s what’s he’s great at delivering.
By the way, if you’re wondering how many Asian Americans attended Urbana 2006, the statistics say: 29% of 22,000 registered, or 6,380 (estimated).
[ht: L2 blog]
[update: best ‘unofficial’ photos from Urbana over at dapeegoo’s Xanga – under challenging lighting conditions]
a fellow HOKIE! who’da known? By the way I think I actually may have heard you speak once, when I showed up at a TYF event…
I didn’t like Rick Warren, and I wrote a bit about it when I came back from Urbana. Basically I think the “lead people in a long dedication prayer” thing doesn’t work with people our age anymore. Neither does making a hand symbol for our generation, haha…most the people I talked to weren’t that hyped about it either. But alas, Rick Warren brings people to Christ, so maybe he just wasn’t fit to speak to our kind of group…
On the other hand I think Oscar’s message was something we really did need to hear. Good stuff!
Josh, thanks for the comment. After I listened to the 2nd Rick Warren talk, when he was probably asked to do a “call to commitment”, I thought to myself, no matter who had to take on that role, that kind of thing doesn’t work very well with our next generation. I don’t know if even Louie Giglio could have pulled that off.
I have a hunch that maybe some of the planners felt that a call to commitment, a la altar call, is such an important part of (some people’s) Christian tradition, that even though it might not work for everyone, to have that kind of an invitation is still helpful and worth doing, possibly even for maintaining relationships with key supporters (read: funders).
thanks. exactly the information i was looking for as a non-attender.
Worst talk at Urbana: RICK WARREN…no power, just a formula and weak at that…didn’t turn our eyes to the Lord Jesus. Sorry, but with Rick’s writings it IS all about you or about him and what HE is going to do. Told the UN that he was there to fix their problems. I’ve really checked into his “friends” and the books he endorses/promotes and they aren’t the kind of people I’d advise anyone to follow. You want proof? Just ask: [email protected]
Best talk at Urbana: it is hard to chose but I’d vote for Lisa Chinn…completely opposite to Rick…POWER from the Lord, guidance from Scripture (not pop pyschology) and she turned us to our Lord and Savior. Her writings and track record reveal a servant’s heart and a godly woman.
I too found the 6 screen pledge out of line…can you find what you even agreed to that night???
Rick’s support of Syria (which hates Israel), his unequal yoke with a well known supportor of the murder of babies and marriage for homosexuals (Barak Obama), his membership in the TriLateral Commission (one world government) and his constant bragging about his success and the “powerful” people he knows reveals what really drives his purpose…POWER
correction: Rick Warren is on the Council of Foreign Relations not the TriLateral Commission (that I know of). The CFR is still about the one world format…not a great group for a professing Christian to join. Wanted to clear this up, sorry.
To Sue Winter: You may not have liked Rick’s talk (it definitely wasn’t my favorite from Urbana either), but that’s one thing. It’s totally another thing to criticize him as a person and judge him to be an insincere and power-hungry Christian. A lot of Christians in this world support more liberal causes and ideas… lots of Christians I know support Barack Obama, not necessarily because they are pro-choice or pro-gay marriage (though some are), but because they believe in social justice, they believe in health care for everyone, and they think our country needs a change. Lately I feel like the Evangelical world has finally come to understand that abortion and homosexuality are not the sole issues that should define the Christian vote. Likewise with Syria and the CFR. Having a conservative, pro-Israel, anti-gay marriage, pro-life and Evangelical Christian president (who unilaterally declares wars based on false intelligence and won’t admit he was wrong) hasn’t helped our country much anyhow…