PCRT... Yeah, I'm Excited

Coming up on this weekend is the Philadelphia Conference of Reformed Theology. This is my first time attending and I'll also be attending the pre-conference on Friday during the day. Here are some of the reasons I am excited (in no particular order)...

1. R.C. Sproul - Yep.

2. The City - I love walking around downtown Philly and it will be good to spend time there again. Plus, it's fun to ride the train into town.

3. 10th Pres. - 10th is awesome. I'm looking forward to great music.

4. Friends - Seems like a lot of familiar faces will be there (if you are coming, let me know in the comments so I can try and find you to say hi at some point). Julian and I are having breakfast on Friday, which should be fun. I'm sure there will be plenty of great opportunities for that never fail combination of food and fellowship. Plus I'll get to see some of my friends from 10th that I don't get to see as often.

5. The Atonement - This is the theme of the conference. I'm always eager to understand and gain a greater appreciation of Christ's work on the cross.

6. Joel Beeke - He doing most of the speaking at the pre-conference. I'm interested to hear from him since I appreciated his book, "Meet the Puritans".

7. Carl Trueman - He's teaching one of the seminars and is a professor of church history at Westminster. I've heard an interview with him on 9Marks, read some posts he's made and read his book "The Wages of Spin". I'm intrigued to hear more from him.

8. Differences & Unity - I'm always excited to join together to learn about and worship God with other Christians. It particularly affects me to join with others who have differences in some areas of thinking but are united in the foundational truths of the gospel.

9. Philip Ryken - I've interacted with some of Ryken's work and heard him preach once or twice but I am not too familiar with him. I'm excited to hear from this man who is doing the bulk of the teaching for all my friends at 10th Pres.

10. Books - While both my budget and my knowing friends are eyeing this reason warily, I am excited at the opportunity to pick up a new book or two (or three...) If you see me at the conference with more than 5 new books, please take my wallet.

11. Steve Burlew - Ok, this one isn't certain because I didn't ask him specifically if he would be there. However, Steve is the guy when it comes to Banner of Truth books in the US. And since he is often travelling around and attending conferences (particularly since this one isn't too far away from home), I wouldn't be surprised to see him there. And lest you think I am merely excited about the books he'll be bringing, the truth of the matter is that Steve is a godly man and a joy to talk to. I would definitely be excited to chat with him even if he wasn't dragging volumes and volumes of Christ exalting literature in tow. (If you want to find out more about Steve or Banner of Truth, check out Steve's blog Trophies of His Grace.)

12. The Day Off - Friday is the first full day I've taken off work this year. I'm looking forward to it.

13. Blogging - Blogging a conference seems like some obscure rite of passage for a Christian blogger. I don't necessarily intend to be your source for all things PCRT, but I will probably be posting some thoughts on what God teaches me during the conference. I've often found it helpful and encouraging when others post about conferences they've attended that I have not. But don't expect any live blogging, I've got a funny feeling that 10th Pres. doesn't have WiFi. Maybe I can post over lunch.

14. God's Faithfulness - Last and most importantly, I'm excited because God is faithful and he will meet those attending this conference and use it to grow us in our faith and help us in following him.

My prayer is that God would prepare my heart to receive this teaching even in the midst of a busy week and bless the opportunities I'll have to engage in fellowship with other believers.