Andy Crouch is one of several interesting speakers lined by Regent College over the next few days.
If you’ve ever thought about taking in one of Regent College’s Summer Public Lectures, this would be a great week to start. Every couple of days speakers will address a really wide – and interesting – array of topics, from Confessions of an Ex-pastor (author Mark Buchanan, June 2) and Paradise Lost and the Purpose of the Universe (UBC prof Dennis Danielson, June 4) to Playing God: A Discussion of Power (author/editor Andy Crouch, June 5).
Crouch will probably be the biggest draw. Two books by the executive editor of Christianity Today – Culture Making and Playing God – have sold well, making him an influential figure in North American Christianity.
In a recent interview with Regent’s Charlene Kwiatkowski, he drew on Culture Making to address the issue of how to “reset our posture toward culture”:
“Basically, what I say is that we’ve spent the last hundred years (at least in the US context) condemning, critiquing, copying and then consuming culture. None of these is an adequate vision. Instead, we’re meant to be cultivators: people who keep, preserve and care for what is good in the world. And then to the extent that culture is broken and there are things missing, we are also called to be creators and add to culture, because ultimately the only way to change culture is to make more culture.”
On Thursday evening he will focus more on the material in Playing God. “Power corrupts,” he agrees. “Yet power is also the means by which we bring life, create possibilities, offer hope and make human flourishing possible. This is ‘playing god’ as it is meant to be. If we are to do God’s work – fight injustice, bring peace, create beauty and allow the image of God to thrive in those around us – how are we to do these things if not by power?”
Other talks in the series are The Ecology of Grace: Can We Be Pentecostal, Evangelical and Sacramental? (Gordon Smith, June 9), Visual Heresy: Imaging God the Father in the History of Art (Matthew Milliner, June 11) and Surveillance After Snowden (David Lyon, June 12). There are more lectures in July.
Kairos Course
If you’re looking for some old time gospel music, Christian Life Assembly is the place to be this Saturday (June 7). The Gospel Music Festival line-up includes the Liberty Quartet, Lillie Knauls, (a regular on Gaither Videos), Billy Bennett (‘the Pat Boone of Canada’) and worship leader Harvey Loland
Jun 2014
A Day With The New Parish Authors – June 2, 2014 at 7:00 pm - 9:30 pmDecolonization 101: What it is and Why it Matters – June 2, 2014 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Tim Bratton: My Own Personal Jesus – June 2, 2014 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Mark Buchanan: I've Been Meaning to Tell You This - Confessions of an Ex-pastor – June 2, 2014 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Come Forth My Chinese Bride Pentecost Conference – June 3, 2014 - June 6, 2014 at All Day
Bring Back Our Girls – June 3, 2014 at 7:00 am - 9:00 am
Company of Disciples: Can God Be Trusted? – June 3, 2014 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Vancouver Pastors Prayer Fellowship – June 4, 2014 at 10:30 am - 12:30 pm
Business By the Book: Marco Veronesi – June 4, 2014 at 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Dennis Danielson: Paradise Lost and the Purpose of the Universe – June 4, 2014 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk – June 4, 2014 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
2014 BC Homeschool Expo – June 5, 2014 - June 6, 2014 at All Day
Pacific Northwest Mass Choir Gospel Workshop – June 5, 2014 - June 7, 2014 at All Day
Andy Crouch: Playing God – Redeeming the Gift of Power – June 5, 2014 at 7:00 pm
Metro Vancouver Alliance 2014 Annual General Meeting – June 5, 2014 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Tenth Convention of Lutheran Church-Canada – June 6, 2014 - June 9, 2014 at All Day
Why Faith, Business and the Environment Need One Another, Featuring Andy Crouch – June 6, 2014 at 7:30 am - 9:00 am
Perogy Night in Vancouver – June 6, 2014 at 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Wayside: Performing Scripture – June 6, 2014 at 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Apologetics Canada Boot Camp – June 6, 2014 - June 7, 2014 at 7:00 pm - 3:30 pm
Papa's Blessings Seminar with Dr. Greg Bourgond – June 6, 2014 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Lauren Mann and the Fairly Odd Folk – June 6, 2014 at 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Bike for Bibles: Richmond Fun Ride – June 7, 2014 at 9:00 am - 1:30 pm
James Janzen: Nurturing the Artistic Temperament – June 7, 2014 at 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Rachel's Ride for Rwanda – June 7, 2014 at 9:00 am - 1:00 pm
Birthright Vancouver Fancy Hat Walk/Run 2014 – June 7, 2014 at 10:00 am - 1:00 pm
Papa's Blessings Workshop with Dr. Greg Bourgond – June 7, 2014 at 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Workshops at Lutheran Church-Canada National Conference – June 7, 2014 at 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Gospel Music Festival – June 7, 2014 at 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm
Pacific Northwest Mass Choir Concert – June 7, 2014 at 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Global Day of Prayer – June 8, 2014 at All Day
Liberty Quartet in Concert – June 8, 2014 at 10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Pentecost 2014 Live Feed – June 8, 2014 at 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm
Prayer Gathering for the Lower Mainland – June 8, 2014 at 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm