Someone asked me if I was posting my notes from the DG Conference to compete with Tim Challies. Let me just be clear about that.
Tim is the Bono of bloggers... and I am the guy attempting to play pan flute on a Minneapolis street corner! No competition.
I took along the laptop to get some notes from the conference, but sitting by Tim all the time and listening to that constant tap of the keypad provoked me. At T4G, I would sometimes get mesmerized by the blur of fingers beside me, so, at the very moment the conference began, I decided to type what I could in order to better focus on the preaching.
Here is what I found out. I type WAY faster than I write - so I could get a lot more down. Also, typing like that as a guy preaches throws your brain (my brain, at least) into another stratosphere. You have to stay entirely focused. Like Tim said today, there is one sense where you have to go back and read your own notes again to really think through the sermon. But what a joy to do this. It all just registers in a different and deeper way.
Anyway, I was blessed by the effort and since I had promised to blog something from the conference I figured I would post my notes. The real live-blogging notes, though, are at challies.com. You can see what a gift Tim has for this if you compare some of our work. He is light years ahead of me in content, flow and sense. And HE had all the pressure on him!
So, sorry. No competition. And if I had thought anyone would think that, I wouldn't have even posted them. I did email Adrian Warnock to let him know of my posts and he was gracious to put a link up - but that was only after I had read his post about other bloggers and not seen kerux noemata on the list. I knew Tim was not posting the panel discussions so I thought somebody might like to read that.
Anyway, I wanted to make sure everybody knew that Tim was the man and I was merely a thankful guest along for the ride! But, of course, this whole post might sound like Yoko Ono clarifying that John Lennon was the real talent. Sorry to bother you!
"Tim is the Bono of bloggers."
ReplyDeleteYou're sounding more emerging all the time! ;)
Don't sell yourself short, you're at least the Edge.
I second that, Paul. I think I told you in a previous comment that your blogging on the panel discussions was outstanding, and I did not just say that, I meant it! And while I still read everything Tim puts out there, I also very much benefited from your posts. And there actually were some things you included in yours that did not appear in Tim's, so it was very worthwhile to come over here and read yours. I can honestly say, it never entered my mind that this was any sort of competition at all. Re-reading some of these things was actually quite helpful in the sense that it helped more firmly establish in my mind the points that were being made in the various sessions.
ReplyDeleteI agree with darryl . . . don't sell yourself short!
I'm not even a roadie... let alone the incomparable Edge.
ReplyDeleteYou were a blessing, Paul! Thanks for letting the Lord use you. Sorry about the leg room. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou'll always be the liveblogger for me, Paul.
ReplyDeletePaul:
ReplyDeleteYou did a great job--thanks for serving us in this way.
Great to see you, as always.
JT
Thanks, JT.
ReplyDeleteBut we need to talk...
About this "Tall Paul" thing again...
:-)