How do I summarize our trip to the Society for Pentecostal Studies (SPS) conference? First, let me quickly explain what SPS is, which “is an organization of scholars dedicated to providing a forum for discussion across academic disciplines as a spiritual service to the kingdom of God”. Simply put, it was a great trip. Seven LPU staff and faculty members traveled to the conference, engaging in different levels of society’s work and conversation.
A few highlights stand out. Dr. Felix-Jager was able to present and receive a review of his newest work, How to Worship for All Its Worth, with Dr. Lee serving on the panel and me (Joshua Edwards) chairing the discussion. Kevin Perales and Meagan Lord also both presented their first SPS papers on Biblical Sexual Ethics and Warfare Language in Worship Songs, respectively! Professor Jen Thigpenn also served as a chair for a session on the Power of Black Pentecostal Prayer in Worship, and Dr. Andy Opie served as a respondent for an additional session on Missions. Of course, those are only a few highlights, as the seven of us were involved in other paper presentations, panels, Q&A sessions, discussions, and fellowship with some of the leading academics in Pentecostal studies. In that sense, LPU was not just attending; we were actively participating in the broader Pentecostal academic dialogue.
That summary is succinct; however, I feel like it misses something about the journey of the trip. Yes, we did things at the conference, but as Christians, we are also shaped and formed as we journey along the way. I remember sitting on the second day of the conference, watching the LPU crew engaged in dialogue with other scholars, while around the room, there were small pockets of other conversations happening at the same time. As I sat there reflecting, I started thinking about the idea of “journey.” It was not just the literal journey to get there (arriving at 2 a.m. before an 8:30 a.m. check-in), but also the journeys each of us is on in our careers, our lives, and our walk with Christ. I was just stunned to consider this “journey-ception”, but perhaps I was just dehydrated. I think that idea captures the trip a bit better.
In fact, the whole trip reminded me of The Canterbury Tales. I know mentioning historical literature might have a few people fall asleep, but don’t check out just yet! The Canterbury Tales is about a group of pilgrims telling stories during a pilgrimage to explore the beliefs, flaws, and values of medieval society. Now let me reframe; our trip to SPS was a group of ‘pilgrims’ telling their stories and scholarship during a conference to explore the beliefs, flaws, and values of the church and society. Now, to be clear, Baylor University (the conference location) is not exactly a holy shrine, but perhaps the language of pilgrimage still fits in another sense. Perhaps our pilgrimage is in our devotion to God, walking the road towards Christ and towards becoming more like Him. Sitting there, reflecting, I saw our own little ragtag LPU group and the other scholars as a kind of merry band of pilgrims, each on different journeys that happened to converge for a few days. Hopefully, in that convergence, we were reminded of God’s work within the church, His formation within us, and how what we experienced there might continue to shape what we do back at LPU and within our local churches. Simply put, the trip was great, but the journey of the trip was transformative. I highly recommend other scholars, and young, aspiring scholars, to attend next year!
Written by Josh Edwards, MA.
