I did not post an update on Trinity Fest last night because when I got home I was fried. But it was a good kind of fried. But here it is for you, first thing in the morning.
Dr. Lillback was delayed in getting in on Monday, but it was fortunate that his talks were not scheduled to begin until Tuesday. He is a fine and meticulous scholar, and was recently elected as the new president of Westminster Seminary in Philadelphia. His first talk on the Christian faith of George Washington was outstanding. By carefully presenting us with Washington’s own words (including private correspondence, and not just matter written for public consumption), Lillback demonstrated that Washington was an orthodox Anglican, Trinitarian in conviction, and that he was not a “secular saint.” George Washington was no Deist. As one of Washington’s family members put it, if you want to question Washington’s Christianity, you might as well question his patriotism. For those who want to work through this important material, the tapes of this conference will be available through Canon Press. In addition, Dr. Lillback has been doing all this research for a biography on Washington that he and another gentlemen have been writing. I understand that the manuscript is done, and it is in the production process. Dr Lillback’s second talk was on Valley Forge, and in many ways it was the second part of his lecture on Washington. It is truly a delight to have Dr. Lillback here.
Steve Wilkins delivered his lecture on Israel Putnam, one of the great heroes of the American War for Independence, a man whose name is now almost forgotten. Steve is a great story-teller, and his rendition of the time when Putnam crawled into a narrow cave to fight with a dangerous wolf was worth the entire registration price for the conference.
In the afternoon, a number of lectures by NSA faculty were delivered in various places, and I heard good reports about how they went.
In the afternoon and evening, there were film showings downtown, including a Lego rendition of the battle at Helm’s Deep. And Doug Jones had written six one-act plays (about ten minutes each), which played to a packed house in one of the theaters at six. Response to those plays was enthusiastic. They will be performing them again on Wednesday night at six.
Jim Nance’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream opened Monday night to a jammed audience, and played again last night.
Last night around five thirty, Main Street was closed off between 3rd and 5th streets for our open street party. Sno-cones and cotton candy –carnival stuff — was available, along with a number of local food vendors. One business sponsored a jumping castle which we inflated for the kids, and which was well-used all evening. We have been grateful that protests have not really materialized, but during the set-up for the party, a minor exception occurred. A motorist slowed down and yelled something along the lines of “Christ Church, you &%$i*$%!” As if to say, “Damn you, Christ Church, and your jumping castle!” It is a well-known fact that Nazis always go for jumping castles.
The street party was great. The weather was perfect. Folks were coming and going from the film showing, and gathering in Friendship Square to eat, visit, and listen to the music. We had a fantastic turnout. Darryl Brand opened the music with a hour or so of really fine blues. Then I played with my ad hoc band, on my great “Don’t Quit the Day Job Tour.” Mark LaMoeaux did a wonderful job on bass, Bob Andrade is a great drummer, and Eric Engerbretson played lead guitar. What a musician he is! I was responsible for rhythm guitar and vocals. In a display of regional harmony, we played Sweet Home Chicago and Sweet Home Alabama back to back. And although we sang Lynyrd Skynyrd’s jab at Neil Young, we made it clear that Neil’s exhortation to listen to “what your Good Book says” was an admonition full of wholesome profit for many, including Lynyrd Skynyrd. After an hour and a half of that, Eric Engerbretson finished out the evening with his solo stuff.
That is it for day four.