Fathers and Sons in Minneapolis

The picture is almost six years old. I was with three of my brothers Alex, Joel and Brett after speaking at a festival. We were hot, tired and looking into the sun when we snapped the picture. Next week the Harris boys will be together with our father in much cooler conditions. We're congregating in Minneapolis for John Piper's annual conference for pastors. This year the theme is "The Pastor as Father and Son." John Piper explains how this theme unfolded:

The theme of the Desiring God 2008 Conference for Pastors is owing most immediately to my father's death on March 6, 2007. He was a fruitful evangelist. He preached the gospel for over seventy years, if you count the final testimonies in the nursing home. I loved him. I admired him. And I wondered how I might honor him.

The thought came to me: "Make him the subject of your biography at the Conference for Pastors. Tell his story and the impact he had on you." Then I recalled that Don Carson of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School had lost his father, a Canadian pastor, and was hoping to write a book about him. (In fact, the book is written and will be ready for the conference in February, Lord willing.)

It occurred to me that Don might find it enjoyable to celebrate his own father's ministry while instructing the rest of us about lessons learned from him and from the Word. Maybe, I thought, we should build the whole conference around the pastor as father and son, that is, the pastor as father of a family and father of a church; and the pastor as son of an earthly father and son of a heavenly Father. I wrote Don and told him my vision. He embraced it and agreed to come.

When I first heard about the conference I thought it sounded great, but I didn't plan to attend. With a young family being away from home is difficult. But then my dad called and asked me to attend with him. He would be there with my brothers Joel (25), Alex and Brett (19). Of course I said yes. The chance to hear Piper and Carson alongside my dad will be priceless. And I'm looking forward to hanging out with my brothers, too. I can't wait to be with them.