Hello all:

Today I again went and heard Rick Atchley and Bob Russell talk about being “Together Again.”
Their message was very worthwhile and I’m glad I was able to attend.

I also attended the second session of Rubel Shelly’s lecture on “Being the Church in a Postmodern World.” Rubel Shelly’s words really convicted my heart. He told the story of a Baptist minister who was out of town and stopped at a small diner in the middle of the night, and his meal was interrupted by a group of prostitues coming in for their nightly “break.” One of the Prostitutes announced her birthday was the next day, and was ridiculed by another. She then said that she hadn’t had a birthday party ever, in her entire life.

Rubel Shelly

The next night, that preacher came back with streamers and a card and decorations, and he had convinced the cook to bake a cake….they threw a birthday party for this prostitute, who was in shock and couldn’t believe that she had her very own birthday cake.

It struck me that I’m not the type of persron who would do what this minister did….he went out of his way to be kind to someone that everyone looks down upon. This realization that I’m not that kind of person broke my heart. God calls us to be that kind of person. I’ve got a long long way to go before I get there.

I took a long break and did some homework, and then went to Victor Knowles second lecture on “Going Seperate Ways – What Really Happened in 1906?” Knowles read a list of 101 things that Churches of Christ and Christian Churches are doing together, both at home and on the Mission Field, to cooperate and win others for Christ. There were alot of good things on that list. As was mentioned in the comments from Wednesday, Knowles’ lecture is available on his Peace on Earth Ministries website.

Victor Knowles, Peace on Earth Ministries

After Knowles, I snuck into a half way done lecture on the Restoration of Discipleship in Churches of Christ by Brian Mashburn of Amarillo, Texas. Brian has been a youth minister in Churches of Christ for a long time, and a couple of years ago was hired as the Pulpit Minister of a large congregation….he wasn’t looking for the job, and didn’t want it, he didn’t want to leave youth ministry…so he told them the truth on what he believed…and they wanted to hire him for that. Brian talked about many that he knows that want to leave the Churches of Christ, and he talked about why he hasn’t and what he is doing to be a disciple while being a member of the Church of Christ. He reminded me of both Greg and Travis’ points of view alot.

At 9pm, I hit the third lecture on the Spiritual Legacy of David Lipscomb and James A. Harding by John Mark Hicks and Bobby Valentine. This was an awesome lecture. I can’t wait to read their book.
Hicks and Valentine talked about Lipscomb and Harding’s kingdom outlook, about pacifism and war, and about premillenialism. One of the attendees debated this support of Pacifism, and it was obvious that Hicks and Valentine feel much the way Lipscomb and Harding felt on the subject. I’ve never been a pacifist….and the man who gave his two cents on disagreeing with pacificism gave a good argument….but it was very hollow….after three days of Lipscomb and Harding….I have to say that they are persuasive. I highly recommend that you buy and read the new book on these two guys.

Bobby Valentine

I met Dr. Paul Pollard several times yesterday, we kept running into each other. He encouraged me to check out Harding for graduate school, and Hicks encouraged me to check out Lipscomb. This has been a cool experience.

-Clarke