Christian author Francine Rivers speaks at The Gathering

Many dedicated Lipscomb University students endured the long trek across campus to Lipscomb Academy’s gymnasium in order to see the esteemed guest speaking at The Gathering this week. Renowned Christian author Francine Rivers spoke about her life, her Christian journey and her career as a writer. A number of committed fans even arrived early to ensure optimal seating. “I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited for a speaker at Lipscomb as I was for Francine,” said Lipscomb senior Hailey Parrott. “She just knows how to speak to people in different ways and put a story together that we can all understand.” Rivers, the author of Redeeming Love and The Last Sin Eater among many others, related her life story and explained how God had rescued her and given her a purpose and passion for fiction writing. She began by speaking about growing up under the guidance of church-going parents in a community that was largely non-Christian. Rivers then went on to talk about being a college student in the 60s and how she became involved in destructive practices such as free love, smoking and drinking. She spoke about undergoing an abortion at an early age, suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts, marrying a young Vietnam veteran and going to work after graduation for men who had less education than she did. “I said I was fine, but I didn’t think I’d ever be fine again,” Rivers said. Rivers then began speaking about her career as an author. “I have always known I wanted to be writer, but I didn’t know what I wanted to write because I hated...

Ellie Holcomb and guests perform at Tokens

Dr. Lee Camp’s Tokens concert Tuesday night was filled with comedy, theological teachings and of course great music from artists like Ellie Holcomb. Tokens is a theological variety show. The night was titled Shame and Presence, and each of the guests spoke about times in their lives where they dealt with shame. All of the talks were done in a light-hearted way. Many Lipscomb students attended the concert thanks to 65 free tickets that were given out after the Gathering on Tuesday. Students could also receive an extra chapel credit for attending. Singer Ellie Holcomb spoke and sang at the Gathering as a preview to Tokens. After hearing her preview, students were most looking forward seeing Holcomb’s performance. “I’m a really big fan of Ellie Holcomb, so I’m most excited to see her sing because I really like her songs and her voice,” Lipscomb sophomore Kasey Gibson said. Camp introduced the show by singing a song before introducing all of the guests, and then Holcomb performed two songs. Following her performance was an array of musical and speaking guests. The Token Radio Players performed a skit about Biblical creation, and Al Andrews spoke next in a discussion format with Camp. Several musical guests followed. Andy Gullahorn performed a song, and he was followed up by Brother Parker, a musical group made up of one college and two high school young men. Odessa Settles closed out the first half of the show with a slow tune. One of the most entertaining speakers of the night, according to viewers, was Brother Preacher, who talked about different stories in the Bible in a comedic...

Campus Ministry debuts 2014-15 chapel theme at first Gathering

At Tuesday morning’s Gathering, campus ministers Jake Burton and Caroline Morris introduced the 2014-2015 chapel theme, Journey, which uses the metaphor of a college road trip to provide insights for students’ faith journeys. The Gathering will use this metaphor to explore such questions as where does the journey of faith lead, how to reach the destination, and how to handle “roadblocks” along the way. Burton feels students will relate to this message because “we are all on this faith journey. We are all trying to get somewhere.” He believes that the metaphor of a typical college journey will provide practical answers to important questions in a way that students in particular will understand. Morris relates the metaphor to John 14, in which Jesus answers the disciple Thomas’ questions about faith journeys with the proclamation, “I am the way.” This theme will continue to be featured in chapel sessions throughout the 2014-15 school year, and will be featured most prominently in The...

President Lowry accepts ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

Watch President Randy Lowry accept the ALS Challenge with a bucket of ice poured on his head from lumination Network on Vimeo. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge dares anyone who is nominated to pour a bucket of ice water on his or her head within a 24-hour window. If the challenged participant does not accept the challenge within the time limit, he or she must make a donation to the ALS Association of the United States. The challenge has recently gone viral, with everyone from President Barack Obama to basketball star LeBron James participating in some way. Lowry was challenegd by his daughter Melinda Raymond, who works for the Tennessee chapter of the ALS Association, in the first Gathering of the school year. Before getting soaked, Lowry took the opportunity to pass along the challenge — to SGA President Drew...

John Mark McMillan at Lipscomb: Photo Gallery

Singer/songwriter John Mark McMillan kicked off his Are We All Animals tour in Orlando during the end of March and made his way to Collins Alumni Auditorium Tuesday evening.  The tour is promoting his fourth album,  Borderland. McMillan also joined the Gathering Tuesday morning, playing a selection of acoustic songs with some of his band members. Pictures from Tuesday’s concert and Gathering appearance can be seen in the galleries below. Tuesday’s concert Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR. Tuesday’s Gathering  Created with Admarket’s...