by Kyrsten Turner | Apr 4, 2014 | News Slider
The Lipscomb community gathered on Thursday to hear Terry Waite, a globally known humanitarian and peace worker, speak in The Gathering at Allen Arena. Waite was introduced by university president Randy Lowry, who called Waite a “hostage negotiator,” paving the way for Waite to share his story of captivity and survival with students. In 1987, Waite was taken hostage while negotiating the release of several hostages in Beirut. Before his abduction, Waite had been recognized for championing the release of hostages in Iran and Libya, all in the 1980s. Waite said his approach to negotiating the release of hostages meant that he had to meet the abductors face-to-face. It is a “risky approach,” Waite said, but worth the effort. “The first thing was to seek a face-to face meeting,” said Waite, who is the scholar-in-residence in Lipscomb’s Institute of Conflict Management this year. “Now, that is risky, because you are dealing with people who are often in a precarious situation, who are highly suspicious and who may well easily take you captive.” This approach, Waite said, requires a level of trust, especially when working with people from different backgrounds and different beliefs. “Somehow, you have to be able to stretch out a hand and form a bridge, and grasp the hand of the other in order to build a relationship of trust,” Waite said. Waite went through his entire negotiating process, building trust and relationship, and seeking a face-to-face meeting with those in Beirut. He was on his way to meet them, or so he thought, when he was abducted. It was not until he had already been held captive for...
by Brianne Welch | Jan 28, 2014 | Uncategorized
Author of Cold Tangerines, Bittersweet and Bread and Wine, Shauna Niequist addressed every college students’ favorite subject, relationships, in the Gathering Tuesday morning. Niequist’s plan was to talk about the “secret and the heart of all relationships.” With that opening statement, she grabbed the audience’s attention. She followed up that statement later on with the one sentence that she feels the need to say whenever she is at a college campus. “Whoever you are, male or female, freshman or senior, single or dating or engaged or married,” Niequist said. “You are significant with or without a significant other.” Niequist made the statement to remind students how significant they are, and that being a part of a couple does not make a person more important, and also to remind students that everyone’s life timeline is different. After making her opening remarks, Niequist’s got to her main point of discussion, the secret of relationships, which she says is forgiveness. Forgiveness when dating, in the family and with friendships. Niequist stressed the importance of friendships at this time in a person’s life. “Worry less about dating and invest more in friends,” Niequist said. While talking about friendships, she made the point that even those will not last unless forgiveness is active in the relationship. She said that conflict is inevitable, and the only way to maintain those relationships is by being able to forgive. “When brokenness happens in a relationship it doesn’t mean it’s over, it means it’s normal,” Niequist said. The next thing Niequist addressed was how to forgive and what it means to be a forgiver. She says it is...
by Aaron Schmelzer | Jan 22, 2014 | News Slider
A member of one of Ebony magazine’s Coolest Black Families in America stopped by Tuesday’s Gathering to share words of wisdom concerning the philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr. T.B. Boyd, III, president and CEO of R.H. Boyd Publishing and a leader in church supplies production, expressed his thoughts about faith and the impact of King’s dream that shaped his conviction to stand against mistreatment. Boyd is a member of Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church. He began by speaking about his faith and the role he believes it should play in our lives. “We as Americans must bear witness and live plain to the fact that the Lord must still be in the blessing business, passionately in the blessing business,” Boyd said. “We have a God who blessed us with the ability to dream, and dream we must do.” Boyd then transitioned into the dream of King. “I know that all of us have something in common with the dream of Martin Luther King,” Boyd said. “[He] dreamt of freedom and equality.” He spoke about the scrutiny that African-Americans faced before and during the civil rights movement. The opposition burned buildings and harassed those who stood for the movement. Boyd said that in the face of opposition, King encouraged the protesters to remain non-violent, which was a powerful philosophy to King. “Unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality,” Boyd said. Boyd said that people still must adapt to the change that King presented and to continue to be generous in our everyday living. “Dr. King’s legacy should tell us that we as a nation are going...
by Cory Woodroof | Jan 2, 2014 | News Slider, Sports
Hello, Lumination readers! As we celebrate the beginning of 2014, it’s time to take a look back at some of the biggest stories at Lipscomb during the year that was – 2013. Before we take a look at the year’s top stories, we take a moment to pause and remember those we lost in the past year. Former Lipscomb professors Axel Swang, Patty Dugger, Oliver Yates, and Bill Collins all passed, as did Lipscomb student Isaac Phillips and Bisons super fan Chuck Ross. We continue to pray for their families and friends. A few stories right on the heels of our top 10 list involved some special visitors to campus and two major, annual Lipscomb events, as well as a few people in new positions of leadership. U.S. women’s soccer team practiced at university field in February, drawing a large crowd of soccer fans and inquisitive Lipscomb students. In March, YouTube sensations Walk Off the Earth headlined the spring concert at Alumni Auditorium. In April, Singarama celebrated its 50th anniversary, and, in December, Lighting of the Green held its 9th installment. In 2013, we also welcomed Steve Davidson as a new campus minister and Jim Humphrey as the new director of security. And, in April, Andrew Hunt was elected to be the new SGA president. Drew Watson was elected as his VP. 10. Titans QBs Jake Locker, Matt Hasselbeck and Rusty Smith speak in The Gathering In March, the three quarterbacks for the resident Tennessee Titans appeared in The Gathering to shed light on each player’s faith. It was a rare occurrence to have such high-profile guests for a Thursday chapel, but...
by Sydney Poe | Sep 17, 2013 | News Slider
The Contributor, a local non-profit newspaper, is currently in a financial bind after reports of the paper shutting down surfaced at the end of last month. Vendors across the area rely on the paper for a major source of income. Vendor George Woods stands at the corner of Glen Echo and Belmont Boulevard greeting drivers and Lipscomb students as they walk to class each morning. He’s been selling The Contributor for four years and chose his location because he heard about the generosity of Lipscomb students. Woods kept it simple when asked about how to help the paper. “They’d have to make donations. The only thing they need is money” Woods said. Down by Music Row, drivers are referred to as kings and queens by vendor Sean L. He sells The Contributor seven days a week, eight hours a day, rain or shine. He makes sure to treat people with respect and is quite the popular individual with his customers. Many drivers shout greetings as they drive by like they’re talking to an old friend. By selling The Contributor, Sean is able to pay for a weekly motel room, put food on the table and help his mother each week. He’s close to getting his own apartment, but losing The Contributor would set him back. “The paper means that I can support myself, that I have a life […] and that I can do better for myself, save money and help others besides myself,” Sean L. said. Both Woods and Sean L. say it’s not difficult to help The Contributor. Any donation is welcomed and will go a long way to help the paper. Donations...
