Rick Atchley Fort Worth, TX	Steve Flatt Nashville, TN	Don McLaughlin Atlanta, GA	Harold Shank Memphis, TN

--G. David England
  A study of the book of Isaiah will be the focus of this year's Willard Collins Summer Lectures at Lipscomb University.
  “I Saw the Lord: The Vision of God in Isaiah” will be presented June 9-12 at Lipscomb. Keynote speakers for the series will include Rick Atchley, Fort Worth; Don McLaughlin, Atlanta; Harold Shank, Memphis; and Steve Flatt, president of Lipscomb University.
  Additional speakers will include F. LaGard Smith, Joe Beam, Mike Tanaro, Randy Becton, Greg Anderson, Phil Kinzer, Tim Woodroof, Larry Cantrell, Shana Pounders Curtis, Carolyn Baldwin Tucker, John Mark Hicks and more.
  A new feature of the lectureship this year is a special seminar on prayer, to be offered at the Center for Spiritual Renewal, said Walt Leaver, vice president for university relations and lectureship director.
  Returning features include the Bison Future Preacher Camp, special dinners honoring preachers and elders, a children’s day camp, and teen programs. 
  The book of Isaiah was written for a people who had lost sight of the glory, majesty and holiness of God, says Dr. Terry Briley, professor of Bible. Briley is scheduled to present a textual study of Isaiah Monday through Wednesday during the lectureship.
  The people of Isaiah’s day “seem to be viewing God as they did the pagan gods. As long as they see Him as they see themselves, there is no way they are going to fulfill God’s purpose for them,” Briley said.
  Jesus’ citation of Isaiah 6 in the parable of the sower in Matthew 13 suggests that losing sight of the glory of God is recurrent in human history, making a study of the book just as relevant today.”
  The book of Isaiah begins with an analysis of Israel’s worship. Outwardly, there’s nothing wrong. But their hearts are not engaged and their lives are disconnected from their worship. In the vision in chapter 6, Isaiah identifies himself as typical of the people,” Briley said.
  In Isaiah’s vision of God in chapter 6, Isaiah identifies himself with the people. “[Isaiah says,] ‘I am a man of unclean lips and I live amidst a people of unclean lips,’ so he sees himself as one of them and he is humbled before God. Once he is humbled before the greatness of God and is cleansed, then he is prepared to go forward and serve God,” Briley said.
  One theory of the structure of the book is that Isaiah’s experience is placed where it is to represent what the entire nation needs to be turned back to God. But how to get the people to see what he has seen in God is one of the great challenges Isaiah faces.
  Isaiah helps them to see God’s distinctiveness through His actions and scripture. Almost exclusively, Isaiah’s distinctive way of referring to God is as the “Holy One of Israel,” and he does so repeatedly, Briley said.
  “That’s the God he’s holding up before them Ð if they can see the holiness of God, and that the Holy One is the God of Israel and has a relationship with them, they’re not going to think they can manipulate God or go through the motions Ð to worship and then live in ways that are inconsistent with His nature and be o.k.,” Briley said.
  Isaiah’s image of God is one of exaltation, love, compassion and patience for His people. “In the same way that Isaiah had to have God’s gracious cleansing for him to go forward, you have the One who is going to bear the sins of the people for them to be restored to fellowship with Him,” Briley said.
  “I think that is a central part of the book Ð the idea of catching a glimpse of the true nature of God and being transformed as a result,” he said.
  There is no fee for attending the lectureship. However, there is a one-time fee of $25 for on-campus housing during the series, regardless of the number of nights reserved. For full schedule information, contact the lectureship office at 615.279.6216, 800.333.4358, ext. 6216, or e-mail amy.hamar@lipscomb.edu.

Special dinners to be held for preachers and elders
  Longtime minister Alan Bryan will be honored when Lipscomb University hosts the “Special Dinner Honoring Preachers” Monday, June 10, during the Willard Collins Summer Lectures.
  Preachers with 25 years or more of service will be guests of the university for this special dinner, which will be held at 5 p.m. in the Student Center.
  In addition to the special tribute to Bryan, the 2002 recipients of the “Diakonia Awards” will be announced. Diakonia Awards are presented annually to preachers with 50 years or more of service.
  To make reservations for the dinner or to nominate a Diakonia recipient, call the Lectures Office at 615.279.6216, 800.333.4358, ext. 6216, or e-mail amy.hamar@lipscomb.edu.
  The Christian Chronicle recently named Bryan as one of the most influential people among churches of Christ for the decade of the 1970s. A Birmingham, Ala., native, he is considered the first education director among churches of Christ, was founding member of Dallas Christian Academy, and was a prominent promoter of the bus ministry in the ‘70s.
  He was the first director of the Tulsa Soul-Winning Workshop and has spoken widely at lectureships throughout the brotherhood. He attended Freed-Hardeman University when it was still a two-year college, earned his bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine and the master of education from Texas Tech. He taught at Lipscomb in 1955-56.
  He and his wife, LaJuana, an Abilene Christian University graduate, have three children.
  On Tuesday, June 11, Lipscomb will host its “Special Dinner Honoring Elders. Elders with 25 years or more of service, and their wives, will be guests of the university. Reservations are also required for this event, by contacting one of the numbers above.

Bison Future Preacher Camp taking reservations
  The Bison Camp for Future Preachers will be held concurrently with the Collins Lectures for the eighth year.
  Directed by Tom Riley, preaching minister for Fourth Avenue church of Christ, Franklin, Tenn., the camp is designed for young men in grades seven through twelve who are interested in learning more about the challenges and joys of preaching.
  The focus of the camp is on sermon preparation and delivery, and participants will present a sermon on Wednesday night before their “graduation celebration.”
  There is a $75 camp fee, which includes ten meals, the graduation celebration, housing in a campus residence hall, all activities, classes, trips and materials. For full information or to register, contact Johanna Woollard at 615.279.6208, 800.333.4358, ext. 6208, or e-mail johanna.woollard@lipscomb.edu.