Experiencing The Harding Lectureship

In the foothills of the Ozarks, about a week after the first day of autumn, the annual Harding Lectureship begins. This is one of the university’s flagship opportunities for alumni and friends to join in three days of focused study on different topics, fellowship, and worship.
Getting my batteries recharged by meeting old friends or seeing the excited faces of students and visitors from across the country (and the world) is icing on the cake for me. I am always struck by the sense of community and unity that brings us together.
The lectures themselves are the center of the experience, and since I usually preached for small churches in the Searcy area, it was always refreshing for me to learn some new approach to evangelism, or something else, that I could carry back to the folks at the Possum Grape church or to Northside in Augusta.
Equally thrilling for me was promoting the lectureship among smaller churches and seeing their members come, participate in the beautiful singing, and hear powerful lessons from men such as Neale Pryor, Jimmy Allen, and Jim Bill McInteer. I got to share in the joy of witnessing simple, faithful Christians develop broader horizons and renewed zeal for the work of the Lord. Some loved Harding so much they began to send their children and to support the school financially.  
Probably some of my most inspiring and uplifting moments at lectureship came later in the evening when I visited and discussed the happenings of the day over a cup of coffee or a burger in the student center. Those times with friends helped me process what I had heard and led to some very lively conversations. In those informal gatherings, we had plenty to discuss, and we all learned and grew as a result.
When it is all said and done, most of us learn best in a communal setting. The community of faith and learning I have experienced at the Harding Lectureship has certainly helped me to be a better Christian. Not only that, but the church is made stronger and encouraged by it.
So as the days start to shorten and the leaves begin to fall, my thoughts always go back to Harding and the lectureship that has served us all so well.