This evening following the dismissal of school, Mandy, the girls and I are joining up with Allan, Carrie Ann and their girls for a trip to Austin to take in some of the atmosphere surrounding the Longhorns National Championship.

In these parts, it's customary following every Texas win to "Light the Tower." Typically, that means lighting only the apex where the clock sits. But following National Championship games, when the Horns win, the entire tower is lit with window lights forming the #1. The tower will be lit through the weekend and tonight, we are going down for some pictures and some Chuck E. Cheese pizza afterward.

------------------------

Yesterday, I received in the mail the 56-page ACU Lectureship Guide. The lectureship's theme is "Messages from the Gospel of John." The lectureship schedule looks great and I am really excited about attending my first ACU Lectureship.

In conjunction with the lectureship, the annual Restoration Unity Forum will be held four times daily. The Restoration Unity Forum is an effort to spark conversation across the chasm that formed 100 years ago with the identified separation of churches of Christ and Christian churches.

Regarding the Restoration Unity Forum, the ACU Lectureship Guide reads:

"Each year, the ACU Lectureship features conversations designed to promote greater understanding and unity where there has been strife and division. This year not only marks ACU's Centennial, but also the centennial of the religious census that recognized the split between the Church of Christ and Christian Churches. We cannot celebrate our heritage without also seeking to heal old wounds and renew friendships in the Gospel. With that spirit in mind, this year's Lectureship will also host the annual Restoration Forum. The Restoration Forum is an annual meeting that, since 1984, has brought together Christians from the churches of the Stone-Campbell Movement and others concerned with answering Christ's prayer for the visible unity of His followers for discussion, dialogue, worship and fellowship. The Forums have been an important factor in the increased desire for and realization of reconciliation between estranged sisters and brothers as we enter the 21st century."

The Restoration Forum is but the first of many concerted efforts in 2006 -- the centennial of the recognized division between churches of Christ and Christian churches -- to build bridges and foster unity. Other "big events" like the Tulsa Workshop have committed serious time to repairing the breach between churches of Christ and Christian churches.

Can the two become one again, as they were recognized prior to 1906? That remains to be seen. But the quest for unity through a commitment to conversation is an admirable, worthy effort.