Reimagining and Retooling Faith For An Explosive World

"I have begun to fear we have a reckoning coming that echoes less King’s arc and more the apocalyptic imagery James Baldwin used in his book which I chose as the reading material while on silent retreat the week before my ordination to Christian ministry: God gave Noah the rainbow sign; No more water, the fire next time. So let me zoom in on the world in which I live and work and have the most influence, and that is the mainline Protestant church of the late 20th and early 21st century.   I want to offer five temptations that humanity has struggled with its entire existence, but which we post-moderns are wrestling with in particularly challenging ways right now.  And, lest you think I have given up all hope, I will conclude by offering what I think are antidotes to each and what people of faith, in particular, can do to help change the course of history for the good."

More Colors, More Letters, More And More Grace

Sermon for A Worship Service Of Affirmation For LGBTQIA+ Persons Central Christian Church, New Albany, Indiana hosted the ecumenical Pride History Month Worship Service Saturday, October 22, 2022 – “A World Full Of Color!” Scripture: Isaiah 56:1-8 & 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 By The Rev. Allen V. Harris, Regional Pastor & President, Christian Church in Ohio I…

Hey, Check Out The New Neighbors!

"We have been remiss in not taking up the mantle and continuing the tradition of boldly welcoming those different from ourselves into our communities and listening to them, equipping them for leadership, following their wisdom, and becoming the church of the future. Let us not slip back into being a church that was destined to fade from the earth because of irrelevance, unresponsiveness, and irritability!"

God Is Weary Of Our Thoughts And Prayers

So I want to urge my white friends, family, and neighbors to simply stop calling ourselves allies and do the hard and demanding work to be co-conspirators in the work for racial justice. We white people must no longer view ourselves as “allies,” as nice and comfortable as this term is, for it truly assumes that we have the luxury of supporting someone else who is oppressed, under attack, or being killed, when and how we want. It allows us to be “armchair activists” from the comfort of our own home or smart phone, which completely distances ourselves from the radical urgency – the life-threatening danger – that our Black and Brown family, friends, and neighbors are experiencing.

The Time For Discipleship Is NOW! The place For Discipleship Is THERE!

Sermon For First Christian Church, Falls Church Sunday, June 7, 2020 Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20 Sermon Title: “The Time For Discipleship Is NOW!  The place For Discipleship Is THERE!” To watch a video of this sermon: https://youtu.be/dYvBJ6HgWRg By  The Rev. Allen V. Harris, Regional Minister, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) Capital Area You may or may not know that…