One Progressive Urban Theologian's Reflections On Life & Love
My position is that if the Church, which has as a fundamental value the concept of sabbath rest, cannot be in the forefront of proclaiming rest as sacred and naps as a form of resistance to injustice then we have failed our divine duty to be a place of counterculture holy work and should close up shop immediately.
"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."
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… Continue reading More Colors, More Letters, More And More Grace
"But in my almost 30 years in local church ministry and now my 6 ½ years in Regional Ministry I have come to understand the biblical challenge for adaptation, growth, innovation, creativity, and – yes – change is not simply a helpful aspect or nice facet of church life, it has got to be central to our faith, as fundamental as mission and outreach, Christian education, visitation and pastoral care, and weekly communion are. The need to not simply allow for new and imaginative ways of living our faith in community but to integrate it at every single level of our church’s life has become imperative. And not only do we need to be completely comfortable with change, but we need to do a lot of it and do it fast." ~Rev. Allen V. Harris
"We have allowed the basest of voices to claim the so-called “moral high ground” of what the church should focus on and what Christians should believe, even though such “morality” is based on the subjugation of women, unquestioned militarism, conspicuous consumerism, vapid patriotism, and a host of injustices to people who might not fit the mold of the majority. I stand here today to call Carthage Christian Church and Lorenzo Thomas to stay the course you have set in your lives and that you have confirmed in your call as pastor and congregation. Take the blame for stirring up trouble, for in doing so you will be in a long lineage of the saints of God who made a difference in the world!"
Living Thoughtfully & Loving Meaningfully 