Seasons Go And Seasons Come

"The labor of Paul or of Apollos would have been fruitless if God had not been at work all along.  [1 Corinthians 3:5-11] also makes clear that God’s work continues after we are gone.  Not to be crass, but none of Paul’s own churches are still in existence in the place and way they were when he founded them, but God STILL is giving the growth!  This is foundational for the Church of Jesus Christ, for all churches, and for Parma Christian Church in order for the hope we have of our labors to not be in vain, even as – perhaps especially as – this faithful congregation concludes its visible and regular ministry. There are those who plant, and those who water, but it is God who ultimately gives the growth!"

Drunk With The Wine Of The World?

I think the church has become “drunk with the wine of the world” in looking at and trying to emulate other churches and denominations who are bigger, flashier, more hip, and therefore are at great risk of losing our sense of covenantal values.

Caution: Bringing Blessing May Cause Chaos

Yes, the blessings of God are abundant, far more abundant than we usually give God credit for, but they also bring complexity, challenges, and chaos into our lives.  But Mary doesn’t simply “get it,” she names it with exquisite clarity and painful honesty.  The question is therefore not whether or not an abundant life is also chaotic, but rather how we will understand and respond to that chaos.

Upending Empire By Taking A Nap

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. 

When God’s Work Just Doesn’t Fit With Ours

"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