Monthly Archives: September 2014

Journey: Relationship & Responsibility

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Steve Harper

Read: Being Human Someone has said, “Humanity is God’s best idea.”  And Brian McLaren weaves the two creation stories together to confirm that idea.  Placed in the cosmos, we are made in the image of God, with the capacity for … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Partisanship

Posted on September 26, 2014 by Steve Harper

I believe historians may look at our generation and name partisanship as the largest contributive factor to our local/global gridlock.  Whether in civic or eccesial societies, our inability/unwillingness to get together has all but killed our ability to come together. … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Margins

Posted on September 24, 2014 by Steve Harper

When I began elementary school, our teacher had us purchase notebook paper.  On the left-hand side were two little blue lines running from top to bottom.  We learned that it was called the margin.  We were not to write to … Continue reading →

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Journey: Creation and Wonder

Posted on September 22, 2014 by Steve Harper

Read:  Alive in the Story of Creation & Awe and Wonder. No matter when, where, or how we begin the Christian walk, we step onto a path that goes back to the beginning of creation itself.  We can only understand … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Missing Square One

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Steve Harper

The precursor to schism is the loss of humility.  The starting point for our debates has too often been to look at those with whom we disagree and say, “You are wrong.”  And, of course it gets worse.  Once we … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: We Are The Older Brother

Posted on September 17, 2014 by Steve Harper

We cannot read the story of the lost son (Luke 15:11-32) without realizing there are actually two lost sons.  But because we have put so much emphasis on the younger son, we fail to discover what Jesus wanted us to … Continue reading →

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Journey: To Life!

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Steve Harper

Read:  Introduction Our desire for life is met by Jesus’ offer of it (John 10:10). But we must notice that his offer is “zoe,” not merely “bios.”  Brian McLaren gets it in his introduction by naming this life as well-being, … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Termites in the Temple

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Steve Harper

One of the distortions of my book is that it is about homosexuality.  The truth is, it is about avoiding schism.  The inclusion of the human sexuality issue was illustrative of how the three foundational elements can be used to … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: You Can Read the Bible

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Steve Harper

One of the biggest mistakes we have made with the Bible is leaving the impression that only scholars can correctly interpret it.  Everything is made so layered, nuanced, and complex that many folks instantly feel they lack the “training” and … Continue reading →

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Journey: Under Construction

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Steve Harper

Read:  The Preface When E. Stanley Jones was asked if he was a Christian, he would almost always reply, “I am a Christian under construction.”  It was his way of combining affirmation and anticipation.  It is the way Christ wants … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Introduction

Posted on September 5, 2014 by Steve Harper

Welcome to a new weekly theme that will appear each Friday. It’s a series of reflections related to my book, ‘For the Sake of the Bride: Restoring the Church to Her Intended Beauty’ (Abingdon Press, 2014).  In order to best … Continue reading →

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Connections: Two Ministry Sites

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Steve Harper

I always feel way behind the curve when I refer folks to social media, but I would rather be repetitive than silent.  Here are two online ministries I find very helpful.  Both have a Facebook page and a website… (1) … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Still Falling in the Garden

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Steve Harper

Adam and Even fell into sin in the Garden of Eden.  We continue to fall in the garden through the same sin:  the attitude which says, “What’s yours is mine, I’ll take it.”  Our primal ancestors took what was only … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: The Church Invisible

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Steve Harper

During the month of August, I attended the funerals of two dear friends, Beth Perry and John Mogabgab.  Beth was one of my students in the early 1980’s, as my teaching ministry was just beginning.  In addition to this, she … Continue reading →

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Connection: New Ministries Info

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Steve Harper

Go to “The Oboedire Shop” to read about new highlighted ministries offered by Jan Richardson and Christianne Squires.  You will find the information in the “Formation Ministries” section of that page.

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Journey: The Path Before Us

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Steve Harper

Sleep is the way God locks the door to the past, so we can view each new day as an opportunity to move forward.  The trouble is, we often prefer to stand at the door, peering back through the peep … Continue reading →

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