Monthly Archives: October 2014

For the Bride: Too Difficult for Whom?

Posted on October 31, 2014 by Steve Harper

I have to admit there are days when the candle for preserving unity in the Church burns low in my soul.  Some appear to have already concluded that schism is the only way forward.  Others seem to yearn for continuing … Continue reading →

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Ministry Musings: Spiritual Leadership

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Steve Harper

I am working on two projects that call for a fresh concentration on the term “spiritual leadership.”  And while I have spoken and written about the subject over the years, I have a new view to write about today. It … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Special Report (2)

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Steve Harper

Like many of you, I am following as carefully as I can the situation currently existing between Dr. David Gushee and notable colleagues within and beyond the Southern Baptist Convention.  I am doing this, in part, because it is good … Continue reading →

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Journey: A Little Is A Lot

Posted on October 27, 2014 by Steve Harper

Read : Plotting Goodness Even though I have spent my professional life largely in theological education with all its technical terms and professional jargon, I am still drawn to simple ways of expressing complex ideas.  So, I was immediately attracted … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Special Report

Posted on October 25, 2014 by Steve Harper

Prominent Evangelical ethicist David Gushee has announced that on November 8th, in a major address at The Reformation Project conference, he will announce he has changed his mind about LGBT relationships and will now not only affirm them but also … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Stop Now!

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Steve Harper

If you have seen the movie “Forest Gump,” you will remember the scene where Forest begins to run.  He runs…runs…runs…and runs some more.  Along the way, he gathers other folks who begin to run with him. And then…one day…suddenly, and … Continue reading →

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Error in Posting

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Steve Harper

If you received a “For the Bride: Inevitable Vantage Points” post last evening, it came by mistake.  It is actually scheduled for November 14th, and fits into the stream of writings at that point. It has been moved to that … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Let’s Dance!

Posted on October 22, 2014 by Steve Harper

Perichoresis Don’t let the word throw you.  It simply means to rotate, spin, or dance in some kind of coordinated fellowship.  Gregory of Naziansus (late 4th century a.d.) is believed to be the first to use the term in relation … Continue reading →

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Journey: Seeing the Bigger Picture

Posted on October 20, 2014 by Steve Harper

Read:  In Over Our Heads One of the things I like most about Brian McLaren is that he makes me think, without ever demanding that I agree with him–which, ironically makes me more likely to agree with him.  But even … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Vanishing Grace

Posted on October 17, 2014 by Steve Harper

I have intentionally entitled this week’s post with the title of Philip Yancey’s new book that will be available on October 21st. I find it interesting that this highly-esteemed and long-respected writer has concluded that our problems have increased in … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Orthodoxy

Posted on October 15, 2014 by Steve Harper

If we view orthodoxy as a single point, our ego will easily convince us that we are standing on it.  Other points will necessarily be judged as closer to, or farther from, the truth. But if we view orthodoxy like … Continue reading →

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Journey: Life On Whose Terms?

Posted on October 13, 2014 by Steve Harper

Read: The Drama of Desire One of our formative experiences is to begin with original righteousness, not original sin.  The first two chapters in Genesis show us, however briefly, what God intended, and how the world is supposed to be. … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Contaminated Witness

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Steve Harper

We cannot look at the debilitating factors in the Church without admitting that they have now spilled over our cloistered walls and contaminated our witness in the world.  The cyber world in concert with news media and social media pounce … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Waves of Grace

Posted on October 8, 2014 by Steve Harper

Decades ago, William Barclay provided an image of the phrase “grace upon grace” (John 1:16) that has stuck with me ever since.  He said that the idea was comparable to the waves which splash incessantly upon the beach, so he … Continue reading →

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Journey: Patterns

Posted on October 6, 2014 by Steve Harper

Read:  A World of Meaning The original creation stories bear witness to pattern, order, progress, etc.  From galaxies to atoms, everything comes from God, reflects God, and returns to God.  The single word to describe this is ‘Meaning.’ It is … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Type Casting

Posted on October 3, 2014 by Steve Harper

Type casting.  Actors avoid it like the plague.  They will tell you it can spell doom for their career–or at least narrow and caricature it so that the full range of their talent is unseen.  In that moment, actors cease … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Becoming Children

Posted on October 1, 2014 by Steve Harper

When Jesus says we must become like children in order to be part of God’s Kingdom, I have usually probed his words by thinking of positive childhood traits.  I would then meditate on the extent to which they were present … Continue reading →

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