Monthly Archives: April 2015

In-Sight: Living Beyond Explanations

Posted on April 29, 2015 by Steve Harper

The movie “Selma” moved me deeply for a number of reasons.  But one scene has lingered–the one where Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lewis are riding together in King’s automobile.  King is exhausted, both by the effort it has … Continue reading →

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Editorial: A Perilous Shift

Posted on April 28, 2015 by Steve Harper

The last persecution of Christians by the Roman empire was 303 a.d.  A decade later, Christianity was the official religion of the empire.  This meteroric rise from the bottom to the top changed the way Christians thought about their faith … Continue reading →

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Journey: Worship Alive!

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read: “The Uprising of Worship” The incarnation transformed humankind’s understanding of God.  As E. Stanley Jones put it, “Jesus put a face on God.”  The face was attractive, so it is not surprising that the early Christians gathered to receive … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: The Confirmation of Love

Posted on April 24, 2015 by Steve Harper

The desert Christians were earthy folk, perhaps in large measure because of the environment in which they worshipped and worked.  While some of the Church’s best theology comes from the early-Christian era, it is almost always expressed through a tangible … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Making Disciples

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Steve Harper

Those of you who know me know that I am a pragmatist more than a theorist when it comes to theology.  I can work with abstractions and principles, but my mind keeps wanting to know how the doctrines and affirmations … Continue reading →

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Journey: The Two-Word Gospel

Posted on April 20, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read:  “The Uprising of Discipleship” Using another week of fictional narrative, McLaren invites us into the apostolic fellowship once again.  This time he takes us to what must surely be the essence of the Gospel–two words, “Follow me.” Perhaps like … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: The Command to Love

Posted on April 17, 2015 by Steve Harper

An emotion-driven concept of love draws back from thinking of love as a commandment.  But the withdrawal is based on two false assumptions:  that we love (or not) on the basis of how we feel, and/or that love is a … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: Music and Spirituality

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Steve Harper

I am on thin ice.  I do not read music, and I am not a trained musician.  So, whatever I have to say about it arises more from intuition than from knowledge. But even with my limitations acknowledged, I am … Continue reading →

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Journey: Gathering

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read:  “The Uprising of Fellowship” Jesus’ death had confused, frightened, scattered and even fragmented the apostolic community.  It literally took Jesus’ resurrection to restore what the crucifixion had undone.  McLaren does a good job writing a narrative that enables us … Continue reading →

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For the Bride: Beyond Sentimentalism

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Steve Harper

The shadow of the Cross has cast itself into this week, reminding us that love is a struggle.  We have so sentimentalized love that we view it almost exclusively as an emotion.  So, if we feel like loving someone, we … Continue reading →

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In-Sight: The Greatness of Littleness

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Steve Harper

I recently read about Eratosthenes (third century BCE), the first person to accurately measure the circumference of the earth–missing it by only a few hundred miles.  I also learned that he had a broad mind as well as a deep … Continue reading →

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Journey: The Uprising Begins

Posted on April 5, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read “The Uprising Begins” without an additional meditation by me.

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Journey: Doubt, Darkness, Despair

Posted on April 4, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read “Doubt, Darkness, Despair” without an additional meditation by me.

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Journey: Everything Must Change

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read “Everything Must Change” without an additional meditation from me.

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For the Bride: Good Friday Love

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Steve Harper

Today, we see the apex of love–the Cross.  In what was for many of us one of the first  verses we learned after becoming Christians (John 3:16) we saw that God “gave his only-begotten son.” This includes the entirety of … Continue reading →

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Journey: A Table, A Basin, Some Food, Some Friends

Posted on April 2, 2015 by Steve Harper

Read: “A Table, A Basin, Some Food, Some Friends” without an additional meditation from me.

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In-Sight: The Silent Day

Posted on April 1, 2015 by Steve Harper

Wednesday of Holy Week is often referred to as the silent day in the final week of Jesus’ life in earth.  He remained at Bethany in the home of Lazarus, Mary, and Martha–the home where (with the possible exceptions of … Continue reading →

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