Author Archives: Steve Harper

About Steve Harper

Dr. Steve Harper is retired seminary professor, who taught for 32 years in the disciplines of Spiritual Formation and Wesley Studies. Author and co-author of 45 books. He is also a retired Elder in The Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church.

At the Gate: The Power of Love

Sitting at the gate, I see the power of love in ever-expanding ways. The centrality of love has been further confirmed as I read the three Bibles. [1] The sciences are adding almost daily to my understanding of love in … Continue reading

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At the Gate: True Humanity

Sitting at the gate, I see the recovery of true humanity– a view of who we are that has been too-much lost. Last month, I wrote about three Bibles I read most days: nature, the Perennial Tradition, and the Hebrew/Christian … Continue reading

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Engage: Thanks!

A quick word to say thanks to those of you who participated in the reading of Walter Brueggemann’s book, ‘Journey to the Common Good.’ In today’s final Zoom meeting, three additional resources were part of our conversation… (1) Michael DeJonge, … Continue reading

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Engage: Group Meeting Tomorrow

Tomorrow (Friday) we meet for our final session to discuss Walter Brueggemann’s book, ‘Journey to the Common Good.’ We meet at Noon (ET) via zoom. Here’s the link… https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82787767931?pwd=bmZwMWloV1NxUHFFU3ZPS1RpU0Izdz09 Meeting ID: 827 8776 7931Passcode: 014683

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Engage: Subversion #4

I am looking forward to our final Zoom meeting this Friday, April 28th, at Noon (ET). Here is the link to the meeting. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82787767931?pwd=bmZwMWloV1NxUHFFU3ZPS1RpU0Izdz09 Meeting ID: 827 8776 7931Passcode: 014683 Honestly, I do not know how to process what we … Continue reading

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Engage: Subversion #3

If Isaiah begins with the exposure of Jerusalem as a fallen empire, he does not stop there. Indeed, he cannot. As in Jesus’ parable of the expulsion of an evil spirits (Luke 11:24-26), it is not sufficient to empty life … Continue reading

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Engage: Reconstruction #2

Reconstruction (whether of Jerusalem or anything else) moves on the premise that it is worth it. That is, reconstruction ooccurs against the backdrop of vision. Brueggemann shows us the vision of Jerusalem revealed in 2 Samuel 7 and 1 Kings … Continue reading

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UMC: Clergy Ethics

I continue to read and hear about UMC clergy who are championing disaffiliation from the denomination. Some have already led their congregations out of the UMC, and others are at some point in the process of doing so. Yet, they … Continue reading

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Engage: Reconstruction #1

The journey to the common good is one of faith (vision), anxiety (struggle), and neighborliness (life together)….chapter one. The journey is characterized by subversion, a prophetic resistance to evil (imperialism) through the advocacy and enactment of steadfast love, justice, and … Continue reading

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At the Gate: Three Bibles

[Note: beginning today, this “At the Gate” series will become a monthly post on the first day of each month. I hope that making it less frequent will result in writing that is more revealing of a “big picture” life … Continue reading

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New UMC: Life in Christ

In the new UMC, life in Christ will be the heart of it all. This may appear to be stating the obvious, but it more radical than that. It is more akin to the ancient commitment to “live for God … Continue reading

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Engage: Group Meeting Tomorrow

Just a reminder that our second group meeting is tomorrow (Friday) at Noon (ET). We will focus on Chapter 2 of ‘Journey to the Common Good.’ Here is the link to the Zoom meeting… https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9314085719 Meeting ID: 931 408 5719

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Engage: Subversion #5

We gather this Friday, the 31st, from Noon to 1:00 p.m. (ET) for our second Zoom meeting. Here is the link to that meeting… https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9314085719 Meeting ID: 931 408 5719 We head for Friday with a look at Brueggemann’s conclusion … Continue reading

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Engage: Subversion #4

We must paint this week’s reflection with a broad brush because Brueggemann goes into detail in this chapter. But it is possible to see the big picture. It begins in sections I-III, with the differentiated elitist and neighborly narratives. We … Continue reading

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Invitation

Last June, Matt Horan began a facebook page named “Rev. Dr. Steve & Jeannie Harper Theological Seminary.” It was a tongue-in-cheek title with the intent of creating an online community for those of us who have journeyed together as colleagues, … Continue reading

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Engage: Subversion #3

The Covenant at Sinai subverts the culture of Egypt. Neighborliness subverts elitism. And elites do not take kindly to it. They push back with a counternarrative. And they do it through the use of the dominant word of theit faith … Continue reading

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At the Gate: “A Bloated Soul”

Sitting at the gate, we see the end game of egotism. It is no accident that Jesus made humility the starting point for the blessed life (Matthew 5:3). Being “poor in spirit” gets us off on the right foot in … Continue reading

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Engage: Subversion #2

I am sure you will agree that it is difficult to summarize Brueggemann’s insights in chapter two. Even by his own standards, it took nine sections for him to convey his message about subversion. In this post, and the remaining … Continue reading

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At the Gate: Mocking God

Sitting at the gate, I see Christian nationalism mocking God. In his book, ‘From Judgment to Hope,’ Walter Brueggemann writes that the ancient prophetic message “may still be true among us that God will not be mocked, neither will God … Continue reading

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At the Gate: 3M Living

Sitting at the gate, I see the new way of thinking, believing, and acting that God calls us to live. Like so many others, Walter Brueggemann’s writings have influenced me substantially, and they continue to do so. [1] And as … Continue reading

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Engage: Subversion #1

It was not until I read Eugene Peterson’s book ‘Subversive Spirituality’ that I recognized the importance of subversion. When I saw that Brueggemann used the word in his title for chapter two, I was eager to see what he means … Continue reading

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At the Gate: Ad Fontes!

Sitting at the gate, I see the importance of going back to the Center if we are to change things on the circumference. One of the clarion calls of the Renaissance was “ad fontes,” a mantra reminding people that change … Continue reading

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Engage Group: First Meeting Today

Looking forward to visiting with you today at noon (ET), focusing on the introduction and first chapter of Brueggemann’s book Here’s the Zoom meeting link… https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9314085719

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LGBTQ+ Writing: Liberating Scripture #4

In the previous three posts, I have shown that the interpretive landscape with respect to human sexuality is changing as biblical exegetes join with those in the physical sciences to liberate Scripture from a theological/cultural captivity that inaccurately leads to … Continue reading

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Engage Group: Meeting Reminder

Just a reminder that our meeting is changed to tomorrow (Saturday) at Noon (ET), not today. Looking forward to a good discussion of Brueggemann’s introduction and first chapter. Here is the link to the meeting… https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9314085719

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LGBTQ+ Writing: Liberating Scripture #3

Today, we look at how Romans 1:18-32 is being liberated from misinterpretation. At its broadest base, Paul’s words have been used (as those in Leviticus) as a blanket condemnation of homosexuality. That one-size-fits-all view has been changing, but the overall … Continue reading

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At the Gate: “But They Do A Lot of Good”

Sitting at the gate, I see the great loss that occurs when critical thinking is abandoned. We are seeing this abandonment in spades these days, in both the society and church. I live in a state (Florida) that is saturated … Continue reading

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Engage Group: New Meeting Time

The first online meeting of our group has been changed to Saturday, the 25th at Noon (ET). We will share in relation to the introduction and first chapter of Brueggemann’s book. Here is the link to the meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9314085719

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LGBTQ+ Writing: Liberating Scripture #2

In the first post in this mini-series, I wrote to show how the sciences have cleared up the misconception of creation as binary, revealing a cosmos (from molecules to galaxies) that is nonbinary and interconnected.[1] Creation theology is shedding bright … Continue reading

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LGBTQ+ Writing: Liberating Scripture #1

For multiple reasons in recent days, it is clear that the assault against LGBTQ+ people is increasing in some places, led in many ways by Christians using the Bible to do harm. The need to liberate Scripture from its theological … Continue reading

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Engage: Journey #2

This Friday, we have our first Zoom meeting, in which we share our experiences while reading chapter one. Here is the link to the meeting that runs from Noon to 1:00 p.m. (ET)…. https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9314085719 We have seen the ignition of … Continue reading

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“Heart Sounds”

Quite a few of you have subscribed to Oboedire recently. Just a reminder that the “Heart Sounds” podcast by Steve Harper is available on Spotify. The series explores the spiritual life using short-episode programs, on average about 10 minutes each. … Continue reading

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Engage: The Journey #1

In chapter one, Brueggemann takes the broad idea of journey and applies it to the common good. Wisely, he shows us that we move into the common good in stages. It is not a state as much as it is … Continue reading

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At the Gate: The Gospel

Sitting at the gate, I see that the Gospel really is good news. In recent posts, I have explored the hermeneutical principles used by Jesus and the first Christians, showing that our declaration as Christians is more appropriately, “the Gospel … Continue reading

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At the Gate: Revive Us Again!

Sitting at the gate, I see the nature and purpose of revivals. In seminary, I took a course about revivals. The focus was on revivals in the Bible, with extra time given to those in Isaiah 6 and Acts 2. … Continue reading

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A Soil Prepared

The Northwest Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church leads the pack of disaffiliating congregations, and does so by a large margin. As I write this, the average disaffiliation rate in the USA is about 7%. In the NWTX … Continue reading

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Engage: The Wilderness

Brueggemann’s reintroduction in the revised edition of this book is worth the price of it because “the wilderness” is where we spend so much time in our journey to the common good. We live between what should not be and … Continue reading

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At the Gate: Now I See!

Sitting at the gate, I see things I did not see before. Many of those things cluster around the word ‘injustice’—things that were going on right before my eyes but I did not see them. Things that created a lopsided … Continue reading

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At the Gate: The First-Christians Hermeneutic

Sitting at the gate, I look one more time at “the Gospel says” interpretive declaration. Following Jesus, it is not surprising that the first Christians interpreted the Hebrew scriptures (and then, Jesus’ teachings too) as Jesus did. Sadly, this did … Continue reading

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At the Gate: The Jesus Hermeneutic

Sitting at the gate, I continue to see the necessity of interpreting the Bible through the lens of the Gospel. My post this past Monday, “The Gospel Says,” described my thinking in this regard. But in doing so, I recognize … Continue reading

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Engage: Journey

We begin reading ‘Journey to the Common Good’ (Revised Edition) tomorrow. I want to offer an introductory reflection today. The metaphor of journey is arguably the main way that Scripture and Tradition describe the spiritual life and its formation in … Continue reading

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At the Gate: The Gospel Says

Sitting at the gate, I see the need for us to be rooted in the Gospel. An article by Walter Brueggemann (9/21/22, link below) has moved me to see and affirm this. To get the full impact of Brueggemann’s article, … Continue reading

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At the Gate: The Power of a Few”

Sitting at the gate, I see the importance of a few ordinary people engaging in the advance of the common good. As you know, the Oboedire community begins a group reading of Walter Brueggemann’s book, ‘Journey to the Common Good” … Continue reading

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At the Gate: CRT

Sitting at the gate, I see the necessity and urgency for critical thinking. Without it, our survival is at stake. Tragically, we are living in a time when critical thinking is in short supply—and worse, when it is discouraged and … Continue reading

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Engage: Oops!

Should have read “scroll down to the post on January 20th to learn more.”

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Engage: Group Begins Next Week

Just a reminder that we begin a common reading of Walter Brueggemann’s book, ‘Journey to the Common Good’ (Revised Edition) on February 1st, with monthly Zoom meetings to share what we are experiencing. You can scroll down to the post … Continue reading

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Wesley Windows: Methodism Considered

When the foundation stone for the New Chapel in London was laid (today called Wesley Chapel) on April 21, 1777, John Wesley preached the dedicatory sermon. In it he addressed the question, “What is Methodism?” He responded,It is “no other … Continue reading

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At the Gate: No Longer Strangers

Sitting at the gate, one of the most encouraging things I see is that religion and science are no loner strangers to one another, that each discipline has reduced its competitiveness toward the other so that a symbiosis can occur. … Continue reading

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Engage: New Group to Start

From its beginning, I have had no intention of conducting an Engage Group on a continuing basis, but only when it seems the experience might serve a useful purpose. In that context, I am announcing a new round of Engage … Continue reading

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At the Gate: The Power of Love

Sitting at the gate, I see the power of love–the power to create, sustain, and redeem. It is the power inherent in the nature of God (1 John 4:8), manifest in Jesus (John 14:1), given to us through the Spirit … Continue reading

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