Growing up, we had a birthday song in our family whose lyrics were a bit dark – although they were certainly true. Every birthday we would sing the song loudly, and as poorly as possible, to demonstrate our love to one another. This tradition has been assimilated by my own family, and even some of our friends sing along and have embraced this “rich” tradition.

It seems that I can’t have a simple conversation lately without someone expressing their anger toward a person, a situation, or a group. Honestly, it seems that much of the time, this anger is being expressed by me! There are so many things wrong in our world, that even the most restrained person can slip into anger, (and I am not the most restrained person!).

Every year I get accused of being a Grinch. I have the shirt, I read the book, and I watched all the movies.

I am not one who is naturally motivated to exercise. I need to find my motivation to run. This motivation appears comes from an external source rather than from an internal motivation.

One of my first steps into adulthood was learning how to tithe. I can remember being taught that a believer is to be generous and that the attitude and character of the believer should be the same as Christ Jesus, (Philippians 2). Therefore, every believer should practice the discipline of giving because Jesus is a sacrificial giver.

As I have walked this journey of the faith for the past 48 years, I have learned that there are many times that God calls us to step outside of our fears and walk out our faith boldly. If we live according to our five senses, we will find ourselves being terrified and not able to walk by faith. The events of 2020 will challenge every single believer’s faith.

You have probably received your ballot in the mail this week and you are being bombarded with ads, mailers, emails, and texts telling you that the future of our country hangs in the balance. Both sides of the aisle, and the middle, are screaming that the sky is falling and only their candidates can keep it from crushing us all.

I don’t know about you, but after watching just a few minutes of the presidential debate, I was left hopeless. After reading the transcript (which was quite difficult with the candidates talking over each other), I was just as hopeless. This is not a statement about either of the candidates, as much as a statement of my acknowledged need for hope.

COVID-19 has certainly introduced a great deal of change to our lives. These changes tend to create angst, stress, worry, and anxiousness. Whether you generally like change or not, most of us struggle with change that is thrust upon us.

Why is an invitation more important than a welcome?

From the very beginning of Scripture to the very end, we see God inviting mankind into deep community with Himself.

“Peace on earth, upon whom His favor rests!”

I think we all believe that peace is a good thing. Those that make peace are considered sons of God. We want a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Every culture has various rites of passage that help its members grow, develop, and know where they stand in society. Some cultures define the rite of passage into adulthood as an age. While others base this passage upon the accomplishment of the individual.

August is generally a month that is filled with busyness and craziness. This year, it may not be activities that is contributing to the craziness but the new methods being asked of us. Many parents are struggling with how to manage reengagement with school and work in a way that is so much more nuanced than a year ago.

Much has been said about discipleship – possibly more than any other subject in the church history. What I am about to write to you as a church family is not about imparting new knowledge or some secret insight. I am merely writing to define some terms that we use at HarvestDowntown and to ask for your help.

Why do so many of us pretend that we are not afraid? If you cannot define your fears, then are you self-aware? I have learned over the years that I am always afraid of something at any given moment.

A couple of years ago, we were considering broadcasting our entire service. This led to various discussions and debates about the role of the church in the believer’s life. Our conclusion was that it was a short jump from offering our service to those who were stuck on the road or at home, to offering the service to our church community to view at their convenience.

You may not consider using the word “exciting” to describe the season we are living in, and some may even consider me tone deaf. However, I want to share why I believe you need to hear this exciting news and what it is.

Let’s be honest with ourselves – we all have personal biases! You are just deceiving yourself when you think that you don’t filter information, news, relationships, or politics through a personal bias. You are not deceiving anyone else – just yourself!

You may believe this or not, but I am regularly accused of being silent on issues that confront our church community. I want to assure you, that I am choosing to remain silent in order to gain perspective, or I am remaining silent to understand the issue. Sometimes the issue is more nuanced than I may perceive, or the issue is not as complex as I might think.

It has been called to my attention that many in our church community need more clarity as to what re-entry into proximity is going to look like. The statement was, “Please be explicit!” So here is the most explicit blog I will write!