From the Pastors' Desks

This month began with a bang as twenty-five Harvest members participated in the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation’s National Conference in Hershey, PA (19 of us in person plus 6 by live stream). The worship, teaching, and fellowship (and chocolate!) were fantastic. But let me share three examples of how the flywheel is gaining steam as we grow forward.

Election season is an opportunity for the world to reveal its true colors: its lust for power, its hatred of those who disagree, its rejection of reason and discussion, and its delusional conviction that their future well-being is wholly dependent on the outcome of the next election. The whole scene is the sad spectacle of a world that has lost its way because it has lost its sense of God. That is our current cultural context - and it is a tremendous opportunity for the church to be visibly different. It’s a chance for us to show our true colors.

Does your work really matter? Yes, it pays the bills and maybe provides a helpful service to clients – but is your work significant in light of eternity? Does it matter for the kingdom of God? Are there some callings that have more eternal significance than others? For instance, do pastors and missionaries have a ‘higher’ calling? Is our work more significant for eternity? Most Christians have a hard time answering those questions. This is a shame because our forefathers knew the answers very well!

In our progressive, post-Christian culture, Christianity is one giant “No” to things our neighbors deem as essential to personal happiness and fulfillment. Promiscuity, homosexuality and transgenderism are not appealing in and of themselves. The appeal is solely rooted in the conviction that they are a “yes” to human freedom and self-determination. And, in the mind of our neighbors, that makes Christianity a hateful “no” to human flourishing.

The One:Ten Team exists to develop a culture of discipleship at Harvest Church. We are defining discipleship as the process of learning Christ in faith and repentance so that we are growing like Christ in our actions, attitudes, and life’s agenda. When we say that we want to see a culture of discipleship at Harvest, we mean that we want to see the way we act and talk to be increasingly focused on learning and growing in Christ one step at a time.

Paul can describe anxiousness, or concern, as a good thing when directed toward what God desires. Therefore, we become free from anxiety, not by simply making it stop, but by directing our anxiety toward a focused care to know the grace, acceptance, and love of the Father towards us in Christ.

We believe in the catholic church. This is what we confess on a regular basis in our worship services when we read together the historic creeds, such as the Nicene and Apostolic. Perhaps you’ve never thought that much about those words; or, maybe, you’ve recited the words but with a bewilderment or confusion, “…but aren’t we presbyterian? Shouldn’t it be, ‘I believe in the one, true orthodox presbyterian church?’”

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2) Ponder this pivotal command and promise with me for a moment.

It struck me again this past Sunday that the pastor has the best seat in the house. I wish you could see what I see as I look out over the congregation on a Sunday morning. What do I see?

There is a time for everything. These were the verses from Ecclesiastes 3 that we read together as a family our last night in Providence, Rhode Island. They seemed fitting for together we sensed that this was both a sad moment but also a happy one.