Jesus was a master storyteller: “A sower went out to sow…” “There was a man who had two sons…” “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho…” “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a banquet…”

          And these stories that Jesus taught are no simple tales to be confined to a children’s book; they are stories meant to reframe our perspectives, challenge our assumptions, and shift our priorities. So how are they speaking into your life this Easter season? Join us for a six-week series exploring the stories that Jesus told, mining their riches in hopes that we may live more fully into the divine truths that they reveal.

THE STORIES OF JESUS
Click sermon title for video.

April 11, 2021

The Coin in the Fish’s Mouth
Matthew 17: 22-27

We’ve all heard a good fishing tale or two, but none can compare to this one! Peter and Jesus are asked to cover their temple tax, but rather than stressing about this religious expectation Jesus proposes that Peter grab the tacklebox instead. And what happens next? Well, it’s either sheer luck … or God’s grace. Join us for a tale that reminds us of the freedom we have in the Risen Christ.

April 18, 2021

The Parable of the Sower
Matthew 13: 1 – 9

Father Robert Capon says that the parable of the sower is the touchstone of all the parables.  He notes its primacy of place in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.  Even the gnostic Gospel of Thomas includes the parable of the sower.  In Matthew, this parable is the first of a string of parables that follow one another in chapter 13.  The parable of the sower sets the stage for all the parables that follow. Jesus begins the parable by saying, “Listen!” What new things might we hear if we listen?

April 25, 2021

The Parable of the Good Samaritan
Luke 10: 25 – 37

This is a familiar story most people can recite without any rehearsal. Once again, the challenge will be hearing a word that is new or fresh. But then again, maybe we don’t need a new or fresh word on this old story. Maybe we just need to put it into practice. More good Samaritans are needed in a time that is scarred by hate and fear and need. When will we stop talking about our neighbors and start being a neighbor? When was the last time you were willing to be uncomfortable to help someone be comfortable? Still, this story has some surprises that will give us a greater understanding of the love of God.

May 2, 2021

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
Matthew 18: 23 – 35

Forgiving others who have hurt us is one of the most important things we will ever do. Finding happiness and peace in our lives, or lack of it, really does depend on it. But that’s easier said than done, isn’t it? When people hurt us, we instinctively feel a desire for vengeance, and choosing to let it go does not come easily or naturally for us. Whatever we are facing, this parable has a lot to teach us about what forgiveness is, why it is so important to forgive those who hurt us, and where we find the power to forgive.  Beware, this parable packs a punch that’s a shock to the system.

May 9, 2021

The Parable of the Vineyard Workers
Matthew 20: 1 – 16

The story of the vineyard workers is another shocker from Jesus about the grace of God. Does Jesus really want us to believe that God is that unfair? Even life-long Christians are shocked by the outrageous grace God has for slackers and ne’er-do-wells. When we truly recognize the lavish generosity of God’s grace, it flips everything upside down. We stop focusing on what’s ‘fair’ and begin to humbly appreciate God’s unbelievable grace, then maybe we can recognize what those all-day workers missed and live into this great story.

May 16, 2021

The Parable of the Great Banquet
Luke 14: 15 – 24

The plotline in this week’s story is simple. A certian man had planned a great banquet and invites a lot of well-to-do people to attend. But when it was time for the party to start, they were too busy to attend, or so they said. Angry and frustrated by his rude guests, he sends out invitations to those who never get invited to parties. And they come … and there’s room for more. Once again, we are reminded that the kingdom of God is for all people, not just the perfect, popular, or powerful. This story is full of good news and bad news, grace, and judgement.

A SIX-WEEK LENTEN SERIES

Lent is the Christian season of spiritual preparation before Easter. It is a time to reflect on the human condition and on the goodness of God. It is a reflection on the life of Jesus and our life with God.

Christians typically make a commitment to fast, or to give up something for 40 days, to represent the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the wilderness. Often, we give up things such as caffeine, social media, fast food, television shows, and sweets.

But what if we gave up the things that have a deep hold on our hearts and lives? What if we fasted from habits and attitudes that stand between us and the abundant life God has for us. What if we chose to fast from six things that could change everything?

.Chatter     .Bitterness     .Superficiality     .Negativity     .Blame     .Expectations

Perhaps then, we will arrive at Easter and realize that our lives are better without these things, and we can give them up … for good.

February 21 : Chatter

Mark 1: 9 – 15 // Psalm 62: 1 – 2
Key Verse: For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. -Ps 62:1

We live in a noisy world of chatter. Email. Music. Podcasts. Netflix. Social media. Breaking News … the chatter never stops. Even when we are quiet the constant chatter fills our minds. The habits of silence and stillness are an invitation to back away from the chatter into a more attentive and intentional life. Continually Jesus withdrew from the chatter to be alone with God.

February 28 : Bitterness

Hebrews 12:15 // 1 Corinthians 13: 4 – 6 // Luke 15: 25 – 32
Key Verse: See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and through it many become defiled. -Heb 12:15

Bitterness is unforgiveness fermented. It’s what grows inside of us when we hold onto a hurt instead of releasing it. The impact of bitterness is physically, emotionally, and spiritually damaging. Bitterness keeps us locked in the past and robs us of living joyfully in the present. Nothing good ever comes from holding onto it.  Giving up bitterness will require God’s help.

March 7 : Superficiality

Luke 18: 9 – 14
Key Verse: I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted. -Lk 18:14

“Superficiality is the curse of our age. The desperate need today is not for a greater number of intelligent people or gifted people, but for deep people.”  Richard J. Foster wrote this forty years ago (Celebration of Discipline), but he could have written them yesterday. We are too content to swim in the shallow waters of our faith. Giving up superficiality requires curiosity and honesty.

March 14 : Negativity

Romans 12:2 // Colossians 3: 12 – 20
Key Verse: Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect. –Rom 12:2

Remaining positive in a negative world can be tough, but the outlook we choose impacts every area of our life. A negative approach brings more negativity and blinds us to the beauty that’s all around. Anger, complaining, ingratitude, gossip, judgement, pessimism, sarcasm, self-doubt are some of the ways that negativity shows up in everyday life. Giving it up requires a change of heart and mind.

March 21 : Blame

Nehemiah 1: 4 – 11 // Psalm 51: 10 – 12
Key Verse: Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer of your servant that I now pray before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel, confessing the sins of the people of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Both I and my family have sinned. -Neh 1:6

When things go wrong it’s easier to blame others than to take a deeper look at why we made the mistake and face possible consequences. But the outcome of not accepting responsibility for our actions is much greater. This has been going on since Eve blamed the serpent and Adam blamed Eve. Taking responsibility for our actions is necessary for healing our relationships and for our spiritual and emotional development.

March 28 (Palm Sunday) : Expectations

Mark 8: 31 – 37 //  Mark 11: 1 – 10
Key Verse: For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. -Mk 8:35

The disciples believed Jesus would be anointed a king in Jerusalem. A suffering dead messiah did not match their expectations at all. They expected success not failure – joy not, sorrow – a crown, not a cross. When the expectations of the crowds who cheered for Jesus on Palm Sunday were not met, they demanded he be crucified. Our expectations often get in the way of following Jesus.

ASH WEDNESDAY – February 17

A 15-minute devotional to use at any time – before or after work, a midday break, an evening reflection to close the day. Posting to YouTube Channel Wednesday morning. At youtube.com, search: Harvard Avenue Christian Church – and click ‘subscribe’ for instant reminders of new posts!

MAUNDY THURSDAY – April 1

6:30pm         sanctuary
– Rev. Courtney Richards, preaching
(livestream via YouTube and Facebook)

GOOD FRIDAY – April 2

6:30pm         sanctuary
– Rev. Kevin Howe, preaching
(livestream via YouTube and Facebook) 

EASTER WEEKEND – April 3 & 4

…5:30pm   Saturday April 3     AND      10:00am   Sunday April 4
*RISING WORSHIP
-northwest patio (bring a chair!)
Children’s Easter Egg Hunt follows! (Saturday)

…9:00am     AND     11:00am    Sunday April 4
*TRADITIONAL WORSHIP
– sanctuary
(livestream via YouTube and Facebook)

As we mentioned in today’s e-news, beginning this Sunday (December 6), we’ll include a chat feature with our livestream worship. Say hello to each other, share prayer concerns (that you’re able to offer publicly), learn about who’s leading worship, or something about music being offered. You’ll be joined online by Connections Pastor Courtney Richards.

If you’re new to Facebook Live and YouTube livestream chat features, here’s a quick tutorial:

We all hit dense patches of fog at some point in our life. Whether it is personal, spiritual, or professional, the fog creeps in quick and we cannot seem to get clarity on what to do, what the next move is, or even what direction to go in. What do you do when the fog rolls in?

In Romans Chapter 12 Paul talks about living a transformed life. In response to the mercies of God live differently. True worship is how we live out the love of Jesus.

In Romans 12:9-21 Paul gives us a list of traits that demonstrate a transformed life. There are as many as 30 traits in that list. These are timeless and eternal principles that are beacons when the fog rolls in. When the way is not clear and everything has changed these beacons give us confidence and direction. Everything has changed but in a sense nothing has changed too. No matter what is happening in the world we are called to become more like Christ.

I want to drill down and dig into this text rather than just pass it over. With each message I will pull something from the life of Jesus that demonstrates this particular trait. Each week we will read the whole text: Romans 12:9-21.

Be part of this deep dive with me!
Rev. David Emery, Lead Pastor

September 6.  The beacon of love. (Romans 12:9-11)
Paul says don’t fake it.  Don’t be a hypocrite. Love must be sincere. Love must be genuine. It’s not some gushy feeling, or something that we fall into. It is an intentional choice that we make. He talks about devotion, honor, zeal in serving.

September 13  Don’t run from hard. (Romans 12:12-13)
When things get hard we want to run from it. We want to avoid things. But Paul says don’t run from hard. Instead Rejoice in Hope. Be patient with affliction. Be steadfast in prayer.

September 20 Grow your empathy. (Romans 12:14-16)
Paul says mourn with those who mourn. People do not need our advice. They need our empathy. Going to talk about the power of empathy and how we grow it.

September 27  Do the right thing. (Roman 12:17-21)
Paul says do the right thing in the eyes of everyone. In other words do what is right no matter what. Don’t add to the misery that already exists. Don’t sink to that level. Live by the principles that you have in Christ. Don’t repay evil with evil. Live as best you can in peace with others. How do we do that when people are so divided at this time. This is about loving and forgiving our enemies and those who hurt us.

HARVARD IN THE BACKYARD

Harvard in the Backyard is a chance for you to invite someone to church without coming to the building. It’s a chance to say ‘This is something that matters to me. I think you might like it too.’ This is your opportunity to grow the church and expand our reach without needing to add a brick or break a sweat. Invite someone to church – by inviting them to your backyard!

The story begins in Philippi where Paul introduces three individuals that were all enslaved by the kind of things that we often choose over the gospel: Lydia, the business executive; the slave girl; and the hard-working jailer. Their lives portray dysfunction and emptiness, but are totally transformed by the Gospel. True joy and Christ’s love begin to live within them, giving them a life of purpose.

‘Philippians is a meantime epistle,’ David Emery said. ‘It’s Paul saying there is joy to be found, always, where we are.’

Joy, No Matter What : a study of Philippians
6-session video & study guide

If you plan to host a group LET US KNOW.
Tell us who’s joining you! (And send us a picture of your group together!)
And if you plan to study on your own, let us know that too!

DISCUSSION GUIDE (complete)
intro, background, getting started, plus six individual session guides

Session 1 : LOVE No Matter What
discussion guide

Held every 6 – 8 weeks, the Be Here! event is a great evening of casual conversation, questions and answers, time with pastors, and meeting others who are also sort-of-new to the Harvard Ave community. If you’ve wondered about connecting to Harvard Avenue, what it means to be a member, why that kind of thing even matters, then BE HERE events are for you.

Ordinarily,

our Harvard Avenue families created a ministry to host casual gatherings in their homes, providing a relaxed atmosphere and great time together. This is a wonderful opportunity to explore connections in church life; learn about our programs, practices, and ministries; and consider what it might means to become a member of Harvard Avenue Christian Church.

But IN THE MEANTIME, 

even though we can’t gather in someone’s living room like we usually would, we can each ‘gather’ in our own! Our first Be (Virtually) Here! event will be Tuesday June 2 @ 6pm. If you’re new-ish to Harvard Ave and ready to find our more, this is for you!

To RSVP (you’ll receive the link for an online meeting room) – or with other questions about the people and ministries at Harvard Avenue Christian Church – contact Connections Pastor Courtney Richards.

Outreach Ministry Team Lead Diana Booren, along with Community Pastor Kevin Howe, have created this quarterly update (click image below) to keep us posted on the ministries we are part of – and how to do more!

Fully committed to our ‘Become.’ core value, discover community engagement at Harvard Avenue as part of the ‘big picture’ of who we are.

Summer ’19: Support Grimes Elementary  // A Letter from Francis // Coming Events : Family Promise, Bridges Out of Poverty, JustHope’s Wine to Water

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