Homeward Bound

Happy New Year faithful readers of the blog! I am thankful to everyone who reads my content, even as I am not able to post as frequently as I would like to. I did not read as much as I would have liked in 2019 either. Time constraints and some lack of discipline on my part have definitely contributed to this. Nevertheless, I did read some good books. Here is my annual top ten books I read in 2019. 10.  The General vs. The President - H. W. Brands This year I did some historical reading on the era immediately following WW-II and some key events that occurred in the Truman presidency. This book takes a look at two very different leaders (Truman and MacArthur) with very different styles. A clash ensues with global ramifications. A good study, full of practical leadership tips on dealing with difficult people, taking responsibility for decisions, and the sorts of people to surround yourself in the event you find yourself in power. 9.  Great Expectations - Charl...

Last week our Bible Study had fun discussing the topic of prayer and whether the plan of God is "fixed" or "open". We are reading  Celebrating the Disciplines  by Richard Foster  which is a bit mystical and Quaker in its theology. I will say I enjoy reading something that is a bit out of my usual swim lane. Theologically I am hardly a cesationist , and I welcome learning about how we can experience greater intimacy with God and hear His voice. I believe there is a very real aspect of the Christian life that is experiential. So far, I do not have an issue with too many of Foster’s methods. The theology, however, I have found to be problematic at certain points. There was one line in his chapter on prayer where he stated God is continually changing His mind as His children pray: " the Bible stresses so forcefully the openness of our universe that, in an anthropomorphism hard for modern ears, it speaks of God constantly changing his mind in accord with his unc...

My now two year old boy has been having trouble going to sleep. Frequently Montana and I will hear him cry, "Wind, wind!" from his crib. On some evenings if the wind hits the side of the house just right, it will howl. The boy being only two years old is afraid. As he has developed he has grown in his sensitivity to danger, noises, scary things. A few nights ago I held Hudson in his room and I gave him a mini sermon on the sovereignty of God. I started on a naturally human level. I tried to explain to him how the winds is logically not a scary thing. At least not in November in Southern Maryland. Maybe on an island in the Pacific during typhoon season, but not here. Even if it did really blow we are blessed with a structurally sound house that shelters us from its effects. The noise is, just that: noise. It is outside of our house and the noise cannot really do anything to us. "But even if it could harm us, God is sovereign over the wind," I explained. Not...

One of my great struggles is timidity. Fear. Fear of man, fear of failure, fear of not being accepted or approved of. Fear of being derided or lambasted for my beliefs. Far from your classic provocateur, I am not one who enjoys cutting against the common grain. I do not like to stand out. I want to blend in, I do not want to cause fuss. To put it a bit more positively (or negatively), one of my struggles is cowardice. Some people are wired for the battle. They are naturally bold; if you come hard on them there instinct is to come back twice as hard. Me not so much, and much of my struggles revolve around how do I exactly speak up about my faith when an opportunity arises? How do I stand up for what is right when what is wrong is promoted and celebrated? How do I stand for a message and a belief system that is so counter everything our times holds dear? Paul famously   wrote his son in the faith Timothy a passage I may have to glue on every surface in my house, car, and wo...

In economics class I learned about the reality of unintended consequences. Often economic policy through say “minimum wage” or “tariffs on foreign imports” are enacted with good intentions: to get the laborer in a low-income job a little fatter check every two weeks; to give domestic companies the upper hand against the often-subsidized international competition. But what man intended for good, man often just makes plain worse. That minimum wage hike may be more likely to get the laborer laid off than promoted; and that home team advantage tariff is likely to burden your own people just as much as it does the outside competition. Outside of economics, just about every well-intended decision has some kind of unforeseen, unintended consequence. I want to talk about the American church’s well-intentioned plan to make church more appealing to the lost. In the 1990s to the early 2000s seeker sensitivity was all the rage. They argued that with the rise in Biblical illiteracy, churches ...

As the world drifts further away from truth, the truth will look increasingly abnormal to the world. As people of truth, there will be much temptation to smooth the hard edges of the Word of God in order to be seen in a more appealing light. There is pressure to stay relevant, or if not relevant; at least not be the "bigots" the previous generations were. We have seen this softening in much of the Seeker Sensitive church methodology. The padded preaching and the positive and encouraging radio stations. "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life, He is crazy about you!" We see it in many Christians who feel the need to apologize or make excuses for the portions of Scripture our generation has problems with. We see it in the, what I call, Christian motivationalism, where God is your life coach and he is trying to get you to accomplish your goals. "He is for you, not against you!" Many try to straddle the line between the harsh tones of S...

All in David's army attained not to be equal with his few worthies in prowess and honor, and yet did not cashier themselves: thou hast reason to be thankful for the meanest place in the army of saints, the least communications of gospel mercy and grace must not be overlooked. *** The quote above resonated with me as I was plodding through William Gurnall’s Christian in Complete Armour . I have written before about being content with the role God has given you, of giving up notions of "greatness" in exchange for a life of faithfulness, of losing your own ambitions for the cause of the glory of God. These ideas are relevant to the season I am in now. I am learning godliness with contentment in the days of small things. What Gurnall means is there were many in David’s army did not make the top tier of his "Mighty Men." For every name etched in timeless Scripture there were hundreds in the common rank and file who also fought and bled. Yet we do not kn...

September has flown by for me. A complete blur. At the beginning of the month Montana and I were wondering when this "unknown gendered" baby would be born, and what we would name he/she. The name in particular was something that would go down to the wire. On September 4th we welcomed Brooks Martyn Harris into the world. He seemed in a hurry to get out too. We checked into the OB floor 6:40 AM, and baby was born 7:13 AM; that is what you call a close one! I was able to take about a week and a half off work to tend to the family. We were blessed with a meal train, where friends and family brought us food night after night, a tremendous and obvious help. Montana and I have a lot of support and the love from friends and family is quite overwhelming. We are now adjusting to a new rhythm and hoping things start to settle into a new routine. A new normal. Having an infant in the home is not a new thing for us. We can handle the sleep deprivation and the disrupted schedule--w...

This is a link to an excellent post regarding the recent “falling away” of prominent evangelical author and pastor Joshua Harris. The writer of the famous book I Kissed Dating Goodbye announced that he was “deconstructing” and no longer would call himself a Christian. He also gave an apology to the LGBTQ+ community. Other than the well-known book, I know little of Joshua Harris or his ministry. I have grown increasingly unsurprised when those who walked among us for a time leave the fold. I have witnessed not a few friends and prominent evangelicals fall away the last several years.  I do not want to jump to quick reactions thinking that many of these men and women (like Joshua Harris) were never truly earnest or committed to God at one point in their lives. I do not know the thoughts or intents of their hearts. My vantage point is limited—sufficiently so. While it does not surprise me that people will and do leave the faith, it always saddens me. It also causes me...

I have understood Paul’s warnings of idolatry in Romans 1 to be pertaining to the heart level of humanity. When we do not worship God with our hearts and, instead, worship idol substitutes, God gives us over to the self-destruction of our desires. This happens to individuals as well as societies; both micro and macro levels. Nancy Pearcey takes this same passage and applies it to the realm of the mind and worldview. What happens when we reject God in our philosophy and input some limited substitute in His place? The short answer is: things do not work. Pearcey shows that every alternative worldview is at some point unable to answer the questions that are fundamental to human experience. Something self-evident to human existence has to be sacrificed at the altar: “at some point, every idol-based worldview contradicts reality.” Religious Science sacrifices free will. Post-modernism sacrifices obvious reality. Limited constructs cannot contain the majestic whole of the world w...

In the uncertainties of life I am always struck by the constancy of God. There is sureness in the feet that find their footing in Him. I look about me and it is quite overwhelming to consider the possibilities, the dangers, the opportunities, the pitfalls that each present themselves in varying degrees before me. I feel the pull of self, the growlings of my appetites. I see challenges ahead and I am unsure whether to skirt them or charge them head on. I cannot see very far as the road is dark, but if I focus my eyes, it appears to be forking.  Much is uncertain to us, but to God nothing is. Our very lives, the Scripture informs us, are held in the palm of His hand. Psalm 16 is one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, and I frequently go back to the deep security that can be found in the song of David. Verse 5 says, "The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot."  The battle cry of the modern philosophy preaches that we are the authors of our lives. We a...

“Stop listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” Proverbs 19:27 There is a temptation for us to grow arrogant as we grow in knowledge. For those of us who have been church attenders for some time, there can arise an internal pride that groans: “I have heard this all before.” “I have heard this teaching over and over again; could we please do something new?” Sometimes our ears tune out the common refrains in Scripture because we have “been there done that” one too many times. As someone who has grown up in a Christian home, attended a Christian school, studied Bible in college, and been immersed in the local church since day 1—I understand the tendency. The verse above tells us something interesting about human nature in reference to instruction. The father warns his son, if you “stop listening to instruction, you will stray from the words of knowledge.” It is clear that the proper way to walk, the way that accords with the words of know...

Here is a quick life update as there has been a lot going on of late. Montana had a sonogram for baby #2 due in early September, and we praise God everything is going well! The report came back positive; though due to my wife's wishes we did not find out the gender. In some things, it is important to choose your battles wisely! Hudson at a year and a half is getting a lot more "toddlery" which comes with its new set of pros and cons. It can be hard being a little guy! Teething has been painful and he is getting a lot of the bumps and bruises typical with this age; but it is fun to watch him see new things and process the world around him as he grows. We wonder how he will react to a sibling! I have been blessed with some awesome ministry opportunities which are all too cool! I preached back to back weeks the last two weeks (first at The Mission and then at my home church) which I really enjoyed. You can watch my message at Faith Bible Church here . Profe...

I have been wondering recently if social media is worth it. I am sure it is worth it for some people who have been gifted with a platform and the needed wisdom to use the medium well. Social media like most any tool is neutral territory; it is how one uses its powerful functions which determine its suitability for use. Here is my recent thought process on why, for me, the cons seem to outweigh the pros: Pros: 1) I can get a heartbeat of the culture and what is going on in the world.  Perhaps my chief use of social media (largely Twitter) is that I am able to follow theologians, politicians, and other social commentators I respect, and see what they are saying about the events and ideas of the world. Because it is all in real time, it can be helpful to hear what others are saying the moment after something happens. I also use social media to get a feel for what people are into and the questions people are asking. As Christians I believe we need to be listening to the c...

There is a major emphasis in our world at large on leadership, self-improvement, overcoming obstacles, and finding the best version of yourself. Achieving goals and actualizing dreams. You are familiar with the messaging I am sure. It is no surprise to me that such ideas have for a while existed in our modern, Western Christianity. There is enough overlap between the “modern motivationalism” and the New Testament statements of “life abundant” and “be ye transformed”, that the former can be easily conflated with the latter, provided there is a slight cherry picking of the Bible verses to satisfy the majority of the evangelical masses. Many of us see no contradiction in the two messages, and our Christianity is thus shaped by the surrounding culture. The difference between the two is subtle, but nevertheless foundational. Jesus came that we might have life and have it to the full! But this fullness can only be experienced if we let go of ourselves. If we lose ourselves that we migh...