Harvard Avenue Christian Church

Said No One Ever

Text: Matthew 16:21-28 Theme Verse: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” (Mt 16:24) They are popular Facebook memes and witty ripostes at cocktail parties. A sudden putdown when an apparently positive statement is ridiculed by a simple addendum: “Said no one ever!” […]

Ready Set Go :: Lemon Drop Hill

Text: Luke 4:14-21 Theme Verse: “Jesus rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he said, “Today, this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:20-21) // Once you’ve launched and the adrenaline drains, how do you […]

Ready Set Go :: Really.

Text: 1 Samuel 17:31-37 Theme Verse: “Let no one’s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”(1 Sam 17:32) // The starting gun fires and a rush of adrenaline is released into your body. The multiple stimuli you experience can be overwhelming even as it is exhilarating. The moment […]

Ready Set Go :: Now?

Text: Matthew 14:22-36 Theme Verse: “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”He said, “Come.”(Matthew 14:28-29) // More than once I’ve called for my children to come to me and been met with the response: “You mean now?” We can be prayed up, studied up, and geared up to […]

Ready Set Go :: False Start

Text: Colossians 4: 2 – 6 Theme Verse: “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.” (Col 4:2) // Have you ever been so excited about something that you jumped right in before you knew what you were jumping in to? Have you ever dreaded something so much that you resisted facing it […]

Hello! July :: Convinced

Text: Romans 8: 26 – 39 Theme Verse: “For I am convinced that …{nothing} in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 8:39) // Summer has us busy and moving in many directions. Four preachers in five weeks shows us ministry life is […]

Hello! July :: Skillful Means

Text: Proverbs 3:19-35 Theme Verse: “Do not plan harm against your neighbor who lives trustingly beside you.”(Proverbs 3:29) // In some traditions, the term skillful means is used to describe an approach to making decisions and dealing with problems in a way that is appropriate to the situation and causes no harm. Skillful means always […]

Hello! July :: Crossing the Line

Text: Luke 9:57-62 Theme Verse: “Jesus said, ‘ No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”(Luke 9:62) // What is the price of commitment to, well, anything? When Vince Lombardi was a basketball coach at Fordham in the early 1940s, he used to have […]

Hello! July :: Anchored

Text: Hebrews 6:13-20a Theme Verse: “We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain.” (Hebrew 6:19) // While we’re approaching mid-summer, perhaps the lazy days of summer are a thing of the past. No matter the season, there is always so much to […]

Hello! July :: Party Time!

Text: Luke 14:1-14 // Summer is the season of celebrations and parties. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus is found enjoying the company of others at banquets, dinners and other social gatherings. In fact, he offers some important party etiquette for us to take to heart. So, consider this your party invitation to join us for our […]

Road Trip :: Worth Stopping For

Text: Acts 8:26-40 Theme Verse: “As they were going along the road, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water!What is to prevent me from being baptized?”(Acts 8:36) // Everyone’s approach to a road trip seems to differ. Some are destination oriented –“Get me there as quickly as possible!”Others embrace […]

Road Trip :: Being Where You Are

Text: Matthew 6:25-34 (The Message) Theme Verse: “Give your attention to what God is doing right now and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.” (Matthew 6:34 The Message) // Many of us get lost in the details while traveling. We are constantly thinking ahead and managing a schedule of […]

Road Trip :: Getting Out of the Garage

Text: Luke 9:1-6 Theme Verse: “Take nothing for your journey, no staff, nor bag, nor bread, nor money – not even an extra tunic.”(Luke 9:3) // Packing for a trip is hard. We want to take the right things with us just in case some particular item is perfect for whatever situation arises. We pack […]

Everyday Believer {Pentecost}

Text: Psalm 104:24 – 33 Theme Verse: “When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.” (Ps 104:30) // The English word ‘Pentecost’ is a transliteration of the Greek word pentekostos which means ‘fifty’. For Christians, it comes about fifty days after Easter and is the day […]

JustBe Conspiracy :: Become.

Text: 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 Theme Verse: “If anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!”(2 Corinthians 5:17) //  Be reconciled. Reconciliation often infers some previous fracture in need of healing. Paul says such a need for reconciliation could require the single focus of an […]

JustBe Conspiracy :: Believe.

Text: John 4:39-42 Theme Verse: “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world.” (John 4:42) // “Because I said so!” We’ve all heard that phrase (and may have used it ourselves). Typically, it […]

JustBe Conspiracy :: Be Loved.

Text: Ephesians 3:14-19 Theme Verse: “And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, you’ll be able to take in the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love.”(Ephesians 3:17) // How deep and wide is love? Most of us have claimed some measure of love. We know ‘ all the feels’ and we’ ve […]

Youth Sunday

Our annual celebration of faith and expression led by our junior high and high school youth. This year honoring six seniors, who each offer a message of how THEIR faith is expressed: Haley Baker & Gillian Payne – expression of faith through worship Abby Clary – expression of faith through creation Alicia Muro – expression […]

Resurrection :: Still ?

text :: Matthew 28: 1 – 15 theme verse :: “And this story is still told among the Jews to this day.” (Mt 28:15b) // “How long does Easter last?” It’s a common and natural question. Like many things, we have culturally made Easter one festive occasion: new clothes, worship with grandma, and a lunch […]

Resurrection :: Nothing to Anyone

Text: Mark 16: 1 – 8 Theme Verse: “… and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.” (Mark 16: 8) // Even with all the time we’ve just spent together in worship, in extra worship, with programs and events and projects, did you realize: Easter has just begun? Easter is a season. The […]

All Groan Up :: Begin Again {Easter}

Text: John 20:1-18 Theme Verse: “Then the disciples returned to their homes.”(John 20:10) // The celebration following a big ‘ win’ of any kind can only last for so long. At some point, everyone returns to their homes. Some bask in the victory a bit longer. Some wonder, “What now?” Some immediately begin training for […]

Tenebrae: A Service of Darkness {Good Friday}

A choral worship cantata (by Hal H. Hopson), this series of readings and music centers on the last hours of Christ’s life, as he prepared for and suffered death on the cross. // There are moments of quiet between readings and songs. After several of the readings you may hear, within that silence, a small […]

And It Was Night … {Maundy Thursday}

A service of worship centered on the Last Supper of Jesus with his disciples. // Text: John 13: 21 – 30. preaching : Rev Mark Briley // This audio excerpt opens with the blues tune blend ’11th Commandment/Well Well Well’ (B. Harper/B. Dylan), offered as ‘The Set Up’ before the reading of the text and […]

All Groan Up :: Culmination

Text: John 12:12-19 Theme Verse: “The Pharisees took one look and threw up their hands: “It’s out of control. The world’s in a stampede after him.” (John 12:19) // It is often in hindsight that we say, “That’s when everything changed.” The tension may be building and the proverbial ‘writing may be on the wall’ […]

All Groan Up :: Conflict

Text: John 11:45-57 Theme Verse: “What do we do now? This man keeps on doing things, creating God-signs. If we let him go on, pretty soon everyone will be believing in him and the Romans will come and remove what little power and privilege we still have.” – The Pharisees and High Priests (John 11:47-48) […]

All Groan Up :: Grace

Text: John 8: 2 – 11 Theme Verse: “The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone.” (John 8:7) // Can you imagine gathering for worship each Sunday with the main attraction of the service being an opportunity to stone the week’s premier sinner from among the congregation? With the cultural draw toward violence, […]

All Groan Up :: Adaptation

Text: John 4:5-29 Theme Verse: “Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before him in their worship.” (John 4:23) // The woman named only by the place she is from encounters Jesus in […]

All Groan Up :: Sustenance

Text: John 4:31-38 Theme Verse: “The food that keeps me going is that I do the will of the One who sent me.” – Jesus (John 4:34) // Everyone is counting calories these days. And yes, there’ s an app for that. Metabolism shifts over time and our body’ s needs change as well. When […]

All Groan Up :: Transition

Text: John 3:1-9 Theme Verse: “How can anyone be born who has already been born and grown up?”– Nicodemus (John 3:4) // Life is full of transition. We get that. We even anticipate it. Even so, timing often creeps up on us, surprises us, and leaves us wondering, “What just happened?”The season of Lent is […]

Karaoke Faith {Ash Wednesday}

Text: Mark 1: 40 – 45 reader : Rev Courtney Richards preaching : Rev Kevin Howe // A homily for Ash Wednesday, to begin the season of Lent. // *Also included in this recording: special music ‘Take My Life’ (C.L. Bass) – tenor soloist Todd Maxwell, piano Susie Monger-Daugherty.

Foundational Texts :: You Are Here

Text: Matthew 25:31-46 Theme Verse: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40) // So much of scripture, especially Paul’s letters, refer to fellow Christians as family – brothers and sisters. We live this out well as church […]

Foundational Texts :: 1 + 1 = 613

Text: Matthew 22:34-40 Theme Verse: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” (Matthew 22:36) // I have often been advised, and in turn advise others, “Don’t do the math.” This turn of phrase is most widely used as a way of saying, “It’s complicated – don’t try to figure it out.” For the […]

Foundational Texts :: The Lord Is…

Text: Psalm 23 Theme Verse: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1) // When all hell breaks loose in your life, what do you hold onto? What grounds you in such uncertainty if anything at all? The 23rd Psalm is perhaps the most recognizable passage in all of Scripture. Many memorized […]

Foundational Texts :: You Have Heard It Said…

Text: Matthew 5: 38 – 48 Theme Verse: “You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” (Mt 5:38) // Psychologists tell us that revenge fantasies can be a healthy way of assuaging our feelings of victimhood when we are wronged. Jesus, on the other hand, […]

You Have My :: … Future

Text: Jeremiah 29: 10 – 14 Theme Verse: “For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord…” (Jeremiah 29:11) // “Where do you see yourself five years from now?” Interviewers love asking job applicants such things as do guidance counselor and life coaches. What are your hopes? Where do you see […]

You Have My :: … People

Text: 1 Corinthians 1:10-18 Theme Verse: “I appeal to you… that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose.” (1 Cor 1:10) // Paul’s plea was for everyone in the Corinthian church to “be in agreement,” to have “no divisions among [them]” and to “be united in the same mind and the […]

You Have My :: … Mess

Text: Psalm 40:1-11 Theme Verse: “He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.” (Psalm 40:2) // We’ve all been there. The moment we’re ready to turn in our resignation, suffocating under the stress of the job, and its only […]

You Have My :: …Word

Text: John 7: 37 – 44 Theme Verse: “Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ (John 7:38b) // Flow. The word itself stops me in my tracks. There’s movement, yes, but not just any movement. It’s fashioned with a rhythm that maximizes potential. Something that flows coordinates with the elements around […]

Christmas Day

We gathered for one worship service this morning, children and adults together. In a casual and lively atmosphere, we sang Christmas hymns and shared stories of waiting for things to happen. An intergenerational scavenger hunt drew together 20 cards with verses of scripture, telling the story of Anna and Simeon meeting the newborn Jesus at […]

Giving Voice to Christmas {Christmas Eve}

based on Luke 2: 1 – 20 preaching: Rev Mark Briley

Sing Noel! {Traditional worship cantata}

a Christmas Cantata (traditional worship) reader – Mike Moore Harvard Avenue Chancel Choir, Handbell Choir, Orchestra: director – Kelly Ford

Christmas in Tune III {The Rising worship concert}

all-music worship at The Rising (casual service) The Rising Band: leader – Isaac Herbert

A Stable Influence :: JOY

A Stable Influence :: PEACE

Text: Romans 15:4-13 Theme Verse: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13) // The Human Library Project sponsors events around the world in which people of wildly different backgrounds and experiences volunteer […]

A Stable Influence :: HOPE

Text: Hebrews 6:13-20 Theme Verse: “We have this hope, a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters the inner shrine behind the curtain.” (Hebrews 6:19) // Hoping and waiting. Hoping and waiting. A child hopes for something tangible and repeats aloud the hope over and over again thinking he can speak […]

Pay It Forward :: What Can I Give?

Text: Psalm 116 Theme Verse: “What can I give back to God for the blessings he’s poured out on me?” (Psalm 116:12) // Have you ever known a person who is always generous? They may or may not have the most material possessions. They may, in fact, have very few resources. Regardless, they have a […]

Pay It Forward :: But by the grace…

Text: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Theme Verse: “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me has not been in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:10a) // People have worn themselves out in attempts to re-pay God for, well, everything. The spirit is noble: “I’ll pay my own way.” “No freebies.” […]

Pay It Forward :: What Do I Owe?

Text: Romans 1:8-17 Theme Verse: “I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.” (Romans 1:14) // It may be the most awkward question in the English language: “What do I owe?” We often ask after we’ve received something of value. We are uncertain of the […]

UNSeries :: What Are You Teaching These Days?

Text: Luke 6:37-42 Theme Verse: “A disciple is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully qualified will be like the teacher.” (Luke 6:40) // Whether we are aware of it or not, all of us are teaching something – just about all the time. What are people learning from us and about us […]

UNseries :: Living Word

Text: James 1:19-26 Theme Verse: “But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers but doers who act – they will be blessed in their doing.” (James 1:25) // You might call the letter of James a practical primer for living faith. In a culture obsessed with […]