The Rev. G. Hendree Harrison Jr.
Consider This…
Worried about the wrong party
Jesus once told a terrible story about a king who did some terrible things. The king had a good and a generous impulse that turned sour quickly. He wanted to throw a party and invite everyone he knew.
Let the loss of him remind you of the gift of him
A long time ago, we welcomed a son, a baby boy, into our home and our lives. We brought him to church on Palm Sunday and all our friends rejoiced and shouted, Alleluia, as if he was the Christ born into the vineyard on the wings of grace…
The bread-keeper
Lord is not exactly Jesus’ nickname, but when someone wants to get his attention in a crowd as often as not they’ll shout, “Lord!” and he’ll turn in their direction. When Peter was sinking in the sea he called out…
Forgive and Feed
Jesus has two go-to moves: Forgive and Feed. No matter what’s happening in your life, whether it’s a good day or a bad day, whether things are falling apart or building to new heights…
The Humble and the Scared, Part 2
The scared are often very serious. Their fear makes them worry about who’s right and who’s wrong. The seriousness of the scared messes with their memory and makes them forget that life is for…
The Humble and the Scared, Part 1
I have been thinking that perhaps there are two ways to move through life - scared or humble. That’s an oversimplification, no doubt about it, but sometimes…
The tall man and the little boy
I watched a tall man do something really kind in a quiet way for a small child a while back. Here’s what happened…
What’s not to like?
A wise and tenderhearted woman said to me recently, “What does it even mean to not like someone?” What a good question. For us, Christians that is, it doesn’t mean much. In fact, I think…
Rough talk
I heard a rough man say once, “I’d go to his funeral just to make sure he was dead.” I’ve heard a lot of rough things said by a lot of really rough people, but for some reason…
Voices rising
I went to an outdoor concert in our city a few weeks ago with my wife in the new park by the basketball arena downtown. The park is pretty big but it feels like it’s hidden in our midst. What I mean is…
You have a soul
You have a soul. Your soul is the essence of you. It is the deepest, most fundamental part of you; it’s like the…
Love affair continued
I was walking down Limestone Avenue with my wife when I heard someone call out my name. I stopped and turned toward the voice. It was a…
Life is a love affiar
Life is a love affair, or it should be. We are here to fall in love with God and each other. That’s the meaning of life. Which is good news for Christians because…
An enemy has done this
The devil’s favorite thing to do is turn us against each other. In Jesus’ parable of the weeds and the wheat the servants of a master find that the wheat field has lots and lots of weeds growing in it. They come to the master and say…
A dangerous use of time
One of the most dangerous ways to spend your time is on how you think other people should behave and live their lives. It is not dangerous because you’ll die if you do it; it’s dangerous because…
The little flowers
The girl was 15 years old when her mother died. She was unspeakably devastated, sorrow became her name and fear her constant companion. I don’t know whose idea it was, but someone thought the girl should…
I will sit with you forever
A perfectly healthy, athletic young man became very sick and was hospitalized for nearly two weeks. His doctors never did discover the…
Retain or forgive
Not long before he died Jesus said this to his friends, “You have power to retain the sins of others, and you have the power to forgive the sins of others.” I think that’s his best relationship advice.
Water from a rock
The Israelites were mad at Moses, really mad, for something that was out of his control. They wanted him to produce water in the desert because they were darn near dying of thirst. He looked all around and…