Harvard Avenue Christian Church

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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’ […]

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) […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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.