Category : * By Kendall

Commentary and analysis by blog convener the Rev. Canon Dr. Kendall Harmon

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–Gripped by Awed Amazement at the Sea of Galilee (Luke 5:1-11)

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Christology, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology: Scripture

(JE) Anglican Theologian warns that Churches in the west are embracing a pagan anthropology

Deploying the phrase “the pew never rises higher than the pulpit,” Harmon noted that a good sermon is organized, biblical, and applies the bible to daily life. In contrast, he lamented the state of American preaching ministry as “woefully inadequate.”

“It has to have its primary content from the Bible, it has to be clearly structured so that as a listener you can follow it,” Harmon quoted Simeon as saying. “You take them to the average American pulpit and the guy gets up there and he’s mumbling this strange amorphous set of pithy sayings and interesting jokes as if it’s some kind of entertainment seminar. The person’s already hit the off button.”

“I concede that [the state of the American church] is depressing, but it’s only depressing if you don’t believe it’s the truth. If it is the truth, for our God every obstacle is always an opportunity.”

Read it all.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * By Kendall, - Anglican: Analysis, Anthropology, Ethics / Moral Theology, Theology, Theology: Scripture

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–Back to Basics at the Synagogue at Nazareth (Luke 4:14-21)

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, - Anglican: Analysis, Christology, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology: Scripture

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–The Baptism of Jesus and the Judgment of God (John 3:10-22)

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology: Scripture

Kendall Harmon’s Sermon for the first Sunday of Christmas: Have we Grasped the Central Theological Claim of Christmas (John 1:14)?

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Christmas, Ministry of the Ordained, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–The God who is at Work and Who provides (1 Kings 17:8-16)

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–The Nature and Purpose of Marriage (Genesis 2)

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, Ethics / Moral Theology, Marriage & Family, Sermons & Teachings

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–We are called to Listen to God (Isaiah 50:4-9)

And in the morning, a great while before day, he rose and went out to a lonely place, and there he prayed (Mark 1:35).

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Christology, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology: Scripture

Kendall Harmon for 9/11: Number 343


(You may find the names of all 343 firefighters here–KSH).

On Monday this week, the last of the 343 firefighters who died on September 11th was buried. Because no remains of Michael Ragusa, age 29, of Engine Company 279, were found and identified, his family placed in his coffin a very small vial of his blood, donated years ago to a bone-marrow clinic. At the funeral service Michael’s mother Dee read an excerpt from her son’s diary on the occasion of the death of a colleague. “It is always sad and tragic when a fellow firefighter dies,” Michael Ragusa wrote, “especially when he is young and had everything to live for.” Indeed. And what a sobering reminder of how many died and the awful circumstances in which they perished that it took until this week to bury the last one.

So here is to the clergy, the ministers, rabbis, imams and others, who have done all these burials and sought to help all these grieving families. And here is to the families who lost loved ones and had to cope with burials in which sometimes they didn’t even have remains of the one who died. And here, too, is to the remarkable ministry of the Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, who played every single service for all 343 firefighters who lost their lives. The Society chose not to end any service at which they played with an up-tempo march until the last firefighter was buried.

On Monday, in Bergen Beach, Brooklyn, the Society therefore played “Garry Owen” and “Atholl Highlander,” for the first time since 9/11 as the last firefighter killed on that day was laid in the earth. On the two year anniversary here is to New York, wounded and more sober, but ever hopeful and still marching.

–First published on this blog September 11, 2003

Posted in * By Kendall, America/U.S.A., Anthropology, Death / Burial / Funerals, Liturgy, Music, Worship, Police/Fire, Terrorism

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–How are we as Christians to understand Work? (For Labor Day)

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Anthropology, Ethics / Moral Theology, Labor/Labor Unions/Labor Market, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology, Theology: Scripture

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–Are We Living Wisely? Are we Making the Most of the Time? (Ephesians 5:15-20)

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Anthropology, Ethics / Moral Theology, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology, Theology: Holy Spirit (Pneumatology), Theology: Scripture

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–In the Morning you shall see, in the Evening you shall know (Exodus 16:2-15)

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there. The full Eddie Rickenbacker story with which the sermon concludes was posted yesterday.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology: Scripture

The Joy of Reading

Posted in * By Kendall, Animals, Books, Harmon Family

Blog Post Frequency will go down while Taking a Break for Summer Vacation

We are headed for a break and for a rare occasion when all of the 5 Harmons can be together.

I have been at this blog since the first part of 2003, and it is time for a break. As I am constantly insisting to my friends, none of us is indispensable, and this is a way of living that out by yours truly. Remember I told you I am the type of person who goes to bed every night just a little sad–only a little–about how much I don’t know (and still wish to find out). So moving away from the information addiction for me will not necessarily be easy–but it is important–KSH.

Posted in * By Kendall, Blogging & the Internet, Harmon Family

A recent Kendall Harmon Sermon: Living as a Christian with suffering and Weakness (2 Corinthians 12)

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology: Scripture

A Prayer to Begin the Day from Kendall Harmon

Almighty and everlasting Father, we pray that by through the ministry and might of your Holy Spirit, you may open your word to our hearts, and our hearts to your word; speak, Lord, for your servants seek to hear, in Jesus precious name. Amen.

–Used by yours truly often before sermons, I have no idea when it first came to me but I have been using it every since; KSH.

Posted in * By Kendall, Preaching / Homiletics, Spirituality/Prayer

Kendall Harmon’s Sermon for Trinity Sunday 2018–3 Basic Questions about the Doctrine of the Holy Trinity

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, The Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Kendall Harmon’s Sermon for Pentecost 2018–Are We leading lives built on the Foundation of the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2)?

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Parish Ministry, Pentecost, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings

Temah Harmon RIP

Posted in Animals, Harmon Family

A Kendall Harmon Sermon–What is the significance of the Ascension for Christians (Acts 1:1-8)?

You can listen directly there and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Ascension, Ministry of the Ordained, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings

Kendall Harmon’s recent Sunday Sermon–Good News for a Confused and Concerned Church (1 John 5:1-6)

You can listen directly here and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology: Scripture

All of the Teaching Resources for the Fifth Basic Christian Theology Class of the Diocese of South Carolina are online

For those interested, you may find the audio, outline and handout for the class there.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Sermons & Teachings, Theology

A Kendall Harmon Sermon on the Morning Bible Reading–the Parable of the Rich Fool

Check it out in whichever format you prefer.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings

Kendall Harmon’s recent Sunday Sermon–How Does one lead An Easter Life? (Psalm 23)

You can listen directly here and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Ministry of the Ordained, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology: Scripture

A Prayer to Begin the Day from Kendall Harmon

Almighty Father, you made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm, and nothing is too difficult for you, grant us this day to follow you in the path you have called for us to walk in, led by the strength of the Holy Spirit and in wisdom, and infused with a proper awe of your majesty, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Posted in * By Kendall, Spirituality/Prayer

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–What does an Easter Church Really Look like? (John 20:19-31)

You can listen directly here and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Easter, Ministry of the Ordained, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Theology, Theology: Scripture

Kendall Harmon’s 2018 Maundy Thursday Sermon

You can listen directly here and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Atonement, Christology, Holy Week, Ministry of the Ordained, Sermons & Teachings, Soteriology, Theodicy, Theology, Theology: Scripture

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon–Can we Learn to understand repetance as a gift of God’s grace (Psalm 51)

You can listen directly here and download the mp3 there.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Anthropology, Christology, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Soteriology, Theology, Theology: Scripture

Kendall Harmon’s teaching on the Hope of Heaven at the recent South Carolina Diocesan Convention

You can find the mp3 link there.

Posted in * By Kendall, Adult Education, Eschatology, Ministry of the Ordained, Parish Ministry, Sermons & Teachings, Theology, Theology: Scripture

Kendall Harmon’s Sunday Sermon from Saint Michael’s, Charleston–What is the Gospel (John 3, Ephesians 2)?

The link is there and you can listen live or download the audio depending on your preference.

Posted in * By Kendall, * South Carolina, Christology, Ethics / Moral Theology, Ministry of the Ordained, Preaching / Homiletics, Sermons & Teachings, Soteriology, Theology: Holy Spirit (Pneumatology), Theology: Salvation (Soteriology), Theology: Scripture