I am a planter. This means that I not only extract and re-arrange, but I deposit. We do not leave the soil empty, disturbed, and void. Far from it, we leave the ground altered by adding to it. We plant seeds! We plant seeds of hope, that hope that is in Christ and His gospel. That hope that shows the more excellent way of being and doing. We plant seeds! The seeds of self reliance and mutuality. We plant seeds! The seeds of community, and communal interdependence. We plant seeds!
Author: napoleonharris
Pastor Napoleon J. Harris, M. Div, M. Ed. is the senior pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church and a Web Minister at SoulPreaching.Com. He has studied African American Preaching and completed his senior thesis on evaluating the celebration component of the Black sermon.
I am a Planter – Part 2 Tilling the Soil
I am a planter which means that I have the duty of tilling the soil. I literally have to break the soil, and turn what was up, over so that it is down. They reverse things when necessary. Likewise, I have the task of placing what was down and under the earth up and on top. Likewise, I have to take that which is up and put it down.
I am a Planter – Part 1 Digging Weeds
While reflection on my brief tenure in the pastorate I can say in all honesty that there is no greater joy than to work in the area of one’s passion. For about two months I have been living in a region of the country completely foreign to me, involved in an immense act of service towards individuals who constantly perplex, surprise, and at times even serve as a source of agony. Nonetheless, I can’t think of anything else I’d rather be doing!
Do we Need the Black Church? – Napoleon Harris
Acts 4:20 (KJV)
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
Do You Steal Sermons? – Thiefs In The Pulpit
Many have done it. You listen to a preacher say something catchy and repeat it. Perhaps you have heard a great sermon and re-preached it. Whatever the case, presenting other’s work as your own is stealing and false representation. Whenever, we front like the work of another is ours we are stealing!
When is it Stealing?
Napoleon Harris – My First Preaching Experience and Suggstions for new Preachers
My first experience was “all good.” HA HA…yeah right I was as nervous as hell on judgment day! I fasted the week of the sermon by eating only fruits and vegetables until the day before which I ate nothing. I was sooooo focused on delivering that message John 10 the Good Shepherd. I had no title, I still 4 years later and with a MDiv in sight don’t title most sermons!