Community Worship: Rev. Dr. James Harnish

Lakeside welcomes Rev. Dr. James Harnish, a United Methodist pastor and author from Longwood, Florida, as Preacher of the Week Aug. 20-24. This week’s preacher is supported by the Hottenroth Family. 

Harnish will lead the 10:30 a.m. Chautauqua Community Worship Service on Sunday, Aug. 20 in Hoover Auditorium. His sermon, titled “Finding True North,” is based on Mark 12:28-34 and Deuteronomy 6:1-9. 

Michael Shirtz and Native Heart will provide gospel musical leadership during the service. Liturgy will be led by Rev. Dr. Charles Yoost, Senior Director of Religious Life & Pastoral Care.  Worship music for the 2023 summer season is supported by James E. Beardsley and Doris F. Beardsley.

Following the opening prayer, children (ages 5-11) will proceed to Bradley Temple for Children’s Church with Chip Richter. There will be a message by Richter, songs, crafts, lemonade and cookies to share. Preschoolers are welcome if accompanied by an adult.  

Harnish retired after 43 years of pastoral ministry in the Florida Conference of The United Methodist Church. He was the Founding Pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Orlando and served for 22 years as the Senior Pastor of Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Tampa. 

Harnish is the author of more than 20 books and bible studies, including A Disciple’s Path and Extraordinary Ministry in Ordinary Time. His most recent book is Finding Your Bearings: How Words that Guided Jesus through Crisis Can Guide Us. Harnish was a Consulting Editor for The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible and a contributor to The Wesley Study Bible. 

He served on the General Board of Discipleship and the General Commission on General Conference. Harnish was a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences and to World Methodist Conferences in England, Brazil, Kenya and South Africa. He’s a facilitator for the Florida Conference Institute of Preaching and a member of the Board of Visitors at Duke Divinity School. 

He and his wife, Martha, live in Longwood, Florida. They have two daughters and five grandchildren in Florida and South Carolina. He blogs at jimharnish.org. 

Join Harnish for Faith for Living Hour at 9 a.m. Monday-Thursday in Orchestra Hall. Harnish will give the sermon at Vespers by the Lake at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Steele Memorial Bandstand. 

Guests are welcome to attend Community Worship free of charge by requesting a complimentary Church Pass between 7:30-10:30 a.m. Sunday; valid until 1 p.m. The pass includes admittance for guests and auto. This pass must be presented to the gate attendant upon departure. If the time allotted is exceeded, the guest(s) will be charged a fee. This pass does not include access to the Grindley Aquatic & Wellness Campus pool. Complimentary passes are available for all worship services and Faith for Living Hour.