One of the reasons that we started this blog was the crossings and the comings and the goings of the Minnesota North and the North Dakota Districts. Backgrounds and friendships and common work and mission are always grounds for discussion. Project 24 is our partnership that brought the blog into existence but there is more. There is a kind of cross pollination that goes on usually to the benefit of the church and Kingdom.
Rev. Larry Harvala is one of those ubiquitous fixtures in both Districts of the church. Always quick with a joke and an occasional hundred dollar bill, Pastor Harvala has been a great blessing to so many. He pastored in North Dakota so long, he became District President and then went to Fort Wayne Seminary to teach. He now serves as the Minnesota North congregational health director. Pastor Harvala is also an “ok” preacher. By that I mean he is an Office of the Keys preacher. His preaching conveys and offers the forgiveness won by Christ on the Cross. Larry doesn’t talk about the Gospel he proclaims it as what is is – the power of God. He wrote an article about that a while ago called “He’s OK – They’re OK”. He gave a “whole new meaning to this exchange: “What did you think of the pastor’s sermon?” “It was OK!” In this sense, OK would mean “It was Office of the Keys.” It was not just routinely adequate, or “ok,” but it was a powerful display of God’s Word being delivered in such a way as to unlock heaven through the forgiveness of sins, or “OK.” Instead of preaching about forgiveness, it is preaching that actually declares that forgiveness with the full power and authority God has placed into the Gospel.”
Rev. Harvala is hospitalized this morning in Fargo. Pray for him please. I know as a President and Seminary prof and Pastor he offered up prayers for all of us. If you get a chance drop in and visit. See if he has a $100 bill laying around. I will save what that is all about for a time I need another blog idea.
