Author: MD Harris Institute

MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, PhD, ThM, DBA-C Colonel, US Army (ret) President and CEO, MD Harris Institute Fire and Disaster Chaplain - BVFD and WVCSB

Celebrating Uncle Sam

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A good way to celebrate America on its birthday (and other times) is to learn about good ole Uncle Sam. Where did he come from, what did he do, and where is he going? How much better is it to celebrate in 2026, the year of America’s 250th birthday!

By Mark D. Harris

The 250th birthday of America is only a week away. Raleigh County (WV) has a county fair, a baseball game, several fireworks displays, special dinners, a golf cart parade, and activities at our veterans and first responders museum, to celebrate the occasion. For these events, some of us will become Uncle Sam, entertaining others and telling them about our great nation. If any of our readers wants to serve as Uncle Sam for this, or any other Independence Day activity (in any year), the information  following can help.

Materials

  • Uncle Sam costume – basic costumes cost $30-100. High quality, custom made costumes will cost over $1,000.
  • Uncle Sam poster 24×36 – This is the classic portrayal which most people remember

What about weapons? Uncle Sam has been heavily involved in defending the nation.

  • Revolutionary and 1812 (west) Virginia Rifle (flintlock) – Brother Jonathan and later Uncle Sam (1812) would have had such a rifle.
  • Civil War rifle (caplock) – Springfield model 1861/3.
  • World War 1 – typically without a weapon at all, but reenactors can use the 1903 Springfield or the 1917 Enfield.
  • World War 2 – Uncle Sam could be portrayed with an M1903 Springfield bolt action rifle or the M1 Garand.
  • Vietnam – M16, standard issue rifle

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Finance in the Parable of the Talents

Ancient Roman gold and silver coins with emperor profiles and inscriptions
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Jesus’ Parable of the Talents holds remarkable value in many topics today, including finance. Knowing Jesus’ work and word makes us more savvy in many things, including investing. 

By Mark D. Harris

The Bible addresses every part of human existence, from birth to grave to eternity. The God who made the universe also provided instructions in the Bible on how to thrive in His creation. If we do not know how to live, it is because we have failed to discover, or failed to follow, the words of wisdom that our Lord has provided.

Money is one of the most important things in earthly life, because money is required for life, and is a direct reflection of our values. There can be no doubt that wherever our treasure is, there are our hearts also (Matthew 6:21). Man’s greatest need is for eternal life in Christ, but many do not acknowledge that need. Perhaps the second greatest need is for physical health, but many who consider themselves healthy often spend little time or effort meeting that need. For example, less than half of all Americans exercise the medically recommended amount (CDC, 2022). Only 10% meet dietary guidelines for fruit and vegetable intake (Lee, 2022). Conversely, people need money, and they spend much of their daily lives dealing with money…earning it, spending it, investing it, or worrying about it. The Bible speaks often about it, with the word “money” appearing 140 times in the KJV, “prayer” 114 times and “worship” 102 times (Blue Letter Bible, 2019).

The Parable of the Talents is a fictional story that contains powerful truths. Furthermore, it is likely based on a true story, which formed the nucleus for what Jesus taught. In this discussion, the parable will be treated as though it were historical.

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Isaiah 53:3-5 What Jesus Carried for Us

easter performance of jesus christ on cross
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An Easter Sunday Homily

By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, PhD, ThM, DBA

Musical Prelude

  • Let All Mortal Flesh Keep Silent
  • O Sacred Head Now Wounded

Congregational Hymn

  • The Old Rugged Cross

Scripture Reading – Isaiah 52:13-15, 53:1-12

Homily

Jesus was not despised and rejected because He personally short and ugly. Jesus was despised and rejected because He carried the ugliest, deadliest, and most terrifying parts of mortal human life in Himself. Everything which was dark and deadly, Jesus took. He took the agony not just of man but also of all creation. Every calamity in the universe fell on Him. Just as people fled from the Black Death, the Great Influenza, the guns of war, and the face of a corpse, so mortal man flees from Jesus.  His visage was too horrid to glimpse, much less endure.

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Best Business Practices for Churches and Small Religious Organizations

man in white t shirt and white pants standing beside white van
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A single-day seminar on how church and other small religious organizations can improve their strategies, operations, and fundraising.

By Mark D. Harris

Welcome! The team at the MD Harris Institute is glad that you have chosen to attend. We are thankful that President Khmyz and his team at the Kyiv Theological Seminary arranged this seminar to help Christian leaders throughout the region improve their business and fundraising practices. The information here will improve how these leaders acquire, use, and increase the resources that God provides.

The gates of hell shall not prevail against the Church of Jesus Christ (Matthew 16:17-19). No nation, no matter how powerful, populous, or prosperous, can stand against the work of the preacher from Galilee. No religion, no matter how large or how violent, can quiet the still, small voice of the Almighty. Followers of Christ have the Spirit of the Living God dwelling within, have been set free from sin, and have a guarantee of eternity with the Creator. Of all men, Christians should be the most joyful in their lives and most effective in their labor.

Some Christians engage the world with optimism and faith, believing God to accomplish His will, though often believers do not see this victory. Christians perceive legions of enemies, a dearth of friends, a paucity of resources, persecution, and personal weakness (Marsden, 2020). There are more points of discouragement as well. Believers feel pressure from the government, the media, business, and academia (Barnes et al., 2020). Christ-followers look at needs within and without and faint before the task of making disciples. Simultaneously, forgetting that the Father owns the world and everything in it (Psalms 24:1) and believing the lies of a world that hates God, some Christians struggle to survive.

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Saratoga Campaign 1777

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The Battle of Saratoga was a turning point in the American Revolution. Leaders like John Burgoyne, Horatio Gates, and Benedict Arnold, with thousands of valiant men, fought in a drama that would change the world.

By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

Background: The Road to Saratoga

After fighting side by side to defeat the French and Indians (1756-1763), Britain and her American colonies drifted apart. Laboring under a heavy debt, Parliament increased taxation and control over the Americans. The Quebec Act (1774) was intended to build support for Britain among the Catholic French Canadians, institute the French system of civil law,[1] and limit colonial migration into the Ohio Valley. However, it infuriated English colonists. But it, and other “intolerable acts,” provided the tipping point into revolution.

Before Congress even declared America to be a new nation (4 July 1776), American rebels captured Fort Ticonderoga (10 May 1775), Crown Point, Fort St. Johns (17 Sep to 3 Nov 1775), and Montreal in the early months of the conflict. US General Richard Montgomery commanded about 1000 militia through the St. Lawrence River north to Quebec. Moving primarily by water, they brought most of the artillery and supplies. US General Benedict Arnold began taking about 1000 militia through the wilderness of Maine, from the Kennebec River to the Chaudière River. Having started in July, Arnold’s force lost about 500 men to starvation, desertion, expiring enlistments, and disease (smallpox). Montgomery’s force diminished to 700 by expiring enlistments.

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The Battle of Tarawa: America’s Early Lesson in WWII Amphibious Warfare

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By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA

What was the Battle of Tarawa in World War II? Why was it important then,…and today?

The morning of November 20, 1943, dawned over a small coral atoll in the Central Pacific that few Americans had ever heard of. Within seventy-six hours, Tarawa would become seared into the American consciousness as one of the most savage battles of World War II. The ferocious fighting on this tiny strip of land, barely twelve square miles in total area, would claim over 6,000 lives and fundamentally transform how the United States Navy and Marine Corps conducted amphibious operations for the remainder of the war.

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