photo by GAC "American history tends to be filled with a sense of triumphalism. America's greatest moments are found in winning wars, conquering economic difficulties, and inventing new modern conveniences. The story of America is often portrayed as the story of tremendous success. There have been, however, times in American history for which we should … Continue reading Quote of Note #153: Lament and the Study of our History
Author: gachorpenning
I am a husband, father, and grandfather. The southwestern Pennsylvania is currently home, though I've called several other places home before this. I maintain a YouTube channel of Bible teaching videos and a podcast of Bible teaching audio. I like to make things out of wood and other materials. I like taking photographs and use a lot of them in my blog posts. For thirty-nine years, I served as a pastor of churches in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York.
Quote of Note #152: Hearing the Pain of My Brothers and Sisters
Downtown Pittsburgh; photo by GAC "Every Black parent has the 'talk' with their children when they get ready to start driving. They tell them that if a police officer pulls them over they are to say, Yes, sir or Yes, ma'am. They are to keep their hands in the open and not make any quick … Continue reading Quote of Note #152: Hearing the Pain of My Brothers and Sisters
Pastor Note #122: Pastoring in the Face of Death
Jennifer, Betty’s daughter, called me on Monday in the mid-afternoon. I didn’t get to the phone until it was about to go to voice mail. I didn’t recognize the number, and, I suppose, the steady stream of spam calls – and also my general dislike of talking on the phone – have trained me to … Continue reading Pastor Note #122: Pastoring in the Face of Death
Quote of Note #151: The Universal Need for Salvation and Healing
"Beloved, all of us--and I do mean all of us--desperately need healing. All of us are fragmented. All of us are broken. All of us have been diminished by what took place in the beginning in the Garden of Paradise. All of us need deliverance. All of us need to be loved. All of us … Continue reading Quote of Note #151: The Universal Need for Salvation and Healing
Gary’s Blog Resources for Lent and Holy Week
Let me start this “Blog Note” by first thanking all of you who follow for continuing to check in on my posts. I’ve been going through a bit of a life transition in the last few months that has interfered with my posting. But I think I’m getting back to a place where I will … Continue reading Gary’s Blog Resources for Lent and Holy Week
Quote of Note #150: Dependence on God
Song Sparrow; photo by GAC a "To depend on God is to be free of men, things, and self. It is to be able to take pleasure in all his gifts, without being the slave to any. It is to be able, as occasion demands, to spend and to save, to speak and to forbear, … Continue reading Quote of Note #150: Dependence on God
Quote of Note # 149: The Materialistic Values of the American Church
photo by GAC "Typically, we see the success of churches measured by the numerical size of the church or the financial health of the church (often reflected in the condition and appearance of the church building). In more colloquial language, we focus on the ABCs of church success: Attendance, Buildings, and Cash. Or even more … Continue reading Quote of Note # 149: The Materialistic Values of the American Church
Quote of Note #148: Forgiving and Gratitude
photo by GAC "To forgive is to make a decision to cancel the debt that you are owed and not hold it against your offender. There is no forgiveness without a debt. And when we realize the enormity of our own debt, it makes forgiveness possible. So in this sense, forgiveness is closely related to … Continue reading Quote of Note #148: Forgiving and Gratitude
Quote of Note #147: The Real Nature of Race
Photo by GAC "The category of race has no scientific justification. As a person of Korean ancestry, I have as much in common genetically and biologically with a Swede, a Zulu, or a Lakota as I do with someone of Chinese ancestry. While different theories abound regarding the origins of the category of race, it … Continue reading Quote of Note #147: The Real Nature of Race
Bible Note #54: Colossians 3 Series–The Mind of God
We human beings are social creatures. That’s not a bad thing. God quite intentionally designed us to be social beings. In Genesis 2:18, God comments on the fact that it isn’t good for human beings to be alone. And throughout the Bible, time and again, God insists that it is vitally important for human beings … Continue reading Bible Note #54: Colossians 3 Series–The Mind of God
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 