"Whatever the temptations may be for the dominant nation at any point in world history to identify its mission with the mission of God, such temptations must be resisted at all costs; God's providential dealings with people (the Church, not any particular nation) are too mysterious to be reducible to simplistic nationalism; and the gospel … Continue reading Quote of Note #35: Nationalism and the Mission of God in the World
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 #34: Self-Sacrificial Service
"At the height of the [Roman] persecution, a plague broke out. Fearing contagion, pagans dumped members of their own families in the street when they got sick. But Christians, Eusebius said, 'heedless of the danger, took charge of the sick, attending to their every need and ministering to them. . . drawing on themselves the … Continue reading Quote of Note #34: Self-Sacrificial Service
Quote of Note #33: Evangelical Fear
"Fear was a profound motivator for evangelicals. We carried a vestigial memory of being the little ramshackle clapboard church from across the tracks whose congregation couldn't pay its minister. We collectively carried a chip on our shoulders for being marginalized. Fear and revenge were far from the teachings of Christ, but we had practiced them … Continue reading Quote of Note #33: Evangelical Fear
Bible Note #31: Expecting to Be Astonished by Jesus (Mark 6:45-52)
After the experience of having Jesus walk up to them in the middle of the Sea of Galilee as they were struggling to row their boat across to the other side, Mark says this about the disciples, “They were completely astonished, because they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened” … Continue reading Bible Note #31: Expecting to Be Astonished by Jesus (Mark 6:45-52)
Quote of Note #32: Bearing with Each Other in our Differences
"We ought to endeavor to live in peace with those who are of different opinions from us. 'Tis a most unreasonable thing to take the liberty of contending with men because they cannot see with our eyes. If this were granted, we would be at war with the greatest part of the world. 'Tis as … Continue reading Quote of Note #32: Bearing with Each Other in our Differences
Quote of Note #31: Overcoming Earthly Powers Through Heavenly Means
"Whatever our calling, we know this: We are not serving wicked kings, but the King of kings who fulfills all types and shadows of the Old Covenant Israel. His coronation did not come by earthly decree, but through his resurrection and ascension. Therefore, his way of conquering the world's kingdoms is also revolutionary. He doesn't … Continue reading Quote of Note #31: Overcoming Earthly Powers Through Heavenly Means
Bible Note #30: Making the World Good Again, through the Redeeming Love of Jesus (Mark 5:1-20)
Jesus has come to redeem us from our oppression under and participation in the evil of a fallen world and to give us the calling of following in his footsteps. I have a friend whom I see from time to time. He’s involved in the life of a church, though I’ve never really talked to … Continue reading Bible Note #30: Making the World Good Again, through the Redeeming Love of Jesus (Mark 5:1-20)
Quote of Note #30: American Evangelicalism and Tribal Deities
"Something had gone terribly wrong with American evangelicalism, or, perhaps, I thought, it had always been wrong and I was simply seeing the problem only now. Over the forty-three years I had been a Christian, the orientation of American evangelicals had shifted from what many theologians call the ultimate to the penultimate. We had descended … Continue reading Quote of Note #30: American Evangelicalism and Tribal Deities
Quote of Note #29: Radical Gospel Hope and American Politics
"As people whose prophetic paradigm is shaped by the radical hope of the gospel, they would reject conspiracy theories, sensationalism, and fear-mongers." Mark Chironna, The Dead Prophets Society: The Significance of Prophetic Function in the 21st Century. Self-published, 2018, page 40.
Quote of Note #28: Political Idolatries vs. the Common Good
"Rather than becoming chaplains or enablers of political idolatry, the faith community should confront it. The idols of politics are legion: the idol of money over democracy, the idol of winning over governing, the idol of celebrity over leadership, the idol of individualism over community, and the idol of ideology over civility -- just to … Continue reading Quote of Note #28: Political Idolatries vs. the Common Good
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 