Teasel against a Gray Sky; photo by GAC "And if the actions of Jesus are reflective of who he most deeply is, we cannot avoid the conclusion that it is the very fallenness which he came to undo that is most irresistibly attractive to him. "This is deeper than saying Jesus is loving or merciful … Continue reading Quote of Note #135: The Redemptive Impulse of Jesus
Category: Quotes of Note
Quote of Note #134: Leaving the Past Behind
Photo by GAC "[God] wants us first to acknowledge our full responsibility, without excuse or extenuation. Then he says in effect: 'Now put all that behind you; I will take responsibility for it' (and he can take responsibility for the evil we have done: as we have seen, he has provided in Christ the effective … Continue reading Quote of Note #134: Leaving the Past Behind
Quote of Note #133: Living Provisional Lives
Photo by GAC "There are . . . not a few who live what might be called provisional lives, in which the choice is constantly postponed. Such people's hearts are not in their present lives, for they are always waiting for the time--which never comes--when their true lives will begin." Paul Tournier, The Meaning of … Continue reading Quote of Note #133: Living Provisional Lives
Quote of Note #132: What is “race”?
photo by GAC "In order to fight racism, we must begin with the fact that race is a socially constructed category that offers certain privileges and advantages to one group, which in the U. S. context is white people, to the detriment of all those who are excluded from that group--that is, 'non-white' people, or … Continue reading Quote of Note #132: What is “race”?
Quote of Note #131: The Well-being of All
photo by GAC "In the past civility was understood in much richer terms. To be civil was to genuinely care about the larger society. It required a heartfelt commitment to your fellow citizens. It was a willingness to promote the well-being of people who were very different, including people who disagreed with you on important … Continue reading Quote of Note #131: The Well-being of All
Quote of Note #130: Hungering for the Living God
photo by GAC "I often ask myself the question of when and why we pastors began to believe that our primary calling was to build the church. How did we come to believe that the people we encounter are primarily in the market for a church? How did we forget that they are probably more … Continue reading Quote of Note #130: Hungering for the Living God
Quote of Note #129: Justice and Love for my Neighbors
Photo by GAC "Love for neighbor requires critiquing and dismantling unjust systems of racial oppression. It is one matter to acknowledge that all people are made equal and have inherent dignity in their very being. It is another matter to identify the ways the image of God is defaced in groups of people through systems … Continue reading Quote of Note #129: Justice and Love for my Neighbors
Quote of Note #128: Charity or Compassion
photo by GAC "A so-called free society has never been remarkable for its feeling towards its casualties. It is invariably richer in charity than in compassion, probably because charity is tax-deductible whereas compassion is merely time-consuming." Peter Ustinov, Krumnagel. New York: Little, Brown, & Co. 1971, page 152.
Quote of Note #127: White Nostalgia
Photo by GAC "Nostalgia is a powerful tool of ignorance and retrenchment of the social order. In America, white folk have been hooked on memories that somehow made the country look better than it was, that allowed white people to remain innocent in a country that has always been confused about Black folk and committed … Continue reading Quote of Note #127: White Nostalgia
Quote of Note #126: Hardness of Heart
Photo by GAC "A hard heart is a receptacle for Satan. As God has two places he dwells in, heaven and a humble heart, so the devil has two places he dwells in, hell and a hard heart." Thomas Watson, The Doctrine of Repentance. Carlisle, PA: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1987, page 62.
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 