Photo by GAC "Time and again it is the morally disgusting, the socially reviled, the inexcusable and undeserving, who do not simply receive Christ but to whom Christ most naturally gravitates. He is, by his enemies' testimony, the 'friend of sinners.' (Luke 7:34)." Dane Ortlund, Gentle and Lowly: The Heart of Christ for Sinners and … Continue reading Quote of Note #114: “The Friend of Sinners”
Quote of Note #113: Legitimacy of Government
Photo by GAC "The [ancient] Jews didn't, it seems, care very much how rulers became rulers; so much for our modern ideals of 'legitimacy through voting.' They cared very much what the rulers did once they were in power. Power itself wasn't the problem; it was what you did with it that counted. In our … Continue reading Quote of Note #113: Legitimacy of Government
Pastor Note #105: Ministry in a Time of Pandemic
All over the country, churches are wrestling with decisions about how to do ministry in the midst of a pandemic. This is an on-going challenge, because the circumstances of the pandemic are constantly shifting and changing. Yesterday’s decisions are called into doubt by today’s news. Over the years, I have always found that, … Continue reading Pastor Note #105: Ministry in a Time of Pandemic
Prayer Note #60: A Litany for a Time of Election
A Litany for a Time of Election Forgive us for forgetting that the Lion of Judah is a lamb bearing the marks of slaughter.Give us gentle and humble hearts like yours. Forgive us for seeing other people’s sins while being blind to our own.Give us gentle and humble hearts like yours. Forgive us for defaming … Continue reading Prayer Note #60: A Litany for a Time of Election
Quote of Note #112: The Power of Servanthood, the Strength of Love
photo by GAC "The establishment of God's kingdom means the dethroning of the world's kingdoms, not in order to replace them with another one of basically the same sort (one that makes its way through superior force of arms), but in order to replace it with one whose power is the power of the servant … Continue reading Quote of Note #112: The Power of Servanthood, the Strength of Love
Quote of Note #111: A Prophetic Church
photo by GAC "When the church is the blind, uncritical endorser or 'spiritual' chaplain of whatever a nation decides to do, it has largely renounced its vocation as the body of Christ. It is neither the salt of the earth not a light to the nations. And it has traded its commitment to the witness … Continue reading Quote of Note #111: A Prophetic Church
Pastor Note #104: Partisan Politics, the American Church, and the Kingdom of God
Cross Creek Lake, Avella, PA; photo by GAC During my years of pastoring in central New York state, I was part of a pastors' prayer group that met weekly to pray for each other and our community. All of us in the group were theologically conservative, what is often called “evangelical.” Sometime in 2011, during … Continue reading Pastor Note #104: Partisan Politics, the American Church, and the Kingdom of God
Quote of Note #110: A Christian’s Highest Loyalty
Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, NY; photo by GAC "There comes a time when, as Jesus said, 'He who is not with me is against me.' That time is now. The real hope that the world of tomorrow will be the kind of world we want our children to live in is not to be found among … Continue reading Quote of Note #110: A Christian’s Highest Loyalty
Blog Announcement
I've been branching out in my on-line content. I have a YouTube channel with a large collection of mostly shorter Bible study videos covering a variety of Bible passages and topics. I have also just established a podcast that will initially be build around audio recordings of sermons. Please, follow some of the link below … Continue reading Blog Announcement
Quote of Note #109: Speaking Truth
Woodlawn Cemetery, Elmira, NY; photo by GAC "As Christian people, we all believe that our highest loyalty belongs to God and that there belongs to everyone the inalienable dignity of a child of God. In this we all believe. The time has now come for us to stand up and say so when we drink … Continue reading Quote of Note #109: Speaking Truth
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 