"We know also from our reading of history, that a certain tension between the Church and State is desirable. When Church and State fall out completely, it is ill with the commonwealth; and when Church and State get on too well together, there is something wrong with the Church." T. S. Eliot (click link for full quote)
Tag: American Church Life
Pastor Note #144: Jesus vs. Brutality & Inhumanity
"To truly follow Jesus is to follow the lamb who was slain (Rev. 5:6), not the roaring lion “seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8)."
Pastor Note #143: Coercion & the Kingdom of God
Here’s an important diagnostic question for American Christians to ask themselves: “Does my vision for the kingdom of God rely on coercively imposing righteousness on my neighbors?” Said another way, “Do I see the kingdom of God as something that should be forced upon people against their will? Are people coerced into the kingdom of God or invited into it?”
Quote of Note #206: The Cultural Conformity of the Church
"Called to combat social evils, [the church] has remained silent behind stained-glass windows." M.L. King, Jr.
Quote of Note #203: Counter-cultural Faith?
"At times, the evangelical church has been indistinguishable from Western, white American culture."
Quote of Note #196: Influencing Culture or Being Influenced by It
As a result, we are angrier and more divided within both our nation and our church than we have been in a very long time.
Pastor Note #131: A Pastoral Response to Someone Struggling in these Divisive Times
Feeling connected and part of a community of believers has become increasingly hard for me, too, over the last several years. So, I can understand how you feel. There is a kind of spiritual homelessness that has set in for many of us. We can feel such a desire to isolate and retreat from community … Continue reading Pastor Note #131: A Pastoral Response to Someone Struggling in these Divisive Times
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 #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
Pastor Note #63 — Mission Field America
Recently, I read about a church that had a sign at the exit from its parking lot, a sign that people read as they were leaving the church. The sign said, “You are now entering the mission field.” It’s a bracing thought and one that is more and more obviously true in North America. American … Continue reading Pastor Note #63 — Mission Field America
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 