Facing the Evil The year 1944. The place, Nazi-occupied Poland. The narrator, Dr. Viktor Frankl, an Jewish psychiatrist from Austria. Fifteen hundred people had been traveling by train for several days and nights: there were eighty people in each coach. All had to lie on top of their luggage, the few remnants of their personal … Continue reading Bible Note #22: Facing the Evil
Tag: Christ
Prayer Note #46 — A Channel of Blessing: a Pastor’s Prayer
[Although I have called this a "Pastor's Prayer," with a slight adjustment of the language, this prayer might well work as a prayer for any Christian who wants to be a channel of blessing to the people in their lives. And what Christian wouldn't want to be a channel of God's blessing in the lives … Continue reading Prayer Note #46 — A Channel of Blessing: a Pastor’s Prayer
Prayer Note #38 — The Voice
Oh, Lord, how I long to be intimately familiar with your voice. Your voice is full of power -- whether you speak with rock-breaking loudness or whether you whisper quietly in my ear. Your voice is full of soul-transforming power. Let that powerful voice pierce to the center of my mind, to the core of my … Continue reading Prayer Note #38 — The Voice
Pastor Note #41–From the Earliest Days
From my earliest days, I have been part of a Presbyterian church. Much of my extended family was actively involved in the life and ministry of that church. Although the congregation of my youth was biblically grounded, it was not especially remarkable compared to other churches in the community. About the time … Continue reading Pastor Note #41–From the Earliest Days
Pastor Note #39: A Statement of Faith
God is not an idea or a concept but is rather a Personal Being of infinite power, beauty, and goodness. He is a Being who desires to be known and reveals himself to us. He makes himself known to us through the works of his creation and through direct experience of his Holy Spirit. … Continue reading Pastor Note #39: A Statement of Faith
Bible Note #13 — 1 Peter 1:23-25
"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.' (Isaiah 40:6-8)" 1 … Continue reading Bible Note #13 — 1 Peter 1:23-25
Prayer Note #33 — A Pastor’s Sunday Morning Prayer
Lord, nothing important will happen here this morning unless you are present . Holy Spirit, we cannot worship unless you make us able to worship. Our attempts at worship will be counterfeit unless you inhabit our worship in purposefulness and power. I ask, on behalf of my people for your directing, empowering presence. Grant that … Continue reading Prayer Note #33 — A Pastor’s Sunday Morning Prayer
Prayer Note #31 — For the Day’s Living and Working
My Lord, I want to devote everything I do today to your service to the advance of your kingdom. I don't want merely to go through the motions, to get to the end of the day having checked off everything on my "to do" list but having done it in my sleep with no thought … Continue reading Prayer Note #31 — For the Day’s Living and Working
Bible Note #10 — 1 John 1:5-10 — Light & Darkness, Truth & Deception
1 John 1:5-10 "Light" and "darkness" are paralleled by "truth" and "lying or deception" in this passage. The truth as a concept here is multi-layered It is in some places the truth about God. In other places it is truth about ourselves. Ironically, we ourselves are often both the deceived and the deceiver at the … Continue reading Bible Note #10 — 1 John 1:5-10 — Light & Darkness, Truth & Deception
Sermon #2 — Exodus 16:1-35
This is now the second sermon in a series on the manna and quail of the wilderness journey. In this sermon, I explore how the values and priorities of ancient paganism aren't all that far away from the modern, westerner's wrestling with faith. Here's a link to the text of Exodus 16:1-35. Here's the link … Continue reading Sermon #2 — Exodus 16:1-35
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 