As a committed Christian, I have to say that the assertion that America is a Christian nation troubles me, rankles my faith, and in many ways leaves me a bit baffled. Those who make that assertion are not making a merely demographic claim based on the fact that the majority of Americans claim to be … Continue reading Pastor Note #129: How Would Christian Nationalist Government Work?
Tag: christian faith
Pastor Note #127: A Devotional on the Lord’s Return
Introduction:Surely, there are few biblical topics that have generated as many books, articles, Bible studies, and sermons as the topic of the return of Christ. They are often filled with charts and tables and complex speculations that make quantum physic seem simple. A. W. Tozer writes this, “There have been enough foolish formulas advanced about … Continue reading Pastor Note #127: A Devotional on the Lord’s Return
Pastor Note #126: A Good Friday Devotional
Introduction:At the very core of his being, our God is a relational God. Every fiber of God’s nature is biased toward relationship. We see that in the mystery of the Trinity—one God in three Persons, woven in a profound interrelationship of love, one with the other. We also see this relational nature of our God … Continue reading Pastor Note #126: A Good Friday Devotional
Quote of Note #136: The Real Nature of True Freedom
photo by GAC "However, I think it is important to note that another trajectory in the Christian tradition argues that we should not understand freedom in libertarian terms. Augustine, for instance, emphasized a 'positive' understanding of freedom as empowerment: I am free insofar as I am able to achieve the good. On this score, freedom … Continue reading Quote of Note #136: The Real Nature of True Freedom
Bible Note #51: James 2:1-4 & Valuing What Jesus Values
I enjoy fishing. I’m not very good at it, but I do enjoy going out to the water and trying to catch fish. As I share this with you, we are a day away from the opening of trout season in Pennsylvania. Opening day can be a pretty crowded time on the water around here. … Continue reading Bible Note #51: James 2:1-4 & Valuing What Jesus Values
Pastor Note #121: Praying for Justice without Praying for Revenge
On the morning that I learned of the Russian army’s invasion of Ukraine, I was incensed. My sense of justice was offended. It was so simply and plainly and extravagantly wrong that I felt outraged. And so, I found myself hoping that bad things would happen to Vladimir Putin and all his forces attacking the … Continue reading Pastor Note #121: Praying for Justice without Praying for Revenge
Prayer Note #61: The Interference of God–A Prayer
Lord, there is in mea reluctance tosit quietly andattentively inyour presence.I want tobusy myself withthings that givethe appearance ofa devotional life, butwhich are,in fact,just externalactivity—busyness—withoutinternal reality.Yet it isthe internal reality ofintimacy withyouthat is the crucial element. Reading C. S. Lewis’s Surprised by Joy showed me something about myself. He speaks of how, as a child, … Continue reading Prayer Note #61: The Interference of God–A Prayer
Pastor Note #113: The Real Danger Facing the Witness of the Church
The Real Danger Facing the Witness of the Church[A Retiring Pastor’s Message to his Flock] These are dangerous times for Christ’s Church. As I prepare to retire as your pastor, I want to leave you with some resources for facing them. I care about you individually, and I care about you as a church. … Continue reading Pastor Note #113: The Real Danger Facing the Witness of the Church
Quote of Note #119: The Grace and Hope of Prayer
photo by GAC "Our hope depends not on the right technique or the proper phrase or gesture, which borders on magic, but on the promise of God to look with favor on those who throw themselves on his mercy and who acknowledge the efficacy of the atoning sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ, for their … Continue reading Quote of Note #119: The Grace and Hope of Prayer
Pastor Note #111: All Types of Pastor
Sedona, AZ; photo by GAC Pastoral ministry involves a dizzying variety of tasks and activities. Some days I go from counseling someone in a difficult personal crisis to untangling some issue in the church’s financial management and bookkeeping, from researching the best interpretation of the Greek of some passage in the New Testament to meeting … Continue reading Pastor Note #111: All Types of Pastor
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 