Photo by GAC "Christian civility takes human freedom seriously. I may want people to believe as I do about some basic matters--but what I want is for them to choose to see things that way. This means that I must rely on testimony and persuasion in presenting my views to them. Civil Christians will be … Continue reading Quote of Note #123: Christianity & Coercion
Tag: Christian witness
Quote of Note #121: Honoring All People as Divine Works of Art
Photo by GAC "All human beings are God's handiwork. Each person is a very precious work of divine art. To make light of an artist's work within the artist's earshot is a cruel thing to do. To demean one of God's most precious artworks when God is listening--and he always is--crudely dishonors the divine artist." … Continue reading Quote of Note #121: Honoring All People as Divine Works of Art
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
Bible Note #46: Simon of Cyrene–A Lenten Meditation
The old man stood among the group of worshipers, a part of the church at Rome. He had moved to the imperial city years earlier, raised his family there. He had joined others there in sharing the news of Jesus the Christ. His two grown sons stood beside him, Alexander and Rufus, both now leaders … Continue reading Bible Note #46: Simon of Cyrene–A Lenten Meditation
Pastor Note #109: Living as Hopeful People in Fearful Times
Are these hopeful times or are they fearful times? I write these words on a warm day, after a hard winter of snow and ice. The daffodils are poking up through the leaf litter in my flowerbeds. The crocuses have already begun to bloom. In fact, there are several dandelions in their yellow perkiness smiling … Continue reading Pastor Note #109: Living as Hopeful People in Fearful Times
Pastor Note #107: Violence and the Kingdom of God: a Sermon
Conversations with Jesus:James and John and Violence in the Kingdom of GodLuke 9:51-55 Pastor Gary Chorpenning A sermon preached atVenice Presbyterian ChurchCecil Township, PAJanuary 10,2021 We’re living in difficult and unpredictable times. I’ll admit that I had a different sermon planned for today, but the events at the U. S. Capitol this week have caused … Continue reading Pastor Note #107: Violence and the Kingdom of God: a Sermon
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 #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
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 