"To be people of amazing grace is to see ourselves as recipients of kindness and understanding not owed to us, and if we really believe it's been lavished upon us undeservedly, maybe we can lavish a little upon the people we find ourselves least inclined to view generously. If we're showering only the people we … Continue reading Quote of Note #90: Grace for Neighbors. . . and Enemies
Tag: Christianity and culture
Pastor Note #87: Christmas — A Peasant King and the Foolishness of God
Christmas as a holiday in America is in many ways sacrosanct. I’m not referring to the Christian holiday. Most American, including Christian Americans, don’t really celebrate Christmas as a biblical holiday. We love the warm, cozy sweetness of the “traditional” Christmas holiday. In order to preserve that warm, cozy sweetness, we have to gloss over … Continue reading Pastor Note #87: Christmas — A Peasant King and the Foolishness of God
Quote of Note #84: Antagonizing Idols–Respecting People
"[Contextualization in preaching] means to resonate with yet defy the culture around you. It means to antagonize society's idols while showing respect for its people and many of its hopes and aspirations. It means expressing the gospel in a way that is not only comprehensible but also convincing." Timothy Keller, Preaching: Communicating Faith in an … Continue reading Quote of Note #84: Antagonizing Idols–Respecting People
Quote of Note #77: Being a Distinctive People
"The glory of the gospel is that when the Church is absolutely different from the world, she invariably attracts it. It is then that the world is make to listen to her message, though it may hate it at first. That is how revival comes. That must also be true of us as individuals. It … Continue reading Quote of Note #77: Being a Distinctive People
Quote of Note #76: A Contrast Community
"If we hope to experience transformation, we need to develop a culture in the congregation that encourages people to live in the world for the sake of the world, without being of the world. Gerhard Lohfink, in Jesus and Community, makes a strong case that it has always been God's intention to work through a … Continue reading Quote of Note #76: A Contrast Community
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 