No “Us” and “Them”: Race, Ethnicity, and the Mandate of Love A Sermon Preached at Venice Presbyterian Church on August 20, 2017 Pastor Gary A. Chorpenning Venice Presbyterian Church Cecil Township, PA http://www.venice-church.org Acts 15:1-21 Since you can’t help but notice it, let me acknowledge that I’m going to do something here this morning that … Continue reading Pastor Note #73: No “Us” and “Them”: Race, Ethnicity, and the Mandate of Love
Tag: Christianity
Pastor Note #72 — Dealing With the Dangers of Money
“You know, you can make a lot of money as a hospital administrator,” the man had said to me. It was during one of my summer breaks from college, and I was working as a nursing assistant at a local hospital. He had been chatting me up and had asked … Continue reading Pastor Note #72 — Dealing With the Dangers of Money
Quotes of Note #9 On Money & Wealth
"There are some things we can do without, and one of these is wealth. However, there are some things we cannot do without, such as a clean conscience and a useful life, and, if we must choose between money and these, we forego the money. . . . [M]oney is not an end in itself … Continue reading Quotes of Note #9 On Money & Wealth
Bible Note #20 — Deuteronomy 22:6-7 and Cruelty to the Vulnerable and Weak
Deuteronomy 22:6-7 [ESV] “If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it … Continue reading Bible Note #20 — Deuteronomy 22:6-7 and Cruelty to the Vulnerable and Weak
Pastor’s Note #67 — An Evangelical Pastor’s Concerns about Donald Trump’s Effect on the Spiritual Life of Christians
In my judgment, this is an almost impossibly difficult presidential election for American Christian voters. I do not believe there is any clearly acceptable candidate for Christian voters to support in 2016. Christian voters can in good faith make different decisions about which candidate to vote for. But as I have observed this election season … Continue reading Pastor’s Note #67 — An Evangelical Pastor’s Concerns about Donald Trump’s Effect on the Spiritual Life of Christians
Prayer Note #55 — Prayers for Memorial Day
Invocation for a Memorial Day Ceremony God of heaven and earth, in life and in death we belong to you. Our lives and the life of our nation are in your hands. You are the foundation of all that is right and good and just. Today especially we gather to remember with gratitude those who have … Continue reading Prayer Note #55 — Prayers for Memorial Day
Bible Note #19 — Palm Sunday, Mark 11:1-11
I am always torn by this story—by the inherent social tension in the story. This passage and the accounts in the other Synoptic Gospels (Matthew/Mark/Luke) see this event as taking place on the first day of the same week in which Jesus would be crucified. And I see no good reason to argue with that … Continue reading Bible Note #19 — Palm Sunday, Mark 11:1-11
Quotes of Note #4 — The Devil
"Meanwhile, the devil also does his work, endeavoring to ruin sound doctrine by indirect means, working as it were underground, forasmuch as he could not openly attain his end." John Calvin, Letters of John Calvin: Selected from the Bonnet Edition. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth Trust, 1980, p. 90.
Pastor Note #61 — Music, Worship, and Pleasing God
Worship music – the music we use in Christian worship – has become a source of sometimes significant conflict in American churches. It is probably inexcusably foolhardy of me to do it, but I propose to wade into the rapids of this dangerous subject in the hope that we can come to a richer, … Continue reading Pastor Note #61 — Music, Worship, and Pleasing God
Prayer Note #51 — A Prayer of Longing for a Spiritual Springtime
Lord of Life, you are turning the ground green around me. The warming sun and the nourishing rain are renewing the life of the soil. The birds of the warm months are all returning -- the alien starlings in their noisy multitudes, the fierce-eyed, raucous grackles, too. Even the nighthawks, the dark-sky hunters are in … Continue reading Prayer Note #51 — A Prayer of Longing for a Spiritual Springtime
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 