"Help us to display the humility and compassion of the heart of Jesus, which is far more powerful than anything the “great ones” of the earth put on display. Lift our small vision above our own small borders, so that we might catch a vision of your all-encompassing, world-transforming goodness. Amen."
Tag: coercive power
Pastor Note #146: “One of ours; All of yours”
“One of ours; All of yours” is the very essence of the spirit of Lamech. It is not the path to greatness. It is the path to degenerateness and degradation. “One of ours; All of yours” is the very antithesis of Jesus. And so, it is no surprise that the MAGA love of the Lamech spirit would make that movement pretty much allergic to Jesus." (For the full post, click the link below.)
Quote of Note #239: “Not so with you!”: Servanthood as Discipleship
"Power is seductive, and it warps those who seek it. The only way to overcome power's allure is to be a servant." J. Hooten Wilson (For full quote, click link below.)
Quote of Note #232: A Kingdom without a Cross
"Christian nationalism is impoverished as it seeks a kingdom without a cross. It pursues a victory without mercy. It acclaims God's love of power rather than the power of God's love." Wright & Bird (click link below for full quote)
Pastor Note #144: Jesus vs. Brutality & Inhumanity
"To truly follow Jesus is to follow the lamb who was slain (Rev. 5:6), not the roaring lion “seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8)."
Quote of Note #228: Vicious Political Leadership
"His fury is without restraint and without magnanimity--and aimed, not at checking the offense, but at starting a pogrom against the offender." D. L. Sayers
Pastor Note #142: Violence & Cruelty in America: Who Is My Neighbor?
"This is a time when followers of Jesus must unwaveringly insist on love of neighbor as a core social value, a value that requires action. Followers of Jesus in America must assert themselves in making love of neighbor, with its firm rejection of cruelty and violence, the centerpiece of our engagement with the wider society." (click link to read the full essay)
Quote of Note #224: Theocracy–the Worst Form of Government
"I am a democrat because I believe that no man or group of men is good enough to be trusted with uncontrolled power over others." C. S. Lewis
Quote of Note #223: The Human Destructive Inclination toward the Stranger
"We know what our race does to strangers. Man destroys or enslaves every species he can. Civilized man murders, enslaves, cheats, and corrupts savage man. Even inanimate nature he turns into dust bowls and slag-heaps." C. S. Lewis (click link to read full quote)
Quote of Note #219: Serving Others, Not Controlling Them
"If self-denial is at the heart of the kingdom [of God], controlling others is anti-kingdom." S. Bezner
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 