Skip to content
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks

Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks

A Christian Reflection on Faith , Life, and Nature

  • Categories
  • Topical Tracks–Another way to find a path through the many posts in this Blog
    • Topical Track # 1 — Stories from the Front
    • Topical Track #2: Transformation in Turning to Jesus
    • Topical Track #3 — Responding to God’s Call
    • Topical Track #4: Cooperating with our God of Power
    • Topical Track #5–Christianity and Politics
  • Topical Index of Gary’s Blog (Hyperlinked)
  • Most Popular Posts of 2024
  • About: Vocation (vocare: to call)
  • Top Ten Countries of Origin for Readers of this Blog (last 12 months as of 10/2024)
  • Photograph Index (Hyperlinked)

Tag: cultural engagement

Quote of Note #238: Rejecting Heartlessness & Lack of Compassion

December 21, 2025 ~ gachorpenning ~ Leave a comment

"We deny the power of godliness when we are passionate about politics or justice but heartless and unjust to those who don't see things the way we do." J. Dodson (for complete quote, click link below)

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Like Loading...

Quote of Note #236: Western Civilization & the Christian Moral Vision

December 12, 2025 ~ gachorpenning ~ Leave a comment

"Most people in today's world recognize as noble the ideas that we should love our enemies, that the strong should protect the weak, and that it is better to suffer evil than to do evil." N.T. Wright & Michael Bird (for full quote, click the link below)

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Like Loading...

Quote of Note #232: A Kingdom without a Cross

November 16, 2025 ~ gachorpenning ~ Leave a comment

"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)

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Like Loading...

Quote of Note #230: Church & State in Tension

October 30, 2025 ~ gachorpenning ~ Leave a comment

"We know also from our reading of history, that a certain tension between the Church and State is desirable. When Church and State fall out completely, it is ill with the commonwealth; and when Church and State get on too well together, there is something wrong with the Church." T. S. Eliot (click link for full quote)

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Like Loading...

Pastor Note #143: Coercion & the Kingdom of God

October 10, 2025 ~ gachorpenning ~ 3 Comments

Here’s an important diagnostic question for American Christians to ask themselves:  “Does my vision for the kingdom of God rely on coercively imposing righteousness on my neighbors?”  Said another way, “Do I see the kingdom of God as something that should be forced upon people against their will?  Are people coerced into the kingdom of God or invited into it?”

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Like Loading...

Quote of Note #227: Camouflaged Racism

October 1, 2025 ~ gachorpenning ~ Leave a comment

"Racism is designed to be invisible to white people . . . so when they are confronted by the reality of racism, it can offend their sense of personal innocence." J. Tisby

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Like Loading...

Quote of Note #216: A Call to Confession

April 6, 2025 ~ gachorpenning ~ Leave a comment

"Friends, I say this with compassion and love: We are not innocent. There is blood on our hands. We and our fathers have turned a deaf ear to our neighbors." John Perkins (click link below to read more)

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Like Loading...

Quote of Note #210: We Will Still Love You

March 8, 2025 ~ gachorpenning ~ Leave a comment

"Do what you will, and we shall still love you. We cannot in all good conscience obey your unjust laws, because noncooperation with evil is as much a moral obligation as is cooperation with good." MLK, Jr.

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Like Loading...

Pastor Note #140: Getting My Bearings in These Times, A Beginning

March 4, 2025 ~ gachorpenning ~ 8 Comments

I am the recipient of the unconditional love, grace, and compassion of Jesus Christ.  Therefore, my identity is based solely on the fact that Jesus has saved me and is saving me.  My identity and my way of living are based exclusively on the fact that Jesus is Lord.

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Like Loading...

Quote of Note #209: Gracious Persuasion vs. Hostile Conquest

February 28, 2025 ~ gachorpenning ~ Leave a comment

"This change should always be the desired outcome, rather than the pride of having won a battle and leaving an opponent flattened and humiliated in the dust." J. Crotts

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
Like Loading...

Posts navigation

Older posts

Categories

  • Backyard Notes
  • Bible Notes
  • Blog Announcements
  • Pastor Notes
  • Poems
  • Prayer Notes
  • Press This
  • Quotes of Note
  • Uncategorized

Blog Resources: Who, What, and Where

  • About: Vocation (vocare: to call)
  • Categories
  • Most Popular Posts of 2024
  • Photograph Index (Hyperlinked)
  • Top Ten Countries of Origin for Readers of this Blog (last 12 months as of 10/2024)
  • Topical Index of Gary’s Blog (Hyperlinked)
  • Topical Tracks–Another way to find a path through the many posts in this Blog
    • Topical Track # 1 — Stories from the Front
    • Topical Track #2: Transformation in Turning to Jesus
    • Topical Track #3 — Responding to God’s Call
    • Topical Track #4: Cooperating with our God of Power
    • Topical Track #5–Christianity and Politics

Ideas

American politics anxiety Bible Bible Study Christ Christian Christian discipleship christian faith Christian hope Christianity Christianity and culture Christianity and politics Christian life Christian living Christian love Christian politics Christian quotations Christian quotes Christian witness church and politics church life church ministry compassion congregational ministry counter-cultural church countercultural faith cultural engagement discernment discipleship Elmira faith faithful discipleship fear forgiveness Gary Chorpenning God God's grace God's presence God's sovereignty grace Holy Spirit hope humility Jesus Jesus Christ justice kindness Kingdom of God love love of enemies love of neighbor mercy ministry obedience partisan politics pastor pastoral ministry pastorate political culture politics prayer Quotations Quotes redemption Religion & Spirituality Religion and Spirituality Religious quotations Religious quotes salvation sanctification sin social justice transformation witness worship

Copyright Notice

© Gary A. Chorpenning and “Gary Chorpenning’s Blog”, 2009-2018. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Gary A. Chorpenning and Gary Chorpenning’s Blog with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Archive

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 642 other subscribers

Gary\’s Blogs

  • RSS - Posts
  • RSS - Comments

Gary

Unknown's avatar

Blog at WordPress.com.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks
    • Join 203 other subscribers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks
    • Subscribe Subscribed
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d