Lord Jesus, I'm scared. I'm far from you in my heart, and I persist in the things that will keep me far away from you. And yet, I feel you pursuing me. Your pursuit both comforts me and scares me. I know that because you still pursue me, you have not given up on me. … Continue reading Prayer Note #43 — Fleeing My Pursuing God in the Dark Before Dawn
Tag: faith
Pastor Note #49 — Living in Time, Living with God, Part 5 — The Future Tense of Faith
Ebenezer Scrooge, when he met the Spirit of Christmases-Yet-to-Come, said, “Of all the spirits I find you the most dreadful.” And when he says that in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, we all somehow understand what he means. The thought of that which is yet to come can … Continue reading Pastor Note #49 — Living in Time, Living with God, Part 5 — The Future Tense of Faith
Pastor Note #48 — Living in Time, Living with God, Part 4: Obedience–Faith in the Present Tense
We human beings live within time very much the way fish live within water. One way to think about the relationship of faith to the passage of time is to think about the tenses of faith. I’ve described it this way. Faith oriented toward the past faithfulness of God is gratitude. Faith oriented toward … Continue reading Pastor Note #48 — Living in Time, Living with God, Part 4: Obedience–Faith in the Present Tense
Pastor Note #45 — Living in Time, Living with God: Part 1–Introduction
Living in Time, Living with God I do not have a good natural sense of the passage of time. Some people are very good at estimating how long an activity will take to complete. Some folks almost never lose track of how much time has passed between when they sit down to work … Continue reading Pastor Note #45 — Living in Time, Living with God: Part 1–Introduction
Prayer Note #37 — On a Summer Morning
Lord, the sun is warm and pleasant on my back. The birds of all sorts are chirping and twittering in the trees around me this morning. Lily, my gracious, canine companion, is lying beside me with her chin on the bottom rail looking out into the backyard, watching everything and nothing in particular, patient and … Continue reading Prayer Note #37 — On a Summer Morning
Bible Note #16 — By the River Jabbok
The tinkling of sheep bells was the last sound audible to him fading away up the path and over th hill on the other side of the small river. The crunch of foot and hoof on the sandy gravel of the path had been lost to him fist, washed away by the splash and rush … Continue reading Bible Note #16 — By the River Jabbok
Pastor Note #41–From the Earliest Days
From my earliest days, I have been part of a Presbyterian church. Much of my extended family was actively involved in the life and ministry of that church. Although the congregation of my youth was biblically grounded, it was not especially remarkable compared to other churches in the community. About the time … Continue reading Pastor Note #41–From the Earliest Days
Pastor Note #40–Working the Streets; The Ministry of Risk-taking
When the doorbell rang, I jumped up and turned off the television. It was 4:20 in the afternoon, and I was watching a re-run of M*A*S*H instead of working on my next Sunday's sermon. After a few seconds, I walked slowly down the stairs to answer the door. There were three little boys and a … Continue reading Pastor Note #40–Working the Streets; The Ministry of Risk-taking
Pastor Note #39: A Statement of Faith
God is not an idea or a concept but is rather a Personal Being of infinite power, beauty, and goodness. He is a Being who desires to be known and reveals himself to us. He makes himself known to us through the works of his creation and through direct experience of his Holy Spirit. … Continue reading Pastor Note #39: A Statement of Faith
Bible Note #14 — Luke 1:13: Of Prayer, Patience, and a Sovereign God
Luke 1:11-13 The archangel Gabriel says something strange to Zechariah here -- something I've never really recognized as strange until I just read this passage again for the two-hundred-eighty-third time. Gabriel tells Zechariah that his prayer has been heard and, as a result, Elizabeth is going to have a child. I say this is strange, … Continue reading Bible Note #14 — Luke 1:13: Of Prayer, Patience, and a Sovereign God
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 