Fear can be a distressingly common feature of church life across America. The Bible is quite clear on this point. The only proper source of fear for Christians should be God. Nothing else in all creation should cause us fear. Of course, I know what it is to feel fear and anxiety. As do, I … Continue reading Pastor Note #90: The Fearless Church
Tag: faith
Bible Note #40: Conversation with the Angel–Luke 1:5-25
He was an old man, and his back ached with the day’s work. Some of the younger priests did the heavy lifting required by the work. But still, the old priest had spent most of the day on his feet. And so, there was a sharp, grinding ache in the small of his back, stabbing … Continue reading Bible Note #40: Conversation with the Angel–Luke 1:5-25
Prayer Note #48 — A Preachers Prayer to Be Used Rightly by the Word of God
[Yes, that's what I meant to say: "to be used rightly by the word of God."] Your word, Lord, is alive and powerful in the ears of faith. Grant me believing ears, so that I will hear your word clearly and welcome your word warmly into my mind, my heart, and my life. My calling … Continue reading Prayer Note #48 — A Preachers Prayer to Be Used Rightly by the Word of God
BIBLE NOTE #18–Matthew14:22-33: Adventures in Water-walking with Jesus
ADVENTURES IN WATER-WALKING WITH JESUS I love this passage – Matthew 14:22-32. But I’m still not sure I understand what Peter had in mind (v.28). It all happened one dark, windy night out in the middle of the Sea of Galilee. It’s typically called a “sea,” but really it’s a large, freshwater lake. Still, … Continue reading BIBLE NOTE #18–Matthew14:22-33: Adventures in Water-walking with Jesus
Prayer Note #45 — The Arithmetic of God
Where do I find hope, except in you, Good Father? Yet, I continue to look in other places. I continue to behave as if I expect to find something better, more pleasing than you. Of course, I never find anything remotely approaching you. Everything I find is cotton candy, sugar water, candy corn. You … Continue reading Prayer Note #45 — The Arithmetic of God
Prayer Note #43 — Fleeing My Pursuing God in the Dark Before Dawn
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
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
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 