"For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, 'All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.' (Isaiah 40:6-8)" 1 … Continue reading Bible Note #13 — 1 Peter 1:23-25
Tag: faith
Pastor Note #29 — Looking Around the Corner
So, we’ve come to the beginning of a new year, and those seem lately to come flying around more often than once a year. The idea that time seems to move more quickly as we get older is not a novel idea. Conventional wisdom says it's true. And who am I to argue with conventional … Continue reading Pastor Note #29 — Looking Around the Corner
Sermon #2 — Exodus 16:1-35
This is now the second sermon in a series on the manna and quail of the wilderness journey. In this sermon, I explore how the values and priorities of ancient paganism aren't all that far away from the modern, westerner's wrestling with faith. Here's a link to the text of Exodus 16:1-35. Here's the link … Continue reading Sermon #2 — Exodus 16:1-35
Prayer Note #24 — Haggling With God–Genesis 18:16-33
In its simplest sense, prayer is conversing with God. The Bible contains lots and lots of conversations between God and human beings. Each one has its own character and tone. Some are quiet and gentle. Some are angry. Some are frightened and frightening. Some are simply fascinating and surprising. This conversation between God and Abraham … Continue reading Prayer Note #24 — Haggling With God–Genesis 18:16-33
Pastor Note #26 — After His Dad Died
{The following post is the text of a letter I wrote to a man in his early fifties shortly after his father died.} Dear F., There is an ache and strangeness that comes when our parents die. I don't think it really matters a lot how old we or they are when that happens. I … Continue reading Pastor Note #26 — After His Dad Died
Prayer Note #23 — A Bible Study on Prayer, Psalm 84:1-12
The Bible has a lot to say about prayer. Some of the places where we find wisdom and instruction on prayer don't actually use the word much or even at all. In Psalm 84, the word, "prayer," appears once, yet the entire psalm is about communing with God. And communing with God is certainly the … Continue reading Prayer Note #23 — A Bible Study on Prayer, Psalm 84:1-12
Prayer Note #22 — The God of All Things
My Lord, you are the brightness of light warming the darkness and gloom. You are the great sweeping vista, when I feel stifled and suffocated and trapped. You are the verdant, well-forested hills that embrace me and hide me, when I fell exposed and vulnerable. You are the bubbling spring in the desert, the firm, … Continue reading Prayer Note #22 — The God of All Things
Prayer Note #21 — On a Muggy Day by a Lake
Creator of all beauty, I sit here beside Keuka Lake at the end of a hot day. But now at 7:30 P.M., with the sun setting behind me and a huge volume of cool water just in front of my, I feel the cooling of the air and a kid of freshness settling over me. … Continue reading Prayer Note #21 — On a Muggy Day by a Lake
Prayer Notes #13 — Casting Burdens
Dear Jesus, I am awake now more than an hour before I need to be. My fears woke me up. Or did you wake me up in order to deal with me about my fears? I feel as if I am living very randomly, driven by my impulses and whims. And these impulses and whims, … Continue reading Prayer Notes #13 — Casting Burdens
Pastor Note #21 — The Meaning of Money, the Power of Giving
I do not think I exaggerate when I say that some of us put our offering in the plate with a kind of triumphant bounce as much as to say, "There--now God will feel better!" . . . I am obliged to tell you that God does not need anything you have. He does … Continue reading Pastor Note #21 — The Meaning of Money, the Power of Giving
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 