Photo by GAC "You could say I was successful, but success is such a fleeting, arbitrary notion. Who decides what it is? Who determines whether you've achieved it? Does being crucified on a dung heap outside the walls of Jerusalem, cursed as someone lower than the beasts, spat upon, and mocked as he cried out … Continue reading Quote of Note #144: Success & Power
Tag: Jesus Christ
Bible Note #53: Colossians 3 Series–Raised with Christ
There is richness and deep truth to be found everywhere in the Bible, often in passages that might seem mundane and unremarkable at first glance. In fact, that sounds like an interesting challenge. So, maybe someday I’ll do a series of studies on some of those seemingly uninspiring passages of the Bible. But for now, … Continue reading Bible Note #53: Colossians 3 Series–Raised with Christ
Quote of Note #135: The Redemptive Impulse of Jesus
Teasel against a Gray Sky; photo by GAC "And if the actions of Jesus are reflective of who he most deeply is, we cannot avoid the conclusion that it is the very fallenness which he came to undo that is most irresistibly attractive to him. "This is deeper than saying Jesus is loving or merciful … Continue reading Quote of Note #135: The Redemptive Impulse of Jesus
Quote of Note #134: Leaving the Past Behind
Photo by GAC "[God] wants us first to acknowledge our full responsibility, without excuse or extenuation. Then he says in effect: 'Now put all that behind you; I will take responsibility for it' (and he can take responsibility for the evil we have done: as we have seen, he has provided in Christ the effective … Continue reading Quote of Note #134: Leaving the Past Behind
Quote of Note #118: The Truth of the Resurrection
photo by GAC "I contend that the historicity [of the Gospels] does matter, and I do not see why we, who live nearly two thousand years later, should call into question an Event for which there were many eye-witnesses still living at the time when most of the New Testament was written. It is no … Continue reading Quote of Note #118: The Truth of the Resurrection
Bible Note #47: Mary Magdalene–A Holy Week Meditation
Mary Magdalene—A Narrative Meditation In an earlier time, the anguish and grief that she had endured on that Friday and Saturday would have unhinged her. Yet in the midst of this agony, she discovered that the Teacher had so healed and restored her that even this crushing sorrow could not undo his work. photo by … Continue reading Bible Note #47: Mary Magdalene–A Holy Week Meditation
Bible Note #45: Nicodemus & Joseph of Arimathea at the Cross–A Lenten Meditation
His old bones ached under the weight of his burden. Still, he thought, his pain was nothing compared to the pain of dragging a cross through the streets especially in that appalling condition. The weight of that rough wood grinding on the shredded flesh of the man’s back must have been near unbearable. Stained Glass … Continue reading Bible Note #45: Nicodemus & Joseph of Arimathea at the Cross–A Lenten Meditation
Bible Note #44: The Centurion at the Cross–A Lenten Meditation
The Centurion at the Cross--A Lenten MeditationRead Mark 15, especially verse 39 photo by GAC. The centurion had been summoned by the garrison commander. There was nothing particularly unusual about that. The centurion was one of the senior officers in the cohort that was stationed at the fortress in Jerusalem. Of course, all the centurions … Continue reading Bible Note #44: The Centurion at the Cross–A Lenten Meditation
Quote of Note #116: Running to God with our Darkest Miseries
Flagstaff, AZ; photo by GAC "[God] isn't like you. Even the most intense of human love is but the faintest echo of heaven's cascading abundance. His heartful thoughts of you outstrip what you can conceive. He intends to restore you into the radiant resplendence for which you were created. And that is dependent not on … Continue reading Quote of Note #116: Running to God with our Darkest Miseries
Quote of Note #115: God, Who Is Rich in Mercy
The Spokane River in downtown Spokane, WA; photo by GAC "Perhaps you have difficulty receiving the rich mercy of God in Christ not because of what others have done to you but because of what you've done to torpedo your life, maybe through one, big, stupid decision or maybe through ten thousand little ones. You … Continue reading Quote of Note #115: God, Who Is Rich in Mercy
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 