"We do justice and God smiles."
"Loving humility is marvelously strong, the strongest of all things, and there is nothing else like it."
"Jesus walked the earth rehumanizing the dehumanized and cleansing the unclean. Why? Because his heart refused to sleep in. Sadness confronted him in every town. So wherever he went, whenever he was confronted with pain and longing, he spread the good contagion of his cleansing mercy. Thomas Goodwin said, 'Christ is love covered over in … Continue reading Quote of Note #192: Love in Human Flesh
"Before we determine how to live in a world where our highest hopes are not satisfied, we must ask, What does one do under such circumstances? One possible reaction is to distill our frustrations into a core of bitterness and resentment. The person who pursues this path is likely to develop a callous attitude, a … Continue reading Quote of Note #188: Rejecting Bitterness and Resentment
The Way of Jesus: Selfless Service OR Coercion and Domination? The Church of Jesus Christ in America has to decide whether it will embrace coercion as a tool of mission and ministry or not. This decision is not a new one for Christians. Throughout our history, we have frequently embraced a love affair with coercion … Continue reading Pastor Note #138: The Way of Jesus: Selfless Service OR Coercion and Domination?
"Proponents of American Christian nationalism argue that the church should fight to gain worldly power to promote their way of life and protect themselves from their enemies. Jesus, on the other hand, teaches us that power is to be used to self-sacrificially serve others, even our enemies." Caleb E. Campbell, Disarming Leviathan: Loving Your Christian … Continue reading Quote of Note #185: Self-sacrificial Service
"American Christian nationalism calls us to take up the power of the sword, gain more power, and use it to protect and promote our way of life. Jesus calls us to take up our cross and use our power to serve others, especially those who are not like us. When things seem out of control, … Continue reading Quote of Note #184: The Power of the Cross or the Power of the Sword?
"But the truth is that there is enough time and enough wealth to go around. The people in the churches every Sunday outnumber the people who are on the streets and the number of people who are on welfare. If the church took up the responsibility of caring for the poor, of living internationally, of … Continue reading Quote of Note #183: Giving Myself Away for Christ
"I quickly came to understand that non-violence takes more strength than violence--and it takes more than just human strength. It takes God's strength working in human beings to produce self-control, gentleness, and the other fruit of the Holy Spirit. God's power comes in our weakness and brokenness." John M. Perkins, Dream With Me: Race, Love, … Continue reading Quote of Note #182: Holy Spirit-Empowered Non-violence
"Orthopraxy. . . is demonstrated in relationship to God, his word, and people who are made in his image. Becoming an expert in doctrine does not make one a disciple. On the contrary, Jesus taught that the clearest evidence that we are truly disciples is when we 'love one another' as he has loved us … Continue reading Quote of Note #177: True Christian Discipleship
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 