photo by GAC "But for most people, to be able to simplify issues so as to see only the definite external enemy is extremely exhilarating and brings about the bright eye and the springy step that go so well with the political uniform. This is an exhilaration that the Christian must deny himself. It comes from an … Continue reading Quote of Note #159: The Politics of Humility
Tag: politics
Quote of Note #158: Christianity and Nationalism
“Mr. [Middleton] Murry holds that ‘the real conflict that is preparing is the conflict between Christianity and anti-Christian nationalism’: but surely a nationalism which is overtly antagonistic to Christianity is a less dangerous menace for us than a nationalism which professes a Christianity from which all Christian content has been evacuated.” T. S. Eliot, Christianity … Continue reading Quote of Note #158: Christianity and Nationalism
Pastor Note #115: Advent Reflections #1
I just did a quick online search for Advent calendars and discovered that you can buy Advent calendars at Target, Walmart, and on the Etsy site. They’re everywhere. I also noticed that almost all of them are incorrect. All of the Advent calendars I looked at start on December 1, and five out of every … Continue reading Pastor Note #115: Advent Reflections #1
Pastor Note #107: Violence and the Kingdom of God: a Sermon
Conversations with Jesus:James and John and Violence in the Kingdom of GodLuke 9:51-55 Pastor Gary Chorpenning A sermon preached atVenice Presbyterian ChurchCecil Township, PAJanuary 10,2021 We’re living in difficult and unpredictable times. I’ll admit that I had a different sermon planned for today, but the events at the U. S. Capitol this week have caused … Continue reading Pastor Note #107: Violence and the Kingdom of God: a Sermon
Quote of Note #113: Legitimacy of Government
Photo by GAC "The [ancient] Jews didn't, it seems, care very much how rulers became rulers; so much for our modern ideals of 'legitimacy through voting.' They cared very much what the rulers did once they were in power. Power itself wasn't the problem; it was what you did with it that counted. In our … Continue reading Quote of Note #113: Legitimacy of Government
Prayer Note #60: A Litany for a Time of Election
A Litany for a Time of Election Forgive us for forgetting that the Lion of Judah is a lamb bearing the marks of slaughter.Give us gentle and humble hearts like yours. Forgive us for seeing other people’s sins while being blind to our own.Give us gentle and humble hearts like yours. Forgive us for defaming … Continue reading Prayer Note #60: A Litany for a Time of Election
Pastor Note #104: Partisan Politics, the American Church, and the Kingdom of God
Cross Creek Lake, Avella, PA; photo by GAC During my years of pastoring in central New York state, I was part of a pastors' prayer group that met weekly to pray for each other and our community. All of us in the group were theologically conservative, what is often called “evangelical.” Sometime in 2011, during … Continue reading Pastor Note #104: Partisan Politics, the American Church, and the Kingdom of God
Quote of Note #106: Forfeiting the Soul of a Nation
A closed down steel mill near Pittsburgh, PA; photo by GAC "The psychological power of nationalism is lessened or at least checked by an ancient wisdom reminding us that a nation might gain a strong economy, everyday low prices, and all the homeland security in the world and still forfeit its soul." David Dark, The … Continue reading Quote of Note #106: Forfeiting the Soul of a Nation
Pastor Note #102: Evangelical Fears and the Turn Toward Coercive “Christianism”: an Essay Part 3 of 3
Evangelical Fears and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: an Essay Part 3 of 3 In Part 1 of this essay, I laid out some examples of Evangelical fears, particularly in the form of their desire for a strongman-protector. I have also presented statistical evidence of significant shifts in the demographics of faith in America. In … Continue reading Pastor Note #102: Evangelical Fears and the Turn Toward Coercive “Christianism”: an Essay Part 3 of 3
Pastor Note #101: Evangelical Fears and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: An Essay Part 2 of 3
Evangelical Fears and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: An Essay Part 2 of 3 The Passing of the Christian Worldview in American Society The statistics I laid out in the first part of this essay have gotten a lot of attention over the years since they were first published, and so I think we can … Continue reading Pastor Note #101: Evangelical Fears and the Turn Toward “Coercive Christianism”: An Essay Part 2 of 3
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 