A PRAYER Lord God, your goodness and patience are a constant presence in my life. I confess that I do not recognize or acknowledge that presence sometimes . . . often. That, I suppose, is why I experience you so often as Patience, though I neglect to attend to you, to your wisdom, to your … Continue reading Prayer Notes #5
Tag: prayer
Prayer Notes #4
A Prayer Good morning, Lord. Thanks you for another lovely start to a new day. I find such pleasure in being near you. Why do I so often wander away from you and for such long periods? Why do I find it so hard to return once I've wandered off? I do feel so much … Continue reading Prayer Notes #4
Prayer Notes #3–Reflecting on Acts 2:38
A Prayer Reflecting on Acts 2:38 I confess, Lord, that I'm not sure that I'm willing to repent. Well, but I don't want not to repent. The price of that is far too great. But the complete change of life, of direction, of behavior seems so hard; and I love my ease and comfort and … Continue reading Prayer Notes #3–Reflecting on Acts 2:38
Prayer Notes #1
A Prayer about Prayer Lord, I struggle so much to force myself to be still and to concentrate on anything, but especially on prayer. I really do hate this about myself. Do I have to be this way? Please, Lord, if I could simply be still and concentrate better mentally, I believe I would be … Continue reading Prayer Notes #1
Pastor Notes #8 (9/11/2001) — Presence as Ministry
[The following is from several entries into my journal about the events of the evening of September 11, 2001. I was at that time the pastor of Central Presbyterian Church in the heart of downtown Columbus, Ohio. There are several large, high-end hotels in the immediate vicinity of the church.] Tuesday, September 11, 2001 7:30 … Continue reading Pastor Notes #8 (9/11/2001) — Presence as Ministry
Pastor Notes #5
A Prayer My Father, I want to be a man of discernment. I want to be a man thoroughly committed to acting on your will as I discern it. But I know that that means I must be committed to nurturing a spirit of patience and quietness in myself -- a quietness that is not … Continue reading Pastor Notes #5
Pastor Notes #4
A Prayer You bring unexpected and surprising encounters into my life regularly, Lord. And because you are the Lord and my Lord, I know that these encounters are part of your purpose for me. I often don't know exactly what your purposes are in bringing me and any given person together, but I know that … Continue reading Pastor Notes #4
Pastor Notes 3
Sometimes when we come away from a worship service feeling unmoved, feeling as if the service was confusing, boring, or poorly led, the problem is not actually with the worship service itself or with the people leading it, but instead is a problem within us and our lack of real preparation. And sometimes when the worship service has indeed been poorly planned and led, we can meet God powerfully in it anyway simply because we have prepared ourselves well.
Gary Chorpenning's Notebooks 