Mechanical Bulls are on My Bucket List
But Let's Begin With John Calvin
Photo by Brett Jordan
Mechanical bulls are on my bucket list.
But let's begin with John Calvin.
Yes, I know we were ALL hoping we could begin this Communion Sunday1 with John Calvin. Calvin was a Roman Catholic priest who served a congregation in Switzerland in the mid-1500s, and 16th century. He with the other reformers Martin Zwingli, Martin Luther, saw the church as stuck and in need of Reformation.
In the 1970s one of our poets brought us an excellent dose of John Calvin. Listen to this and let me know if you recognize this dose of Calvin's theology:
A man walks down the street
He says, "Why am I soft in the middle, now?
Why am I soft in the middle?
The rest of my life is so hard
I need a photo-opportunity
I want a shot at redemption
Don't want to end up a cartoon
Does anyone know this one? Right, Paul Simon's "You Can Call Me Al."
I need a photo-opportunity / I want a shot at redemption
Paul Simon is an amazing lyricist. This might be the best description of Calvinist theology: I need a photo-opportunity / I want a shot at redemption. God, do you see me? Do you see me? See me as I really am. I need a photo-opportunity. I need a shot at redemption.
This is excellent Reformed Theology
There are many ways of doing theology. Theology is a Greek word that comes from Theo - God, and ology - study. The study of God. The Roman Catholic church does its own theology often called simply Catholic Theology. Central America has Liberation Theology. We also have womanist theology, black theology, and a dozen more theologies. Our protestant evangelicals friends do Evangelical Theology.
As Presbyterians, we root out of Reformed theology which came from Calvin, Zwingli, and Martin Luther. This theology sees that God’s character is never changing and the Bible is the Word of God. But what does change is us.
Society changes and we do theology in new ways. The theology - the understandings are reformed - they are changing.
Ever sat in an inner tube tied to a dock? This might be a terrible description of Catholic theology. Everything is changing around you and your theology but you are immovable.
Reformed theology is floating down the river of change. Society, life is changing. Our God is always loving, always redeeming, always calling us to newness. God is not changing, the Bible is always the inspired Word of God and we are doing new theology as we float down the river of life.
I need a photo-opportunity / I want a shot at redemption
God, can you see us?
Catholic Theology says God calls us. We return to God. God redeems us.
Evangelical Theology says God calls us. We are abject sinners and we return to God. God redeems us.
Reformed Theology says:
God calls us. God redeems us. We return to God.
With Reformed Theology it is the Prodigal Son's mother and father2 running to us offering a big hug of welcome before we can confess. We are redeemed before we return. On the cross, Jesus broke the power of sin and death. Redemption is offered to everyone. It is not dependent on us. It is ALL God - Reformed Theology.
I need a photo-opportunity. Say it with me out loud:
I want a shot at redemption
Redemption is offered to all. God sees us. We have had our photo-opportunity. And God sees us.
Photo by Brett Jordan
God sees us, loves us, and redeems us in Jesus Christ.
Another reformer, Martin Luther, wrote the Westminster Shorter Catechism as a teaching tool for new believers to learn about the faith. Reformed Theology 101. The first question of the catechism:
What is the chief end of humanity (man)?
To glorify God and enjoy God forever.
Our Reformed churches should truly be places that glorify God and where we enjoy God.
The Gravitron
We were on a mid-high Mystery Trip down south at the Ohio State Fair. We rode the rides and spun on the Gravitron. KD puked just a little… on my foot. Sandals actually. We worked through that.
In the evening, we were all going to see TobyMac's concert. But as the afternoon wore down and we went looking for dinner beyond deep-fried Oreos, we came across a mechanical bull.
One of our Leaders, my friend Chris, said loudly, "Hey Monnett, it's a bull." All the mid-highs turned and it was on.
Marissa, a college leader said, "Yeah RJ, you could go 2.7 Seconds on a Bull named Fu Manchu" (from Tim McGraw's worship song "Live Like You Are Dying"). She might have easily as well said You need a photo-opportunity / You want a shot at redemption
The bull is before us.
What will we do? What will our churches do?
How will we glorify God and enjoy God forever?
I preached a version of this at St. Thomas Community Presbyterian Church, Shelby Twp., Michigan, on April 3, 2022.
It seems likely that the Prodigal Son’s mother would have hurried out to see him with his father. It seems like potential patriarchal editing. Or I’m reforming the male-centric parables.