Heaven have mercy on us all—Presbyterians and pagans alike—for we are all somehow dreadfully cracked about the head, and sadly need mending. –Herman Melville, Moby Dick
- We have cool movies associated with us like A River Runs Through It. Directed by Robert Redford, this movie is based on the 1976 semi-autobiographical novel by Norman Maclean.
- Our idiosyncrasies, stereotypes and foibles bring a lot of laughter and joy to the world. Here are three examples from the Babylon Bee:
- Tim Keller. His book The Prodigal God and his four-part sermon series on The Gospel According to Joseph were life-changing.
- We are associated with intelligent thinking and the forgiveness of sins despite the following:
- “People are so shocked when they find … out I am Protestant. I am Presbyterian. And I go to church and I love God and I love my church,” – Donald Trump
- Moderator Frank Luntz asked Trump whether he has ever asked God for forgiveness for his actions: “I am not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don’t think so,” he said. “I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”[1]
- We can enjoy alcoholic beverages in moderation and responsibly without being judged by our church family.[2] Further, many of us not only get the following quotes by Luther, we appreciate them:
- “It is better to think of church in the ale-house than to think of the ale-house in church.”
- “Beer is made by men, wine by God.”
- “He who loves not wine, women and song remains a fool his whole life long.”
- “Do not suppose that abuses are eliminated by destroying the object which is abused. Men can go wrong with wine and women. Shall we then prohibit and abolish women? The sun, the moon, and the stars have been worshiped. Shall we then pluck them out of the sky? …see how much he [God] has been able to accomplish through me, though I did no more than pray and preach. The Word did it all. Had I wished I might have started a conflagration at Worms. But while I sat still and drank beer with Philip and Amsdorf, God dealt the papacy a mighty blow.”
- “In short, I will preach it [the Word], teach it, write it, but I will constrain no man by force, for faith must come freely without compulsion. Take myself as an example. I opposed indulgences and all the papists, but never with force. I simply taught, preached, and wrote God’s Word; otherwise I did nothing. And while I slept, or drank Wittenberg beer with my friends Philip and Amsdorf, the Word so greatly weakened the papacy that no prince or emperor ever inflicted such losses upon it. I did nothing; the Word did everything.”
- Babies have a special place in the actual membership of the church even if they are not “full-communicant” members. Being a “full-communicant” member means you are old enough to “examine yourself” and discern the true meaning of the Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:28-29).
- Communion is more sacred, special, and central to regular worship than it was when I was a Baptist. In the Presbyterian view, Jesus is more spiritually present at the Lord’s Supper than he is normally. One theologian, Marshall, notes that Christ is always present among His people but present in a special way at Communion, much like a parent who always loves his or her children but at times picks them up and gives them special hugs.[3]
- Although we may not always understand or like what it says, we take passages like Romans 9:1-29 seriously.
- Doctrine is not a dirty word. Further, predestination and election, properly understood, are precious truths related to comfort, security, holiness, and courage. I am, however, a Presbyterian in pursuit of what some have called “a kinder, gentler Calvinism,” one that believes the doctrine of predestination must always be viewed through the wounds of Christ—that is, in a way that’s closely tied to God’s loving heart.
- Our underwear may be too tight but propriety, etiquette, and order still matter. 🙂
[1] https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/18/politics/trump-has-never-sought-forgiveness/index.html
[2] While what I say here is consistent with what the Bible teaches (Eccl. 9:7; 1 Tim. 3:3; Eph. 5:18), it is a bit tongue-in-cheek and not intended to disrespect the decision of some to abstain from alcohol for personal, health, physiological, dietary, or family reasons. We should always be sensitive to the journey of others and I have a deep appreciation for the work of organizations and ministries like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Celebrate Recovery, understanding there are some individuals that should not or cannot drink.
[3] Craig Blomberg, NIV Application Commentary: 1 Corinthians (Grand Rapids: Zondervan) 1994, p. 237.