Bobby Griffith

In a month we’re moving to Norman, Oklahoma. While it is going to be fun to be back “home,” I cannot help but feel bittersweet for leaving. We’ve got an exciting opportunity ahead, plus we are in the middle of buying our first home, so do not think we are leaving unwillingly.

Still, it is going to be tough to leave a church and group of kids that we love and will always cherish. A few highlights I don’t want to forget: Zeb’s snarky comments, especially when someone started talking smack and he said, “I’m not trippin’ son, I’m sittin’ down.” I’ll miss Andrew’s perfectionist ways of practicing with the band while Nathan continually didn’t pay attention. I’ll miss Lynne’s carefree spirit and Beth’s love for the beach and both of their love for their families. I’ll miss Nathan K’s loud, boisterous and big personality. I’ll miss RJ saying, “well…” I’ll miss Priscilla’s pithy comments on life. I’ll miss Hannah’s silly ways and I’ll miss Ben’s questions and Rebeckah’s meekness.

There are other kids I haven’t mentioned, but the last two years have been so great for me and Jen. We’ve grown. We’ve seen kids grow up and we’ve been through a lot, both good and bad. One thing I’ll always have is the fact that the music for my ordination service was done by the kids and it rocked.

So, after two Thanksgiving breakfasts/services, two summers of cookouts, two trips to Bethany Beach, two snowcamps, lots of laughs, pizza, and times in the circle, thanks for the memories! We still have a month to make more!

One thing I have strived to do over the years of my off and on blogging is to keep political comments to a bare minimum. I have no real hard and fast reason for this other than I do not want political speech to get in the way of other things I do. That does not mean I do not have definite opinions on matters because I do, but, as a student of religious history, I have seen too many ministers who opined more about politics than God.

Still, I do notice an interesting, and disturbing, trend in our current political discourse. This trend is affects both the Left and Right. It manifests itself in people searching for a “strong man (or woman)” to take care of society’s problems. Whether it is national defense or healthcare, many think that if the right person is in office, they will be able to rule effectively and justly, just based upon the strength of their persona.

That is very dangerous, in my opinion, because the more power anyone allows the government to have, the less freedom the citizenry will enjoy. For instance, when the Bush Administration created a program which allowed churches to partner with the government by receiving grants for community outreach, the cash came with strings. This is one example. I think another could be the rush for protection after 9/11, in which people willingly gave up freedoms under the guise of safety. I’ve often heard conservative commentators say that it is worth it to add an extra 30 minutes to the security line at the airport and deal with the expanded government which came after 9/11, but now that someone who does not share their political affinities is in power, Homeland Security is now “politicized.”

At the same time, many think that government should take care of us. Healthcare should be free. Education should be free, etc. I recently saw a tweet in which the person said that after healthcare is free, the government needs to take on education because he wants to finish his degree without paying for it. The bottom line with giving stuff for free is that it comes with costs attached. Someone who makes more money pays the taxes which pays for the free stuff, which means they hire less employees and purchase less goods and services which keeps business running. The person who enjoys the free services sacrifices a little in order to take advantage of the generosity of government spending. All the while, people lose a little while thinking they gain.

I think that people naturally want a strong leader to care for humanity. I don’t see anything really wrong with it because God’s common grace creates a longing in all of us for peace, justice, and security. The unfortunate thing about that is that we’re broken images who long for something better and we misplace that longing when we look to broken humanity to fix it. We can’t perfectly fix broken systems. The more power we give to mankind, the more we mock ourselves by thinking we can fix all that’s wrong.

Neat clip..

Today is Calvin’s 500th birthday. While he was just a man, he’s been influential for five centuries. Not bad for a Roman Catholic lawyer turned Protestant pastor/theologian in Geneva, Switzerland.

There are lots of blogs and articles which have already said more and better things than I could say, but I thought I’d give a few reflections about what I have learned from reading Calvin. Yes, I said reading, actually reading as opposed to owning the books and looking for quotes.

First, when I read the Institutes all the way through for a seminar in seminary, I was struck by his pastoral tone. Additionally, the focus of his writing was not a stale theology, but a vibrant, spirit-empowered, missional one, permeated with a passion for God’s glory.

Second, his writings on the sacraments, particulalry communion, are extremely helpful and practical. They truly hone in on St. Paul’s reminder to the Corinthians that the bread and cup we share are koinonia with the body and blood of Christ. I don’t believe Calvin was innovating there, he was rehabilitating and correcting errant views.

Third, book four of the Institutes haunts me. Calvin’s understanding of the ordained ministry was so much richer than I can grasp. His insistence that ministry is for life and the optimal ministry construct is one where the pastor serves the community till death due him part demonstrates how important he believed the role of the minister was.

Something which I have not had the time to explore, is Calvin’s orchistration of the diaconate. My understanding is that it was organized and implemented to serve the widows, orphans and poor. It was also “cutting” edge for the 16th century as the Roman Catholic Church had been lacking in this area.

And for the haters, if you think Calvin was all about predestination consider this. He sent over 2000 church planters throughout Europe. He never had the right to vote in Geneva and was not a part of the local government. Additionally, his Institues, sermons and other writings, from my understanding, are more “earthy” in their original language. The problem, according to some I have read, is that theologians and not linguists have done the translating.

That said, I am glad that Calvin is en vogue at this juncture in history. I think we need more people with his passion.