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Sunday, July 5 - Through the Roof

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. So many gathered that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins . . . .” He said to the paralytic, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!” —Mark 2:1-12

The 500th Anniversary of the Birth of John Calvin (1509-1564)

Who really was John Calvin? Why is he important today?

John Calvin was born on July 10, 1509 in France, in a time very much like ours — a time of radical change. The European discovery of the New World, the Renaissance, and the Reformation were all unfolding.

Calvin gladly credited Martin Luther with his own spiritual transformation. When the persecution of self-named Protestants began, Calvin fled to Geneva, Switzerland.

There Calvin found the self-indulgent lifestyle of the wealthy offensive, especially their disregard for the poor. He began to emphasize that Christian self-denial means sharing everything with all who are not so privileged. God summons us to mutual aid and assistance.

Calvin welcomed all religious refugees. He taught them, and he tirelessly argued that they be granted citizenship . When persecution abated throughout Europe, many of the refugees carried the Reformation to their homelands. John Knox of Scotland was one of them. Others returned to France, the Netherlands, Hungary, and England. They took with them Calvin’s teachings and helped bring Presbyterian, Congregationalist, and Reformed churches into being.

Calvin wrote commentaries on almost every book of the Bible, emphasizing
knowing God through a relationship with God
the beauty of creation as revealing God’s hands and feet
Jesus Christ as revealing the heart of God
the rule of God over all of life
the anchoring of all Christian teaching in the Bible
discipleship as both personal and social

Calvin was deeply committed to educating all people by and through scripture, rather than letting education be kept only for monks, sisters, and clergy. He was also deeply committed to the unity of the church, working tirelessly to build bridges between the churches of his time, hoping always to overcome the divisions in the church.

Misunderstandings of Calvin abound. However, a careful reading of his life reveals God’s gifts to us in this trailblazer. Calvin’s depth and perspectives are a witness for our day. In our day, we’re often not biblically literate. Calvin reminds us of the unique authority of scripture. He had a vision of creation as God’s raiment. His stress on Christian discipleship as being both social and personal is a corrective to egocentric faith and to our indifference to those who are poor or without resources. If we heed Calvin’s call for a relationship with God and all people, feelings of mistrust, fear and impersonal systems can and will fade away.

To Ponder:

1. What stands out for you about John Calvin after having read the above information?

2. What might it mean to speak of Jesus as revealing the heart of God?

3. When we speak of nature as God’s raiment or garment, how could this vision change our lives?

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Sunday, July 5 - Through the Roof

The 500th Anniversary of the Birth of John Calvin (1509-1564)

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