Calvin who?

I am rarely at a loss for words. In most conversations I can add something of value, a tidbit of trivia, a dash of pop culture, a smattering of family/homeschooling/raising kids info. But I met my match tonight. I found myself sitting in a meeting with absolutely nothing – no joke, nothing – to say. And believe me, that takes some doing.

I’d been asked by my pastor to join him and five others to help plan an upcoming conference. John Calvin’s 500th birthday is next year and the conference will mark that occasion as well as look at how reformed faith is experiencing a bit of resurgence among young evangelicals. The concept sounded intriguing to me and I was glad to help in whatever way I could.

Tonight was our first meeting; we went around the room, introduced ourselves, and got to work. Within five minutes I realized I was in way over my head. Three of the men are pastors and they started bantering about Calvin and paedobaptists and Edwards and some other dead guy I’d never heard of. Then one of the lay people chimed in with his two cents’ worth, then another. I mean, the regular church guys read Calvin for fun. I just sat there thinking, “What the heck am I doing here?”

It was a good exercise for me in keeping my trap shut. I didn’t try to interject anything pithy (as I am wont to do) because half the time I couldn’t figure out why they were laughing and the other half I was taking notes in a desperate attempt to keep up.

If only someone had needed the lyrics to an Amy Grant song – ANY Amy Grant song – or tips on how to get a baby to sleep or who’s playing Glinda in the touring company of Wicked, well, then I could have helped. But how to communicate in a hip, young way why Calvin and the reformed system of theology are important today … it was just beyond me.

I’m not new to reformed theology but I have only a cursory knowledge of it. I thought that was plenty until tonight.

As humbling an experience as it was (and hoo boy, was it) I left encouraged to learn a bit more about Calvin and some of the other dead guys the pastors discussed. I don’t want to do it so I have something to say next time; I already know a month of cramming before our next meeting will not help me. But if these folks are so enamored with Mr. Calvin I want to find out why.

The moral of this story: Next time I’m asked to be on a committee I’m doing some research beforehand. A lot of research. Unless the committee’s on Amy Grant’s contribution to CCM between 1978 – 1989. I’ve got that covered.

Me and Amy Grant, November, 1984

Original post by Christy