Coffee with Calvin

On May 27th 1564, John Calvin died at the age of 54. He was buried the next day at two o clock in the afternoon. He was wrapped in a shroud and encased in a plain wooden coffin, without pomp or elaborate ceremony. His grave marked by a simple mound. This is exactly as he wished. He asked that not even a tombstone acknowledge his life. He believed that the enduring work of God was to be honored and cherished, not his life. He lived and died in humility.

But he left behind hundreds of sermons, commentaries on almost the whole Bible, a theology textbook that stands as one of the greatest pieces of Christian literature, countless tracts and letters and much more than these, a life wholeheartedly for God.

There are fewer saints outside the Bible that I consult with more regularly than John Calvin. He has been a curiosity to some, a villain to others, and an idealistic god to still others. It is highly unlikely other than our Lord and Paul that anyone has received more unjust criticism than Calvin simply due to ignorant prejudice and misinformed tales.

Last year marked the 500th anniversary of his birth. The gospel was center to John Calvin’s life. The belief in Jesus Christ as central to everything permeated every facet of this man’s ministry. John Calvin, the man was so many things: a church leader, preacher, teacher, writer, shepherd, evangelist, and missionary. His civil system partial shaped American government as our country was founded. And he was so much more.

Every month of the year I rotate among saints both living and dead (mostly dead) who have impressed me in their pursuit of God. I do a two year cycle of people. I read their works and get to know them better and their God. John Calvin is my read this month. Although I consult with Calvin weekly (through commentaries and Institutes), this month is another immersion in the “Institutes of Christian Religion”. It has been a rich journey again.

If you have never read the Institutes start with Calvin’s section on prayer which is one of the largest portions of the Institutes. This I think will fairly represent what Calvin is hoping to achieve since the Institutes have been unfairly caricatured. Throughout this month, I will extract my readings of Calvin on a weekly basis to you the readers in an interview format. I think this whimsical approach should hook you onto Calvin and hopefully represent him in a correct way.

To my recollection when I proposed marriage to my wife and she accepted, I asked her during our engagement period to do one thing for me, read the Institutes. She acquiesced and continued to love me.  I did notice that the Beveridge edition of the Institutes (the edition she read) was later used as a doorstop in our first house. There is also a little band of brothers that meet weekly here at Calvary and read and discuss the Institutes. While they shall remain nameless, you can spot them if you observe closely. They eat meat, smile frequently, love their women and will use the term “wretched” loosely.