Calvin on Birthdays

[greenbaggins]

Calvin has some interesting thoughts on birthdays in his commentary on the synoptic Gospels, volume 2, page 225:

The ancient custom of observing a birth-day every year as an occasion of joy cannot in itself be disapproved; for that day, as often as it returns, reminds each of us to give thanks to God, who brought us into this world, and has permitted us, in his kindness, to spend many years in it; next, to bring to our recollection how improperly and uselessly the time which God granted to us has been permitted to pass away; and, lastly, that we ought to commit ourselves to the protection of the same God for the remainder of our life.

 

[OPC'n]

Yeah, I knew Calvin was a good guy! He's still on my top 10 list!

 

[Rich Koster]

Nothing about Chuck-E-Cheese?

 

[Skyler]

Birthdays aren't evil. People are.

 

[ww]

Excellent Lane! Is it your birthday today out of curiousity or just came accross that passage?

 

[jlynn]

Sadly, many people look at birthdays as though they are a curse because, after all, who really wants to get older. People can often see the part Calvin said about how uselessly and improperly our life to date has been used, but don't always look at the day each year as thankfulness that God is still sustaining them.

 

[greenbaggins]

Excellent Lane! Is it your birthday today out of curiousity or just came accross that passage?

My birthday isn't until July 12. I came across it as I was preparing for the evening message this week.

 

[OPC'n]

Excellent Lane! Is it your birthday today out of curiousity or just came accross that passage?

My birthday isn't until July 12. I came across it as I was preparing for the evening message this week.

Hey! That's one of my nieces' birthday!

 

[PresbyDane]

Yeah, I knew Calvin was a good guy! He's still on my top 10 list!

He is on my top 3

 

[OPC'n]

Yeah, I knew Calvin was a good guy! He's still on my top 10 list!

He is on my top 3

Oh, so you only like three writers, eh? Who are they?

 

[DonP]

who are your top 2

 

[Berean]

Yeah, I knew Calvin was a good guy! He's still on my top 10 list!

He is on my top 3

Luther, Calvin and ??

 

[PresbyDane]

Edwards

 

[AThornquist]

I was bracing myself for some JW style of self-deprecation, just in case. I had two JWs in my small charter high school class, and it bugged me so much how they tried to not celebrate their own birthdays so as to somehow avoid ego-centricism and instead bring glory to God by not thinking of oneself. In practice all they did was focus on themselves while trying to practice their tradition of showing how silly birthdays are. In other words, they were equally ego-centric but without cake! THAT IS OF SATAN!!!

(And for the record, I'll take pie.)

 

[Ivan]

Edwards

Excellent choice!

-----Added 4/17/2009 at 07:47:08 EST-----

(And for the record, I'll take pie.)

Oh yeah!!