WHY AM I A PRESBYTERIAN

                                                                         Why I Am a Presbyterian

There are many reasons why I am a Presbyterian, and maybe I will write about more, but high on the list of reasons is that God does not present Godself as a Heavenly Marshal. 

I remember years ago on a Junior High trip to the Rocky Mountains; a Christian actor did a skit presenting God as the Heavenly Marshall.  Our Westminster Youth did a skit a year ago that included part of the skit.  Now, Picture God as the town marshal getting off his horse when suddenly God is aware that Steve is in the midst of temptation.   God looks down from heaven and says, “Be careful Steve, and don’t cross the line.  Be careful, you are getting close.”  Well Steve commits the crime of saying that he was at the church when in fact he was at the bowling alley.  He told a flat out lie.  And there is God saying, “There he goes, he has violated paragraph 7, section 8.3874 – going to the bowling alley and saying he was at the church.”  God points his gun at Steve and says, “Now, I’m going to flatten the left front tire on his car.”

Praise be to God that God is not a heavenly marshal.  God does not sit on his throne watching humankind waiting for us to break the law so he can divvy out punishment.   God comes to us in the person of Jesus Christ graciously calling us to himself.  God is not a vindictive tyrant anxiously waiting to send us to hell.  God is like a father waiting on the porch constantly looking out for his son to come home. 

Why am I a Presbyterian, one reason is that Presbyterians understand that our service and obedience to God should never come from a sense of guilt or fear, but God offers himself to us in love, calling us to receive that love and live in and through that love.  I am a Presbyterian because; God comes to me as one who calls me into his service because I love God, not because I fear God. 

Soli Deo Gloria

Steve