I suppose that part of the reason I have more pleasant Valentine's-type associations with a church than with any person is that it feels a lot safer to love a church. My track record of rejection makes being in love with a person a terrifying experience. But the thing is, I know full well that a church can break your heart just as surely as an individual.

Which is not, in either case, a good reason not to love.

In any event: the reason I am a Presbyterian today is not that I am convinced that the Reformed Theological tradition is the best framework for understanding and communicating the truth of the Gospel. I am a Presbyterian because, when I have been most profoundly aware of my need for it, God has used Presbyterians to show me his love.

I believe this is a good reason to be a part of a church, even if it is not a particularly Presbyterian reason.

(Having listened to these lovely lectures on the pastoral heart of John Calvin [for which you need iTunes], however, I am now inclined to think that this is a more Presbyterian reason than I previously supposed.)