Sermons

Calvin and Hobbes was a popular comic strip in the 1990’s. It featured a young and mischievous boy named Calvin and his stuffed tiger named Hobbes.  One of the things Calvin and Hobbes most enjoyed doing together was playing “Calvinball.”[1] Unlike games such as basketball and football, Calvinball had no permanent rules. The rules changed every time you played. And the game had no logical way of keeping score. There was no rationale way to determine who won a match of Calvinball.

In one popular strip Calvin yells out “Olly-Wolly Polliwoggy Ump-Bump-Fiz” while grabbing Hobbes’ flag. “Ha!” Calvin says. “I stole your flag.” Hobbes objects: “But I hit you with the Calvin Ball. You have to put the flag back and sing the ‘I’m Very sorry’ Song.” Calvin responds, “I don’t have to sing the song. I was in the ‘No Song Zone’.” “No you weren’t,” Hobbes states. “I touched the opposite pole, so the ‘No Song Zone’ is now a ‘Song Zone’.” Calvin retorts, “I didn’t see you touch the opposite pole. You have to declare it.” Hobbes explains: “I declared it oppositely by not declaring it. Start singing.” Calvin begins to sing the “I’m Very Sorry” song and Hobbes joins in. Once the song is over Calvin exclaims, “I’m free! I get free passage to wicket five.” “No,” says Hobbes. “That’s what we did last time, remember?” “Oh yea. Hmm” Calvin ponders. Finally Calvin concludes, “Ok, the new rule is we have to jump everywhere until someone finds the bonus box.” “That’s good!” says Hobbes. As they hop away, Calvin says, “The only permanent rule in Calvinball is that you can’t play it the same way twice.” And Hobbes reminds Calvin, “The score is still Q to 12.”Read More »Arrival: A Relentless Growth (Phil. 3:12-21)