Calvin Synod Herald, 1973 (73. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1973-05-01 / 5. szám
8 CALVIN SYNOD HERALD ladesh (to roof is extra) ; purchases and ships 1,000 pounds of fertilizer. $25 purchases 100 pounds of high protein (soy) meat substitute -— enough for an average family for an entire year; inoculates forty African children against death-dealing measles ; enables a planned parenthood clinic to counsel twenty families. $10 delivers 100 pounds of miracle rice seed from the Philippines to Bangladesh farmers — enough for a harvest of six tons; provides a month’s education for a Tibetan refugee child; supplies enough dynamite to blast through rock for a well in Ghana; furnishes twenty yards of cloth for self-help sewing projects in the Middle East. WARC STAFF AT THE VATICAN Rome — Three executive staffmembers of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, the Rev. Edmond Perret, general secretary, the Rev. Richmond Smith, secretary of the department of theology, and the Rev. Fred Kaan, secretary of the department of cooperation and witness, paid a working visit to the Vatican, February 6-9, 1973. The major part of the program for the visit, which had been arranged by the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, consisted of discussions with heads and staffmembers of different secretariats and congregations of the Roman Catholic Curia. During their four-day stay, the Alliance staff executives visited: • the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity—Cardinal Jan Willebrands, president, Father Jerome Hamer, secretary, Mgr. Jean-Frangois Arrighi, undersecretary; • the Secretariat for non-Christians— Mgr. Pietro Rossano, undersecretary; • the Secretariat for non-believers — Rev. Father Gerald Phelan, undersecretary ; ® the Congregation for Evangelization —His Excellency, Mgr. Sergio Pignedoli, secretary; • the Pontifical Commission “Justice and Peace”—Mgr. Andrea di Montezemolo, undersecretary; • the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith—Cardinal Franjo Seper, president and Mgr. Charles Moeller, undersecretary; • the Council for the Laity—Mgr. 24th ANNUAL YOUTH CAMP of CALVIN SYNOD (Conference of the United Church of Christ) at CAMP KANESATAKE Spruce Creek, Pa. August 19-25, 1973 Marcel Uylenbroek, secretary; • the Congregation for Catholic Education—Cardinal Gabriel-Marie Garrone, president, His Excellency Mgr. Josef Schroffer, secretary, Mgr. Francesco Marchisano, undersecretary, and • the Pontifical Biblical Institute -— Rector Carlo Martini. Mr. Perret and his colleagues were also received in private audience by the Pope. The discussions and meetings which were marked by a spirit of openness and cordiality contributed significantly to the relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the WARC, which are engaged in dialogue at regional and world levels. World level dialogue was begun in 1969 on the main theme “the presence of Christ in Church and World”. Topics covered so far have been “the relationship between Christ and his Church”, “the teaching authority in the Church” and “the presence of Christ in the World”. Future dialogue sessions will deal with “the eucharist” and “the ministry”. Tripartite conversations, involving also the Lutheran World Federation, are being held on “the theology of marriage and the problem of mixed marriages.” After discussions on the biblical and theological understanding of man-woman relationships, a study of anthropological and sociological contexts of marriage, and of the sacramentality of marriage, remaining sessions will be devoted to “the indissolubility of marriage” and “ecclesiastical regulations.” It was the first time that WARC staffmembers paid a working visit to the Vatican. Mr. Perret, after the visit, underlined the value of deepening staff relations between the two bodies, and welcomed the opportunity he and his colleagues had been given to familiarize themselves with the work of the various departments of the Vatican administration. Details of the visit had been arranged by Father Jérome Hamer and Mgr. Jean-Frangois Arrighi, secretary and undersecretary of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity. —rps JOYS OF THE PASTORATE The Rev. Ricahrd J. Lundeen, pastor of Grace and Emmanuel Lutheran Churches in Sandstone, Minn., is happy to be a pastor. All the same, he couldn’t resist compiling a list of some of the questionable “joys” of the pastorate which we pass along to you so you can make your own additions: It’s a joy when you stop to see your shut-ins and find that one has gone to the hair dresser, another is visiting her sister, and a third is playing golf. When you explain to the congregation how youth want to become involved in the church, and then neither the acolyte nor youth ushers show up for the service. When the usher decides it’s too warm in the church during a communion service, and the fan starting up distributtes the bread across the front of the church. When you work extra hard on your sermon, and it snows 14 inches on Saturday night so that nine people appear for worship. When you begin the church council meeting with devotions concerning the need for social involvement, and the remainder of the evening is spent discussing the property committee report. When a doll is needed to be the baby Jesus for the Church School Christmas program, and one little boy offers to let you use his teddy bear. When you enter the chancel area in your long, flowing robes and a small tot asks in a loud voice, “Is that Jesus?” When you preach an eloquent sermon on the importance of responsible driving habits, and the next day you’re stopped for speeding. When you conclude the benediction for the day with, “one end, world without God.” When you present a program on the relevancy of the Gospel in today’s world, and the only question you receive afterward is whether or not you believe that Jonah was really swallowed by a whale. When you have to remind the worship and music committee the “new red hymnal” is almost 13 years old. From the Religious News Service as quoted in American Baptist Input, Nov. 30, 1972
