Calvin Synod Herald, 1991 (91. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1991-09-01 / 5. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD- 4 -REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA Be*«* HLi] m From our Watchtower on West The Column of Rev. Julius Paál (California) out a way to absorb god... or hear the throb of god’s heart in the universe. And we church people with simple humble faith to know that we live in the magnetic fields of God’s grace. The Reformation of the Church is the continuing responsibility of the Church. For some people it seems that we are living in a “post-Protestant” era though 10,000 Protestant churches are built in this country every year. ^ ;u They came from the East. Not the Sumerians, not the Amorites, Horites and wandering Hittites... not the Arameans and the late coming Magi- Babylonians, Medes and Persians. No, before them... maybe the predecessors of the tall Anakim, Nephilim the sons of the giants, children of the sons of gods and daughters of men. (Gen. 6:4) The gibborim, among them Nimrod the mighty hunter, ancestor of wild, brutal Assyrian kings, and according to Hungarian legends, the mighty ancestor of the Hun-Hungarian tribes. But they came from the East, sparkle and determination in their eyes. They did not learn the lesson yet that Adam and Eve and their brood trying to steal the fruits of the tree of knowledge and of life, were expelled from the Garden of Eden. Did they forget the lesson given to Cain: “If you do well, will you not be accepted and if not sin will crouch at their door, but you must control it. No these wandering people from the East had daring in their hearts. They wanted to walk tall and erect, like the ancient Greeks in their kothumus, elevated sandals, playing the roles of ancient great kings and their beautiful queens. They came to build a city and tower. (Gen. 11:1-9 to reach the high heavens... to steal the secrets of the gods... seven terraces of the ziggurat to reach heaven. Astonauts to travel beyond the path of the angels... theological systems to sweat Does our Protestant heritage, our Reformed faith help us in our tough, competitive, precarious living conditions?! Luther and Calvin have a message to the insecure, anxious status seekers. Luther said at Worms: “Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise”. Calvin: “We will die, but in death even be conquerors”. Hemingway used to say: life is holding on, enduring despite troubles, sicknesses, death is lotting go. But we have a faith: perseverance of the saints. Life is holding on, enduring yes... but with a dynamic trust: that our life is a trust: we have talents to use, we have work to do... for the glory of God our best status is that in this life and beyond we are living in God’s world. We may stumble and fall... we may overshoot our marks or fall short of our aims but life adds up and the ledger sheets will be read... we have an account to make... not of trifles... meaning lost opportunities... reading tapes of bungled memories. “We have miles to go before we sleep”, but the miles will lead us somewhere. Something to know about our Hymns: “With the Reformation Protestants turned to the Psalms. The Reformed church sought the texts for their songs in the Psalms. They felt that the Lutheran chorales were not drawn from the Bible. The French Psalter appeared in 1552 with the simple music of the Geneva Psalter. This French Psalter became the source book for the Dutch, Anglo- Geneva and Hungarian Psalters... The Victorian age (19th c.) endowed the Church with much music that was inferior, unimaginative , and totally unworthy of the great heritage. From a musical point of view, the tunes were cheap, they often reflected the popular dance music of the day... and were almost morbidly sentimental.” R. M. Bartlett. * * * Yes, the church always must be reformed, restored, renewed. The unfinished business... Protestant perspective, panorama of churches, too many separate churches, virtues and weaknesses. The legacy stands firm: faith, trust self-knowledge, bold encounter, thanksgiving, good hope firmly established in God’s promises. Here I stand, this is my legacy, but new light will come from Scripture as long as the heir, the church-member is a child in faith he is under guardians and trustees, pastors and teachers, preachers and priests. (Gal. 4:1-2) But rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way. (Eph. 4:15) The church member as man of adult faith. * * * It was dreadful meeting for young John Calvin, a retiring scholar, in 1536, William Farel thundered away that he must stay in Geneva and be teacher-pastor of the Reformation Church where a few enthusiast, disorderly minds were trying to do the job and failed. And the young refugee, whom later critics always represent as the cold logical Calvin with his iron will, took over the job, and order was established: Geneva became the model city of the Reformation. With our modern sophistication and “superior knowledge” we may citicize the tyrannical rule of Calvin’s Consistory, a few ministers, and presbyters. I wonder, however, how was it that the City Council of Geneva listened to Calvin and his Consistory?! Was he a man of character and conviction?! Why is the modern world so slow to listen to the august pronouncements of Church Councils?!
