Calvin Synod Herald, 1998 (98. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)

1998-09-01 / 5. szám

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD- 5-Deut. 8:2, 19; Proverbs 14:34, Phil. 3:20-21; John 10:10, 2; Cor. 5:10 WE ARE CHURCH PEOPLE... do we claim our double citizenship?! Never remove the ancient landmark that your fathers set... Righteousness exalts the nation, sin is reproach to a people...

The choice is clear at decisive, pivotal points of history: life or death, blessing or the curse... choose! Deut. 11:26, 30:19. But only grown up men, with courage and confidence can make the choice... Not all the people of the 13 colonies were ready to decide their destiny... Jefferson, Patrick Henry, Richard Lee, Adams, Washington were able to arouse only one-third of the people, one-third sided with Great Britain, one-third did not care. Some of their words still ring in our ears, and

they ring true - no phonies: “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet” (Jer. 6:4) as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God!! I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death...” Patrick Henry. It was dangerous to talk like that: We better hang together or we shall hang separately.. warned one of them. In our age of Gallup Poll politics, when we are being led by our political leaders (if they can be called leaders), by public likes

The Cospel and Our Generation

by Rev. Albert W. Kovács

Craigville Colloquy XV was convened last July on the use of “Faithful and Powerful Language in Preaching, Praying and Liturgy”. Over fifth clergy and several laity gathered again at the Cape Cod seashore Conference Center, with Calvin Synod represented by the Rev. Albert W. Kovács.

The subject was considered in recognition that “How we speak about God is one of the most perplexing and divisive issues facing the churches in our generation,” as one study group expressed it. Some basic areas break down into “the message” and “the language”. There appeared to be no marked disagreement about the fact that there is a message, which is a selfrevelation of God and communicates

the Almighty's relationship to creation and humankind. There also was a sense that it is the primary task of the Church to communicate that message faithfully and powerfully, to bring about a response which is true to God’s intent and results in positive action.

The scriptural language of the revelation may be compared to the clothes covering the body, since the language of biblical times is as literary different from contemporary language as the style of contemporary clothes. Without adulterating the revelation of the Spirit, new language becomes necessary to communicate through illustrative language of people today, in the metaphors of the twenty-first century.

There was a sense that there is a primacy of scripture for true understanding of the Christian faith, and that tradition and experience are only secondary contemporary expressions val-AMERIKAI MAGYAR REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA

and dislikes.. Let us remember these leaders - they did not send out questionnaires, they accepted the responsibility of leadership; they indeed pledged their life’s fortunes and sacred honor. They believed that the laws of nature and nature's God and the decent opinions of mankind were on their side. Why is it that now we, the strongest nation of the world, are so unsure of ourselves?! Why do we have to try to buy the good will and friendship of nations? Why do we act so guilty? Is it true that our national leadership committed grievous, tragic errors after two world wars?! If they did, we are also responsible, they were our elected leaders. THEN WE MUST REPENT.. Righteousness exalts the nation... sin is a reproach to the people... These were the words attached to the last will of Patrick Henry. History is a sieve., the foundations shaken... nations rise and perish... This is no time for summer soldiers and sunshine patriots. We cannot gain victory by retreat.

Proverbs 14, 34

ued for the ways they interpreted that faith in other times and places. There was recognition that the constancy of canonical scriptures, purely translated and unabridged, is a necessity for a multi-century, multi-national and multicultural Church. While illustrations due to culture and the idioms of each age may change, the holy scriptures speak the same truth across the ages and to all peoples.

Despite an expressed desire for increased ecumenical relationships among the denominations, and internationally, it appears that the language of liturgy may be opening a wider chasm among the churches, and even within the local churches of the same denomination. Once it was the varied languages of the nations that had to be bridged, but the use of a common form of the beloved “Lord’s Prayer” and of certain shared hymns (i.e. “The Church’s One Foundation”) made interdenominational worship possible.

However, experimentation with different translations using ever more mod- Continued on Page 6

IN THE

FOOTSTEPS OF THE GENEVA REFORMATION