Calvin Synod Herald, 2002 (103. évfolyam, 1-10. szám)
2002-09-01 / 9-10. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 7 When tension is built up, the limit is reached, and the withholding forces cannot stand the pressure anymore comes the sad and tragic consequence: EXPLOSION. EXPLOSION takes place when the inner forces cannot be controlled any longer or a highly combustible material is ignited. This is exactly what happened when our Lord could not tolerate any longer what had been going on in the Temple, instead of worship business and instead of devotion commerce. Have you ever felt that you were justified to lose your temper, raise your voice, and let the other one have it? What can we say to all these from biblical and spiritual viewpoints? I feel, here again there are three important principles we shall consider and adhere to, 1. Do not irritate others in any form or in anyway as mentioned above. You might be a boss, supervisor, chairperson, leader, executive, or a president and you have ample opportunities to make the lives of your employees or subordinates miserable. 2. Do not be too touchy, oversensitive, and highly irritable. Do not lose your temper at the first misunderstanding and retaliate immediately for a small mistake. 3. If the situation cannot be tolerated and you cannot put up with more irritation any longer and you feel that you are justified to be angry, resolute, vociferous, and opposing, please be as objective as possible. Was Jesus angry because his feelings had been hurt? Please read our text. Here are the three factors we should deal with: the circumstances, the other person(s) and you (or I). Our problems would be much less and the solution easier to find if we would heed Apostle Paul’s words: “If it is possible, AS FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU, live at peace with everyone.” Romans 12:18. More depends on you than you have thought. Rev. Mr. Alexander Jalso IN MEMÓRIÁM JOE SONYI Passaic Chief Elder Funeral services for Joe Sonyi, longtime Chief Elder of the Hungarian Reformed Church in Passaic, New Jersey, were held in the church on Friday, October 11th. Joe served the Synod well a number of years on the Church and Ministry Committee, and did notable service on the Judicial Committee in a difficult hearing. He was a frequent and faithful representative of his congregation at Synod and Classis meetings. The services were conducted by the Rev. Joseph Vásárhelyi, the church’s pastor. Calvin Synod and Bishop Louis Medgyesi were represented by the Rev. Albert W Kovács of Woodbridge, NJ. Mr. Sonye was born in West Virginia, attending Hungarian Reformed services in his youth, and then served his country in World War II. He is survived by his wife Mary, their children and grandchildren. Open Letter to Dr. Butosi Bishop John Butosi: In a vicious attack on both Bishop Lorant Hegedűs and Bishop László Tokes you have declared war against two of your Hungarian Reformed colleagues. Your purported desire to Declare a Holy Fast, to gather the Hungarian Reformed faithful for a review of our common work, has been subverted by your blinding desire to drag these servants of God through a mud puddle of your own making. I urged Bishop Medgyesi to ask you to omit these attacks from your letter to be circulated among us, to stick to the point of concern for our churches’ future. However, by your stubborn refusal and insistence upon their inclusion they remain a part of the invitation to a solemn assembly. But what has your personal vendetta against them got to do with our American churches’ problems and their resolution? I. I object to the way in which you, abetted by your son-inlaw on the Conference Council of Calvin Synod, advanced your agenda. This started out as a sermon to the congregation of our Bridgeport, Connecticut, church and was scant fare for folks seeking the comfort and inspiration of God’s word for their lives. I have a feeling they really didn’t want to hear of more squabbling amongst their spiritual leaders. It was not presented to the Eastern Classis as such (as Secretary of the Meeting I know), but approved only as an abbreviated recommendation for, “Calvin Synod to organize a meeting for the purpose of examining the Hungarian consciousness, church awareness and mission involvements of our congregations in the light of God’s Word and Reformed confessions.” Even with its ill-phrased pious sounding ambiguities, and it’s doubtful that the delegates had seen your pseudosermon, Eastern Classis never intended to be a partner to your slap in the face of the Hungarian bishops. It never came to the fore, or I would have objected then and there. Unfortunately, it was advanced to the floor of the Synod Meeting by the Conference Council. I was unable to be present during the time it came up, since I had to leave due to Bishop Vitéz’ and my travel commitments to the Hungarian MTV staff (we had picked up the ball on the arrangements when no one else did). I have been told that copies of your “Holy Fast” were not even distributed prior to the vote insiting on printing it in the Synod’s paper, which questions the procedure and validity of the vote, evoking emotion rather than reason, surely not “good order.” II. With double tongue you say on one side of your mouth that you “cry” and “mourn” for the bishops, and then proceed to smear them scandalously. Even before a tear of pity for their souls’ condition could fall, you have swiftly launched your blitzkrieg of condemnation using such analogies as would align them with the company of the most damned of the ages. (Continued on page 8)
