Calvin Synod Herald, 2007 (108. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2007-03-01 / 3-4. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 3 Easter Greetings 2007 Matthew 28:5-6 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” This is the wonderful news we celebrate in just a few weeks. Easter is the highlight of our Christian celebrations. I often ponder of the lasting meaning of this holy day in the life of our church today, and of Christians in the modem world. Many years ago I saw a cartoon of a minister greeting his members on Christmas morning following the worship service. As he was shaking hands with one of the parishioners, the caption read: “Merry Christmas, Johnson, see you at Easter.” The EASTERN CLASSIS MEETING Saturday, March 10: 10 AM - 4 PM First Hungarian Reformed Church 344 E. 69th Street New York, New York Rev. Albert W. Kovács, Dean Mr. Lehel Deák, Secretary-Treasurer Mr. István Balia, Classis Presbyter Hungarian American Community Research Project Dr. Balazs Balogh is a visiting lecturer and researcher at the University of Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana. He is researching the history of our Hungarian immigrant people and would like to meet with as many Hungarian Americans as possible, who could help him better understand the history of the Hungarian American Community and the many ways in which our language and traditions have been passed on, and also the many challenges to the survival of the Hungarian language and culture here in America. Dr. Balogh visited Ligonier, Pennsylvania, in January and traveled to meet people in this area. He and his family will be in the United States for the better part of the next two years, so he will be available to meet with others over time. Please contact him directly, if you would like to meet and speak with him. His email address is: baloghbali2@freemail.hu. Rev. Imre A. Bertalan Bethlen Communities Ligonier, Pennsylvania C&E (Christmas and Easter) Christian is an “old joke” amongst ministers. Not a very funny one, if you think about it though. Two days out of 365 barely offers a taste of what Christ offers us. A number of years ago I had the opportunity to visit Vienna, Austria, and one afternoon I was riding on a streetcar. Overhearing a couple speaking “American English,” I inquired about their visit to Vienna, one of the most beautiful cities in the world. They responded that they had had a wonderful time, they had seen the whole city, and it was very enjoyable. I asked how long they had been in the city, they responded that they had just arrived that morning, had taken a wonderful tour and seen everything! They were leaving on the afternoon train. I felt sorry for the couple. They thought they had seen Vienna, but in fact had not experienced the beauty of this wonderful historic city. I spent over two weeks in Vienna, and hated to leave, since there was so much I had not seen, I had not experienced. One of the experiences they surely did not have was to take a walk in Wienerwald (The Vienna Woods), which overlooks the city. I hiked up the paths of the forest, and found it exhilarating. It is a beautiful forest, with well maintained paths and benches on the way to offer rest for those who may need to stop. I was only 27 years old, I had lifted weights, played football, swam and wrestled in college, and had worked 6 years in the steel mills. I knew I was in good physical shape. But when I was partway up the path towards the summit of the mountain, I had to stop and rest. While catching my breath, a couple obviously in their 70’s briskly walked by. I suddenly realized how poorly prepared I was for this challenge. All my previous experiences had not prepared me for this climb. Though they were more than twice my age, the couple that breezed by me were prepared for the strenuous journey. In life we often feel that those things we know as a result of our experiences are adequate to meet all challenges of life. Often that’s true, but just as often it is a fallacy. This is especially true in our relationship to God. The belief that we somehow “know enough” about God, about Christ, and about what He offers us without truly getting to know Him makes us just as ignorant as that couple who thought they had seen all of Vienna on a halfday bus tour. They missed out on the essentials, and we are in the same danger when we do not strive to understand all that Christ offers us. He wants us to be fully blessed. He said this in John 10:10: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Visiting the church building on holidays gives us no understanding of what Christ offers us: it is a “photo-op” without value. As you prepare for Easter this year, don’t just take the “one hour tour.” Get involved in the preparation of the church. You will be enriched, and might discover some of what Christ offers to have “life to the fullest”. Rt. Rev. Koloman Karl Ludwig, Bishop
