Calvin Synod Herald, 2009 (110. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)

2009-01-01 / 1-2. szám

8

CALVIN SYNOD HERALD

Christianity Comes Alive in Fraternal Organizations

Continuedfrom page 7

and greater community. Both support our American-Hungarian heritage in many ways. Just to name two, the Hungarian Reformed Federation took a lead role in the establishment of the Bethlen Home Orphanage and Old People s Home in Ligonier, Pennsylvania, and has been actively involved in its development and ongoing life since 1921. The William Penn has a retreat center (Penn Scenic View) near Rockwood, Pennsylvania, where they organize an annual Hungarian Heritage Experience every August where they teach Hungarian language, history, etc.

And both fratemals actively support our two church bodies, the Calvin Synod and the Hungarian Reformed Church in America. Over the years, fratemals have been the source of lowcost loans to many of our local congregations when they were building their sanctuaries. Both contribute generously every year to our Hungarian Reformed Youth Camp, held in Laurelville Pennsylvania, so that our youth only pay 50% of the actual cost of the camp. Both contribute to our Calvin Synod by hosting one or more of our meals or meetings at our Annual Meeting in May of each year. William Penn has made their Scenic View Lodge available for meetings, dinners and banquets at nominal or no cost to Calvin Synod. (Both of these organizations support our Calvin Synod Herald by advertising in our publication!)

These are tme “fraternal organizations. ” While originally Hungarian Reformed, they welcome all nationalities, all denominations. This is evident with the inclusion of the Saint George Greek Catholic Union, the American Hungarian Catholic Society, the Catholic Knights of St. George and the Hungarian Budapest Society (Hungarian Baptist Society) as constituent member organizations. Today their membership includes persons of all faiths, nationalities.

The fratemals are an important part of our heritage, founded by our ancestors because they were needed. They continue today because they still fulfill the mission for which they were created. The “dues” the fratemals charge for membership remain within our communities and strengthen our communities in many ways - they do not go to a corporation to enrich the pockets of investors. In a fraternal, the members are the only owners. Our fratemals offer various products which are more than “competitive” with the marketplace, they offer opportunities for borrowing and investment which are generally better terms than commercial companies can offer.

The future of our churches and our fratemals has been tied together for over one hundred years. Get involved in local fraternal activities - often you have to go no farther than your own local church. Look into their local mission projects, their participation in national mission projects, allow them to work for the future of our communities and our churches.

Rt. Rev. Koloman K. Ludwig, Bishop

New Year - New Views - New Image

As we learn from the story of the Prodigal Son

Luke 15:11-32 teaches us: “Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate. ’So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to hisfields to feedpigs. He longed tofill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men. ’So he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way off his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. ’ But the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. ’ So they began to celebrate. Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. ‘Your brother has come, ’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound. ’ The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. But he answered his father, ‘Look! All these years Eve been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him! ’ ‘My son, ’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. ’ “

What are the pitfalls of the usual New Year’s messages? Often they are: A. Find a scapegoat for every unpleasant experience of the past; or B. If you do not like the present situation, interpret it as a just punishment for our sins; or possibly C. Make an easy promise: you will be a better child of God during the coming year, then He in turn will love you more and everything will be all right.

Avoiding these easy solutions, let us try to be realistic, Biblical and constructive, taking into consideration the expectations and outlooks of the New Year, as we leam from the story of the Prodigal Son.

THE RENEWAL OF THE FATHER’S IMAGE. We renewed our subscriptions to magazines and made New Years’ Resolutions for 2009. If we reconsider the popular thoughts attached to the