Calvin Synod Herald, 2011 (112. évfolyam, 3-12. szám)
2011-11-01 / 11-12. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD 9 “Heavenly Father” The September-October issue of the Calvin Synod Herald contained an article by the Rev. Albert W. Kovács entitled: UCC Ousts “Heavenly Father” Jesus Word Politically Incorrect Feminists Exclude Son’s Abba Pastor Kovács writes that the original UCC Constitution, adopted July 8, 1960, agreed that, “A local church is composed of persons who, believing ‘in God as heavenly Father and accepting Jesus Christ...” He notes that the 28th General Synod of the UCC, meeting July 4,2011 in Tampa, Florida removed the words “in God as heavenly Father” for the words “in the triune God and accepting Jesus Christ...” There is no doubt that there are those in UCC leadership positions as well as many within the churches of the UCC who prefer not to emphasize the fatherhood of God, but rather a more inclusive understanding of the Deity. Ironically, the replacement of the words “God as heavenly Father” for “triune God” makes the statement more orthodox rather than less. The use of the words “triune God’ places the UCC as close to historic Christianity as possible. There is no reason to conclude that the unique Christian understanding of God CHANGE OF ADDRESS FORM Name...................................................................................... Subscription No...................................................................... Old Address:............................................................................ New Address:........................................................................... ORDER BLANK - MF.C.RF.NDFLŐLAP Please send all subscription orders and address changes to: Wilburn A. Roby Jr. 264 Old Plank Rd. Butler, PA 16002 e-mail: warairla embaramail.com Please enter my subscription for the Calvin Synod Herald. Megrendelem a Reformátusok lapját. ( ) for one year or____ years ($15.00 per year) ( ) egy évre vagy ____ évre ($15.00 évente) Payment enclosed / Előfizetés mellékelve $___________ ( ) Renewal ( ) New Subscription ( ) Change of address only — (Please attach old label) Name............................................................................................ Address........................................................................................ City, State, Zip............................................................................ as Trinity excludes Jesus’ use of the word ‘abba’ for God (an Aramaic word that can roughly be translated ‘daddy’, revealing how intimate was Jesus’ relationship to God). The genius of the UCC is its inclusive character, permitting a variety of emphases while united in love and service of God the Father/Creator, Son/Redeemer, Holy Spirit/Comforter. If a brother or sister of the UCC prefers to call God Father/Mother, and exhibits love for God, church and world, why must we continue the sad history of the church characterized by division. The Rev. John W. Olson Pastor, the United Church of Christ Bridgeport, CT History of American Thanksgiving Day Thanksgiving Day as we know it today in America actually had its beginning in England before the 1600's. Beginning in 1517 (the year Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany) the Protestant Reformation began. The word Protestant, refers to those individuals who protested the manner in which the Roman Catholic Church operated, and protested the doctrines it taught. This Protestant Reformation continued for many years, and in a sense it still continues today, but in many different forms and against many different enemies. The original Protestant Reformation, which actually began in 1517, spread rapidly throughout the known world. It effected governments and religious organizations everywhere it went. In 1534, the English King Henry the VIII issued the Act of Supremacy, which made the king the head of the national church in England, which in turn greatly weakened the Roman Catholic hold over England. Then in 1558, under Queen Elizabeth I, (Henry the VIII th's daughter by Anne Boleyn [1507-1536]) the Church of England became independent. The Church of England is known as the Anglican Church, and includes many different church groups today to include the Church of Wales, the Church of Ireland, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Episcopal Church of Scotland, and the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United States. At the time our story begins, the Anglican Church of England had become almost as legalistic, apostate and degenerate as the Roman Catholic Church before it. But also in England there was a group of Protestants who believed that the Bible was the final authority in all manners of life, and that the organized church was not the final aut) ority. These Bible believing Protestants were known as Puritans. They were called Puritans because they desired to purify the Church of England. But even before 1600, some of the Puritans decide! that they could not reform the Church of England from within, so they separated from the Church of England and set up congregations of their own. These people were known as Separatists, because they separated themselves from the false doctrine of the organized church. One group of Separatists, under the leadership of William Brewster, held Bible meetings in the village of Scooby. English officials persecuted them, and in 1608 Brew: ter and his group fled from England and settled in Leiden, Hoi nd. The Separatists (Puritans) )ref rred farming over city life,
