Magyar Egyház, 1956 (35. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
1956-05-01 / 5. szám
10 MAGYAR EGYHÁZ ENGLISH SECTION Pentecost There are three great Christian holidays in the church, three occasions, when each of them point out one or another great Christian doctrine. The central theme of Christmas, which starts with advent, is the incarnation of the Son of God. Eastertide, which includes lenten season, holy week, Easter and the 40 days after Easter, speaks to us about the redemption, which is the fruit of God’s grace through the sufferings and death of Christ. Pentecost, which lasts from Ascension Day to the first Sunday, Trinity Sunday after Pentecost, teaches us about the return of Christ to the Father, and about the benefits of his ascension, but more especially about the outpouring power of the Holy Spirit. These are our great Christian holy-days. As we can observe, they are all important because of their meaning and contents. It would be natural, therefore, for us to celebrate them with the same devotion. But what can we see? That, while Christmas and Easter are held in high esteem, and they are generally celebrated with outstanding zeal, then Pentecost is shamefully neglected by many Christians. We can see, that while during the advent and lenten season a certain religious sentiment comes over the people, then the days before and after Pentecost seldom bring them closer to heaven. We can see, that during Christmas and Easter our churches are filled to their capacities and they are overcrowded, then at Pentecost seldom more people go to church, than on a regular Sunday. We can see, that at Christmas and Easter, people with spiritual hunger and thirst flock around the Lord’s table, then at Pentecost we can see them only in a reduced number. We can see, that while on the two other great Christian holidays, the flame of sacrifice and generousity go high, by Pentecost it comes down very low. What is the reason for this? First of all, that Protestant Christians, generally, do not take holidays seriously. In Calvinistic countries, all Roman Catholic holidays were abolished by the reformation. Only the Lord’s day remained. Other people try to do all kinds of activities on holidays. On Sundays and holidays many goto seashore and mountain resorts for excursions; entertainment, baseball football games, general visitations and doing all kinds of odds and ends around the house occupy most of the time of many a Christian. The day of the Lord, the holidays, which we should keep foremost in our minds, remain the least important to many. Pentecost occurs in the season of the year, when the works on the fields are multiplied. There is “no time” for celebration, when Pentecost comes around. Christmas, in winter, is just the ideal setting for celebration. At Easter there is still some time to keep the holiday. But at Pentecost, the average Magyar church member in Hungary is out in the fields plowing and sowing the seed. In the all absorbing spirit of American life, the sanctity, heavenly glory and magnificence of Pentecost is almost completely forgotten. In many churches Pentecost is just merely remembered or not ever celebrated at all. Hungarians living and working together with other Americans follow the example of the American foremen, supervisors, friends and other aquaintances. If they are not celebrating, why would he stop and observe holidays? If they are not going to church on Ascension Day, and Pentecost why should he go? Another reason, why these things are so is, that the responsibility of Christian leadership was much neglected during the past decades. The truth and message of the Bible should have been preached with more fortitude and faithfulness. During the latter part of the last century, there was very little said about the ascension of Christ, his reigning at the right hand of the Father Almighty, and his preparation of our eternal homes. The Holy Spirit, its working in the church and the Christian, its personality, power and acts all should have been proclaimed with equal weight and care. If the church would have taken her responsibilities more seriously, the people would have felt more, that they will suffer demage in their soul if they neglect the worship opportunities of Pentecost. A holy and heroic decision is confronting you. You, as a “royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people” should restore Pentecost to its proper place and celebrate it with at least as much fervor and zeal as you do Christmas and Easter. This would be the most excellent proof of your love and devotion toward God. It would really be a miracle of the Holy Spirit, if at Pentecost people would come to Church in great numbers and participate in the Holy Communion as at Christmas and Easter. When the Holy Spirit will be poured out upon us in such a manner and abundance, then we could give wholehearted thanks to God for all his wonders.
