Magyar Egyház, 1976 (55. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1976-05-01 / 5. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 9 MAGYAR ALL WERE AMAZED As we arrive to Pentecost it is with sadness and joy, that we celebrate this important Christian holiday. Sadness, because in comparison to Christmas and Easter, Ascension Day and Pentecost, is not as well remembered by many Christians as the other holidays. On the other hand it is joy in our Hungarian Reformed Churches to celebrate Pentecost, because this is the time, when young people who went through studying the catechism and prepared themselves for first holy communion, officially join the fellowship of believers and become communicant members of the church. The amazing fact is, that the disciples of Christ, after the crucifixion and burial of our Lord being scattered in fear of persecution, were not completely wiped out. To be witnesses of the resurrected Lord became their one object in life. The small group was almost completely annihilated, yet they prayed in Jerusalem and as far as their faith and conviction was concerned they were “with one accord”. As small as the group of first disciples was and as mighty as the whole strange world seemed to be, the united hearts and minds of the Christians overcame all obstacles and Christianity started out on a long journey to conquer the whole wide world. If Christians today could be united in one accord?! If just one denomination could be inspired by the spirit of God to work in one accord? Or one given church, this unity of spirit could rule?! What great things euld be achieved with prayer? The miracle of Pentecost really was the pouring out of the Holy Spirit of God upon the disciples in Jerusalem. Just like the wind, that comes and goes and nobody knows where it originated and where it will go. Or the fire which started and is fed by the wind often goes out of control, so the pouring out of the Holy Spirit filled the disciples and changed their whole lives. As they were filled with the Holy Spirit they began to speak... People heard them, everyone in their own tongue as they preached the wonderful message of Jesus Christ. CHURCH Oh, how those Parthians and Medes, and people from Mesopotamia and Judea and everywhere must have been amazed who heard the first ambassadors for Christ. Yes, the people were bewildered and many wondered as to what this phenomena could be? But we know now, that this was the birthday of the first Christian Church. This was the day, when 3,000 people believed and were baptized and Christianity started. Let us remember to keep and observe Pentecost as one of our great Christian holidays. Emphasize its importance in the life of the congregation as our forefathers did. May God Almighty pour out His Holy Spirit upon all those young people who take their confirmation examination and official oath of church membership at this time, that they may he zealous faithful and loyal disciples of Christ. May God grant a blessed Whitsunday-Pentecost to everyone. May The Holy Spirit fill your heart and soul both now and for ever. Dezső Ábrahám ☆ ☆ REPLY TO BISHOP LÁSZLÓ PAPP’S ARTICLE By Bishop Zoltán Beky (Emeritus) Addenda to the Rumanian Decree Law on National Cultural Treasures of December 10, 1974 The Decree Law promulgated on December 10, 1974 in the Bulletin, Official of the Socialist Republic of Romania aroused international attention both because of its purported aims and its manner of implementation. Widely criticized in the West, the Law found a defender in the Hungarian Reformed Bishop of Oradea (Nagyvárad), László Papp, in whose diocese the first transfer of church archieves into State property had taken place on the basis of the original Decree Law 472 of 1971 even before the promulgation of the law. The American Hungarian Federation thereby submits a detailed analysis of the law and its implementation and its probable effects on the availability of research material on the Hungarian churches of Transylvania in particular and the Hungarian history of Transylvania in general. The Law establishes a National Archives Foundation and provides that all historical documents (i.e., those over 30
