Magyar Egyház, 1981 (60. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1981-07-01 / 7-8. szám
MAGyflß GQYhm ciple, and that word is convicted. As Christians and disciples, we must be convicted—we must know and live daily out of the convictions which motivate and direct us. As disciples we must be full of the life-giving power of God, and be willing to make decisions and take a stand in the world based on that power. As Christians we must daily struggle with what it is that we understand God’s will to be, and to then struggle to live honestly out of that. It seems to me that in being convicted we are called to be both comforting and confronting in the living of our lives. We need to be able and willing to comfort and confront our own selves, our family, our friends (near and far), our next-door neighbor, our communities (geographic, and job and school-related), our country and the world. As disciples we are called to touch all dimensions of life in the world: social, political, economic, religious, relational. I cannot tell you what to be convicted about, but I can challenge you to struggle within yourself and with me to understand the many ways in which God calls us to “be” in the world. It seems to me that we are either Christians or we are not. I do not think that we can change our minds from one day to the next. We hear the call and we decide to follow and that is it—there is no turning back. And if we should turn back and, like the salt, lose our taste, then there is no guarantee that the flavor will be returned to us. So, in our lives as disciples we have made a commitment to God, and if we take that seriously, there is no turning back. We can struggle and question, be angry and joyful, and continue in that process of being a Christian, but we cannot stop being a Christian. So, those of you have an ear to hear and the will to follow, beware. What is your motivation in being a Christian, and what are you convictions? It sounds like an overwhelming task to which we are called. It is. However, we do have to remember that in the midst of all of this, we are only human. Perhaps this thought can pull our lives as disciples into a proper perspective: “Full obedience here and now is impossible, however, we can be transformed by our call to discipleship. The will of God should hover over each thought and action of our as an impossibility—should hover over each thought and action of ours as an impossibility.” Amen. Lisa von Pier 3nnrrcTiqmnr8~B~B~innr8qnrrs^^ b b »Tnnmnrg c °o CHRIST’S CALL s S Have you heard the voice of Jesus co Whisper — “I have chosen you”? 0 1 Does He tell you in communion What He wishes you to do? l Are you in the inner circle? o o Have you heard the Master’s call?Ő o Have you given your heart to Jesus? \ Is He now your All in All? 1 l o °o o JtJUULBJLgJULIDUUL&JL&JLflJULB-fl 9 9 B B QJUUUDUUUJiajLg 11. oldal CONGREGATION TO HONOR PASTOR Excerpts from an article appeared in the local newspaper July, 1981 Carteret — “My ties with the church are not broken. The people can still call on me anytime.” Rev. Dr. Andrew Harsanyi stressed this week, referring to his new role as pastor emeritus of the Hungarian Reformed Church and his retirement. Dr. Harsanyi, who has been pastor of the church for 25 years, turned over the pulpit on Aug. 2 to his successor and student, Rev. Gabor Nitsch from Miami. A testimonial dinner was held in honor of Harsanyi and his wife at Bethlen Hall, 60 Cooke Avenue. “It is difficult to leave after so long. There is a strong attachment to the people—they have been part of my family over the years,” he said. His activities at the church over the years have consisted of pastoral work, including preaching, teaching and babysitting. Dr. Harsanyi was a translator not only in the community but in the pulpit, conducting separate services each Sunday in English and his native Hungarian. Born in Budapest, Hungary in 1914, Dr. Harsanyi was schooled there, as well as in Germany and Scotland. He is the son of Author Zsolt Harsanyi who died in 1943, and Helen Harsanyi, who died in 1961. The Harsanyi family led a sheltered life before World War II, but in 1945 they were forced to flee to western Austria, where they lived in bunkers. It was “a hard time” for the family, accroding to the minister. Five years later, they were admitted to the United States under the Displaced Persons Act. Shortly after that, he became associate pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Ogdensburg, N.Y. From 1952 to 1957 he was pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Ellicottville, N.Y., which let him go “as a loan” to the Hungarian Reformed Church here. That loan became permanent. “I have done a lot of traveling, but my family and I are root people—people who like to stay put. These 25 years have been good. For eight years he has been the chairman for the nationwide Roman Catholic/Presbyterian Reformed Consultation, a group consisting of scholars, Roman Catholic and Reformed church leaders. The Reformed Family is an alliance working toward Christian unity. “We, as a group, try to find the common denominator—how diverging conditions can converge.” He also been secretary for 10 years of the theological committee of the North American section of the World Alliance of the Reformed Churches, and dean of the Hungarian Reformed Church, Eastern Classis for 15 years. Dr. Harsanyi will continue these job in addition to collecting his father’s manuscripts for publication. A visit to his native country to lecture on American church life at the 450th anniversary of Sárospatak College is forthcoming.
