Magyar Egyház, 1998 (77. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1998 / 1. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 3. oldal JOURNEY TOWARD EASTER Preparing for a journey requires planning. If you were going to take a trip across our great land, it would be helpful to look at maps and travel brochures. You might seek the help of a travel agent. Allow me to be your travel agent for a few moments on your journey to the events of Holy Week and your destination of Easter Sunday. You first need to locate the :Bible verses that tell of the last days in the life of Christ — the days preceding His death, burial and resurrection. All of the four gospels record these events; each gospel gives a different perspective. Examine Matthew 26-28, Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24, or John’s gospel, in which over half of the writing is devoted to the last week of the Life of Christ. These readings give you the background of your Journey and show you many of the details that you might view along the way. Next, it would be helpful to find a good Bible dictionary or encyclopedia in order to more clearly understand the traditions and significance of important days like Palm Sunday, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday or Easter Sunday. Throughout the history of the church, these days have been celebrated in different ways in different countries. You might also find it helpful to consult a hymn book and focus on the great hymns of the faith that tell of our Lord’s death, burial and resurrection. The addition to your morning Bible reading and prayers, you could meditate on the words of a different song each morning. Reading and meditating on various passages of Scripture could also make your journey more meaningful. Looking at the seven last sayings of Christ on the cross can deepen the enjoyment of your trip. Memorizing portions of Scripture might also be helpful to you, such as Galatians 6:14 “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.” There are many other verses that you might enjoy memorizing. Though you might like to travel alone on some occasions, this year you may choose to invite someone to go on this journey with you. Wouldn’t it be nice to include someone else on this spiritual pilgrimage so that your companion can also be enlightened and blessed by the journey. Maybe it could be a family member, friend or neighbor, or someone who knows little about our Savior and Lord. One of the great joys of going on a trip is to return home and reflect on the events of the journey. Although you may not have photographs or videos of this trip, you will have many precious memories of the way in which the Holy Spirit joined you and blessed you on your journey. May God richly bless you as you plan and take this important trip. Sincerely, Rev. Dr. Thomas L. Burbridge GOOD NEWS FROM IDAHO Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) General Assembly Stated Clerk Rev. Clifton Kirkpatrick has filed an amicus curiae brief in an Idaho case supporting the right of a high school student valedictorian to offer a prayer at a graduation ceremony. The case before the U. S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit concerned the Madison County (Idaho) School Board’s policy allowing for studentled prayer at a graduation ceremony. The school board had adopted a policy that allowed the top four students of each graduating class to choose to deliver an “address, poem, reading, song, musical presentation, prayer, or any other pronouncement of the choosing.” Speakers are permitted to pray or not pray at their own initiative. Citing the “God Alone Is Lord of the Conscience” language from the “Book of Order,” Kirkpatrick supported the school board’s policy. He said the fact that students themselves are permitted to pray or not pray at their own discretion was determinative for his opinion. Kirkpatrick’s position was opposed by the American Civil Liberties Union, which argued that the policy amounted to government support of religious expression. Lapunk ezen számában közölt anyagokért köszönetünket fejezzük ki a Reformpress, a Presbiter és a The Bible League szerkesztőinek, valamint dr. Mészáros István püspöknek és Kádár Péter lelkipásztornak. A Deszkatemplomról készült felvételeket Varga Gyula, a New York-i Magyar Református Egyház presbitere készítette.
