Magyar Egyház, 2007 (86. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
2007-10-01 / 3-4. szám
14. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ After attaining his degree, John Calvin sought a wife in affirmation of his approval of marriage over clerical celibacy. In 1539, he married Ideiette de Bure, a widow, who had a son and daughter from her previous marriage to an Anabaptist in Strasbourg. Calvin and Ideiette had a son who died after only two weeks. Ideiette Calvin died in 1549. Calvin wrote that she was a helper in ministry, never stood in his way, never troubled him about her children, and had a greatness of spirit. Calvin's health began to fail when he suffered migraines, lung hemorrhages, gout and kidney stones, and at times he had to be carried to the pulpit to preach and sometimes gave lectures from his bed. According to his successor, influential Calvinist theologian Theodore Beza, Calvin took only one meal a day for a decade, but on the advice of his physician, he ate an egg and drank a glass of wine at noon. His recreation and exercise consisted mainly of a walk after meals. Towards the end, Calvin said to those friends who were worried about his daily regimen of work amidst all his ailments, "What! Would you have the Lord find me idle when He comes?" John Calvin died in Geneva on May 27, 1564. He was buried in the Cimetiere des Rois under a tombstone marked simply with the initials "J.C.", partially honoring his request that he be buried in an unknown place, without witnesses or ceremony. He is commemorated in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s liturgical calendar of saints as a Renewer of the Church's on May 27. World Alliance of Reformed Churches News Release, 17 September 2007 Christian Reformed Church in North America 150th anniversary marked by call for unity Reformed Christians needn't be so much "stuck to tradition" as to each other in their prophetic mission, a leader of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) said in marking the 150th anniversary of the Christian Reformed Church in North America. In a presentation on Reformed Faith and the Global Church on 14, September at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, WARC general secretary Setri Nyomi congratulated the church on marking 150 years of mission and ministry in a humble, reflective manner. "Reformed people understand our calling to be prophetic in advocacy, challenging the forces of evil and death and speaking in places where the victims of oppression, injustice and suffering do not have a voice or presence," Nyomi said. Reformed faith at its core means being critics of structures in church and society which contradict the life-giving message of Jesus Christ, Nyomi told delegates from the United States and Canada attending the Sesquicentennial Conference. "It is part of the Reformed ethos to be agents of transformation in this way - reforming, criticizing and changing whatever contradicts the fullness of life for which Jesus came." He added: "In all of these, Reformed people are not stuck to tradition. After all, we are the ones who from the 16th century have held that we are 'ecclesia reformata sed semper reformanda.' As the Reformed church, we continue to be reforming." The WARC general secretary said that when Reformed churches heal divisions in their own families and commit themselves to engage in mission in unity with other Christians, they are fulfilling an essential Reformed call. "It is a shame that there are so many divisions within the Christian family - especially within the Reformed family. This shameful tendency calls us as Reformed Christians to engage in some house cleaning within our own family." Reformed churches around the world are called to engage in God's mission - together. They are called to work for the transformation of the world - together. Part of that mission is clearly being fulfilled. "Our vocation includes mission and making a difference in the world. The church is therefore called upon to bring the good news to all in our own communities as well as in lands beyond our communities," Nyomi said. "In many parts of the world Reformed churches are at the heart of health care delivery, education, advocacy for justice, peace, good governance and eradication of poverty. We understand these to be part of our calling. "Today, a blind spot in our mission engagement is how we do mission in disunited ways. There are countries in which there may be five or six Reformed churches which are not collaborating. This is not a good witness." Meanwhile churches with more resources are able to control the way mission partnership is undertaken and there are cases where host and immigrant churches are not working together. A true sense of partnership needs to be developed, the WARC leader added. World Alliance of Reformed Churches News Release, Geneva/Bern, 28 September 2007 Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (FSPC) World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) Calvin09: 500 Years Jean Calvin on the Internet Today, the Federation of Swiss Protestant Churches (FSPC) officially launched the Website for the Calvin-Jubilee-Year 2009. The interactive portal features information all around the 500th anniversary of the reformer Jean Calvin - and in four languages. Jean Calvin was born in 1509; in the year 2009, the Protestant churches worldwide will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Genevan Reformer with numerous events. In April of this year, the World Alliance of Reformed Churches initiated a meeting to start joint planning procedures including the set-up of an Internet portal. Today, the FSPC launched this official webpage as to the Calvin-Jubilee. When clicking on the address www.calvin09.org the portal features information in four languages on Jean Calvin, including an interactive element around the 500-Year-Jubilee and an event calendar that compiles the events that will take place worldwide. It is also possible to download free of charge different material to prepare for the jubilee as well as documentations as to the various events. To celebrate the launching of the Internet portal, calvin09 announces two competitions: The first involves finding an official anthem for the Calvin-Jubilee. Interested musicians are invited to send in their compositions. The second is a competition to find the best and most suitable sermon for the occasion. The most exciting sermon will win - which is at the same time rich in content and shares a surprising perspective as to the relevance of Calvin in our time. The conditions to participate as well as the prize to win can be found on the Internet portal. The website has been put under the patronage of the committee of patrons of calvin09, including 18 representatives from the world of science and church - chaired by the president of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, Clifton Kirkpatrick. Co-chairs are Charlotte Kuffer. vice-president of the Eglise protestante de Geneve, as well as Thomas Wipf. president of
