Calvin Synod Herald, 1984 (84. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1984-12-01 / 6. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD — 8 — REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA TOWARD VISIBLE UNITY News from Baltimore — A 24 year effort to bridge barriers separating 23 million U.S. Christians moved into a significant new phase Nov. 30 here. By a unanimous vote, 90 representatives of nine major U.S. churches agreed to ask their parent bodies to accept a 28,000-word theological statement as the basis for next steps toward visible unity. Two supporting documents will be studied within the denominations but not acted on formally until some future date. The action in this historic seaport city marks the first time since the Consultation on Church Union (COCU) was launched in 1960 that the member churches will be asked to formally approve a theological foundation for the ending of two centuries of separation. The theology statement adopted here has been under development for 20 years. It is intended to enable the nine churches to become one in the essentials of faith, worship, order and witness while retaining some aspects of their traditions and heritage. No timetable for next steps in the quest for union is set out in the theology document. Procedures for acceptance within the nine denominations vary, but it is expected to be at least 1988 before all will have had a chance to act. The theology statement, and the supporting documents on church order and worship, are the results of a phase in the Consultation’s life that began in 1973 after a detailed plan of union developed in 1970 had been shelved as unacceptable to the member churches. The three documents are seen as the basis for a process known as “covenanting” which will be instituted formally once the theological basis has been acted upon. Covenanting is described in Consul-REMINIS CINGS How Christmas has changed throughout the years... stockings were not hung on the fireplace. The only fireplace I saw was at the library. Ours was hung or pinned on a curtain in one bedroom. Could you picture six black stockings waiting for Santa? A few days before Christmas, one of my brothers wished he could borrow mine for it was larger. Candy or oranges were found. Sometimes a piece of coal or wood was found... and you know why. This must have been harder on the folks than on the receiver. Today many of us have fireplaces... stockings are knitted, crocheted, quilted, jewelled, embroidered and named. We have come a long way from my black stocking that hung on a curtain. Submitted by Olda Dugan tation documents as “an act of commitment to one another” by the nine churches “whereby they come into a new relationship with one another” and “pledge themselves” to become one visibly united church. Based on the covenanting concept, the document introduced here details seven elements for the evolving of a plan of organization for movement toward a united church. Included is the recognition by each participating church of the others' members and ordained ministries, establishment of regular eucharistic fellowship, engaging in mission and evangelism together, and formation of “councils of oversight” to monitor the covenanting process. The councils also would be charged with facilitating additional steps on the road to more complete union. The councils of oversight are described in the text of the report as “bridges toward a future united church.” They would be organized at local, regional and national levels and be made up of laity, deacons, pastors and bishops. The councils would be charged with identifying “specific ways through which the covenanting churches can express their common oneness both in missions and ministry.” When such councils would be formed would vary from place to place. “Undoubtedly, the first...will be formed in those places where ecumenical relations are already mature,” the document states. Covenanting would be inaugurated with a liturgy at the national level, and then at regional levels. Draft liturgies for use at such services have been prepared by a Coonsultation worship commission. That commission will continue its work during the next two years in coordination with the panel working on church order. In the meantime, parts of the draft liturgies will be studied by congregations of the Consultation’s member churches. The liturgies are intended to enable the churches to “say in public and in formal ways what we say to each other informally,” a speaker here said. Included are three traditional Christian elements — exchanging of signs of peace, laying on of hands, and celebration of the eucharist. Members of the Consultation on Church Union are the African Methodist Episcopal and African Methodist Episcopal Zion churches, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church, International Council of Community Churches, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A), United Church of Christ and United Methodist Church. j Ernest Könnyű Cancer Causing Chemicals are a source of serious concern to our citizens. As we make tougher and tougher laws against the use of manmade chemicals in agriculture, we find that mother-nature-made chemicals existing in some of our foods are much more potentially cancer causing than some man-made chemicals. This surprising fact was detailed by Bruce Ames, Chairman of U.C. Berkeley’s Department of Biochemistry. Nature builds its own carcinogenic pesticides which, in some cases, are at a level 10,000 times that found in agricultural products routinely sprayed with EBD. What products contain these natural cancer causing chemicals? They are mustard, horseradish, black pepper, edible mushrooms, some herbal teas, celery, parsnips and parsley. Less cancer causing but still 1,000 times worse than EBD are molds found naturally in peanut butter, corn products and apple juice. Burnt materials eaten in fried hamburgers, brown muffins or coffee made from roasted coffee beans contains more carcinogens than the amounts inhaled by a two-pack a day cigarette smoker. Change in your diet anyone? Women Show Large Gains in Management Roles jumping from 18.5% to 30.0% between 1970 and 1980 according to a recent report issued by the Census Bureau. The proportion of public administrators and officials who are women rose during the decade from 21.7% to 33.6%. The percentage of women financial managers rose from 19.4% to 31.4% and of those in the field of personnel and labor relations managers from 21% to 36%. Similar gains were registered in other management areas. Quote “Peace is our work... To everyone, Christians, believers, men and women of good will, I say, do not be afraid to take a chance on peace, to touch peace . . . Peace will be the last word of history. ” Pope John Paul II.
