Calvin Synod Herald, 1994 (94. évfolyam, 2-6. szám)
1994-11-01 / 6. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD ■ 7-REFOMÁTUSOK LAPJA Ladies Aid in Cleveland The First Church in Cleveland, Ohio was the very first to be organized on October 12, 1890, by Rev. C. Jurányi, the first minister sent to America. (Day of Pentecost in America in Magyar Jerusalem.) The organizers were all men. Women followed their men later in Cleveland then in Pittsburgh as we have seen in the former report. In Cleveland The Ladies Sick Benefit Society' was organized in 1905, 'Lorántffy Society' in 1914 and the 'Ladies' Church & School Aid Society' (Templom és Iskola Segélyzó Egyesület) in 1924. The latest one is still very active and had a great 70th Celebration also in this year. (April 10,1994). The Anniversary Sermon was preached by the pastor Emeritus, Dr. Stephen Szabó. Since it has characteristic reflections on all our church organizations in all our congregations we have parts of it published here in this Century. Michael Babits, a great Hungarian poet, left for us an axiom that I would like to quote as if it were a saying from a Fifth Gospel: "Those Idiots I do not pity for whom Heaven's treasure chest is empty The one who is worthy to see the Wonder, carries the Wonder within, not yonder!" We are gathered here today to give thanks to our Lord God for the Wonder that was carried within the hearts of a noble 300 members, the exact number of the Gideon's biblical 300, the Ladies Church and School Aid Society (Templom és Iskola Segélyzó Egyesület) was organized for the exclusive purpose of aiding the church and school of the church. Apostle Paul addressed this vital question to the Corinthians: "Doni you know that you are God's Temple and the spirit of God dwells in you?" (I Corinthians 3:7) The Corinthians did not know; just like most people in time of confusion. But on March 23, 1924, our 300 did know. That knowledge made them aids to the builders of temples and the adjoining schools. Throughout the span of seven decades with their hearts and working hands, week after week and temple after temple an oceansize of "csiga" was made and sold to benefit the churches and their schools. The organization's silver chapter was written eight years after its conception when, in the year 1932, the dream of moving from the valley up to the hill was realized. The new Education Center along with Bethlen Hall was built at the time of the Great Depression. Many men of the church family lost their jobs. They came to place brick on brick for meager pay. The Ladies Aid women cooked and baked three times daily, day after day, month after month forthese builders of the church and school. The golden chapter followed when in 1947 construction began on the Great Church Temple. These ladies increased their admirable efforts tenfold in helping to build the greatest temple ever built by us magyars in this new land. The diamond crown was received by this organization on its 50th anniversary in 1974, which coincided with the Great Church's 25th anniversary. Thousandsfilled the Cathedral for a never to be forgotten Thanksgiving celebration. In Hungary the church buildings and their schools stand erect century after century at the same location. However, here in America people are constantly moving due to changing working conditions and political changes. Therefore, churches are forced to keep moving from location to location. First Church in Cleveland built a wooden church, then a stone church, then a little church, then a great church and now again is in the process of building a new church. In most American locations the end comes when the church organizations do not follow the church building to the new location. Chicago is a good illustration. The Chicago North and Chicago South churches were forced to move, the South Church twice. The organizations did notfollow. The end was imminent! Our Templomsegélyzo wrote a new glorious chapter in its history. They followed the church to Walton Hills and again with hard working hands, they aid and help the congregation to build a new temple adding to this new education center and the new Bethlen Hall. There is an impressive poem written in Hungarian: ,,Nem tudom én ki volt dicsőbb, ki volt nagyobb?" "I do not know, who was greater, who was more superb? The leaders, the workers, whose hands, whose hearts?" „De áldom az Istenemet, hogy még én is magyar vagyok!" "But I bless the Name of my Lord, that I myself still am Magyar református!" ... and still a member of the First Hungarian Reformed Church. The presidents names in succession, with the remark that many of them served more than just one term: Mrs. Paul Mettie, Mrs. Joseph Fucskar, Mrs. Julius Juhasz, Mrs. Joseph Zvara, Mrs. John Mogyorody, Mrs. Emery Kovács, Mrs. John Kastyan, Mrs. Andrew Szabó, Mrs. Matthew Shurger, Mrs. Joseph Shisse, Mrs. Lawrence Gaiko. All these entered into Life Eternal. The present one, still with us, serving loyally and diligently is Mrs. Julius Jacob from the year of 1988. History or Romance? by Dr. William Bodis When you hear or read the Christmas story, don't be afraid to believe it. It really happened. There really were angels coming down in a bright light, and shepherds really saw them. There really were wise men who followed that strange star from distant countries to bring gifts to the infant King. Today, of all times in history, we should have no trouble believing. So many breathtaking things have occurred in our century. And yet, when it comes to things which God has done for us, many of us draw back, actually doubting our own Creator. What joy we lose when that happens. If we cannot believe in the wonder of Christ's birth, we are left with just another holiday. If we don't accept it as God's gift to us, then all we experience is the frantic search for gifts for people we sometimes forget during the rest of the year. Though the narrative of Lude does a pretty job dressing up Jesus' birth - angel choirs, bright lights, foreign dignitaries - the story includes painful similarities with our world today. After all, Christmas 1994 is also about teenage pregnancy, homelessness, refugees, and the slaughter of innocent children, young people stumbling under a load of unrelenting guilt, doggedly going on day afterday, hoping maybe if they wait one more day, they will find a God who Continued on page 8