Calvin Synod Herald, 1998 (98. évfolyam, 1-6. szám)
1998-07-01 / 4. szám
CALVIN SYNOD HERALD- 7 -AMERIKAI MAGYAR REFORMÁTUSOK LAPJA Jochebed "bore a son, a goodly child. Pharaoh's daughter named him Moses the great liberator of his people by the power, sovereign providence of God. Moses bridged the generation gap but he himself never entered the promised land. Exodus 2:1-10, 6-20, Numbers 26:59, Deuteronomy 34:1-4. Motherhood is not only natural function, but has spiritual connotations. As a matter of fact physical motherhood reaches the spiritual realms, as matrix of human personality. Mothers retain the natural mystical genetic code, source of human life's selective, dynamic evolutionary life-structures (freele after Dr. László Ravasz, quoted by Mrs. László J. Harangi.) “Not in entire forgetfulness, Nor in utter nakedness but trailing clouds of glory we come from God our home" Wordsworth. “They also serve who only stand and wait..." Milton. We have our parents and ancestors according to the laws of nature" we must accept them, we cannot change them, but you and I we have a chance to choose our spiritual forbears... The trailing clouds of dust and glory behind Moses: read Gen. 35:22-26. Levi and Simeon fierce, jealous marauders of the desert, sons of Jacob, what a blessing they received. Gen. 49:5-0. Levi-Kohath-Amram, Jochebed, not to mention Korah, ahis rebellious family, read Numb. 26:59, 16: Then the story of the crying boy, the resourceful mother, bold sister, the princess and Moses lifted out of the reeds of the Nile. Providential power and grace of God, working in families. Are we forgetting this scriptural truth?! Almighty God we worship Thee now as Creator of mankind. We thank Thee for the great august orders of nature, for the tine cells of life and for the expanding universe. We thank Thee for the families of mankind: We think of our own ancestors, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. We thank Thee of Lord God for the protection we received in our families, for the frugal bread and butter earned by our fathers, for the protective love of our mothers. We pray for Thy help now as we are fathers and mothers. May we see our "bright children's joy" with loving and hopeful hearts. May we give them enough protection and loving order that they may grow in growing freedom and never forget the great family tree of man, and the providence of the Creator God. Amen. "Blessed is now.." Hymn no. 61 in the Ek.': Free transl. J.J. Paal Blessed is now every man, Who truly fears the Lord. He humbly walks in His ways, His paths he would follow. You shall eat your labor's fruits, And accept life cheerful, And it shall be well with you: Health your condition true. Your wife is like fruitful vine: Sweet and loyal at home. Your children are olive shoots, They grow to fulfil hope. Lo, thus shall the man be blest, Who truly fears the Lord, May you see prosperity And your bright children's joy. (My father! Favorite Poem) The Bible and the two sacraments are the most important means of grace according to the teaching of the classical Reformed tradition. The mean of grace serve the spiritual, therefore, the total welfare of believing, trusting church-members. In this sense the Church is also a means of grace. And according to the teaching of the Second Helvetic Confession the Church was always there, because God willed the salvation of men, that they should finally find the growing, dynamic truth, that will lift and liberate them. Man is no now comer on this planet. Archeologists, anthropologists trace man's ancestry back to 1 million years. Is it hard to believe that the provident grace of God always found the means of grace to help men, the Church with its primitive service and care was always there. Greater and greater light came when we speak of the Old testament people, the people of the covenant. Prophets, law givers, psalmists and wise men spoke, and the Word was to found in their words and writings through the work and witness of the Holy Spirit until finally "in the fullness of time" Jesus of Nazareth, came, Jesus the Christ, and upon His unique life, work, teaching, death and resurrection the Christian Church was founded, the people of God, "the bride and body of Christ", the heavenly colony on earth, the congregation of the called, people who worship God, respect and love him and feel responsible brotherly love for the brethren. And you and I and all of us are glad that we are members of this Church and pray that we stay loyal. □□□ In the Footsteps of the Geneva Reformation
