Magyar Egyház, 1965 (44. évfolyam, 2-12. szám)
1965-03-01 / 3. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 11 ‘The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.’ (John 1:29) Lent is a reminder to look intently at the cross! Lent is a reminder that we are to examine ourselves in the light of that sacrifice on Calvary’s Cross. It is a time to discover where we have fallen short of God’s Glory. Lent should be a constant reminder that it was for us Christ suffered and died. We are as responsible as anyone else for His suffering and death. As we behold the “Lamb of God” on Calvary’s Cross, we should remember with the hymn-writer, “Mine, mine was the transgression, But Thine the deadly pain.” Lent is a reminder of our need of self-examination. This self-examination in the light of the Cross should lead us to another emphasis: that of self-denial. This does not, however, mean denying ourselves some things for a period of time. It means rather what Christ said, “Let a man deny himself, take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34) It means realizing that something is basically wrong with us, not with the things we use! Lent should be the period of time when on the basis of our self-examination in the light of Christ’s Cross, we learn to say “no” to ourselves and “yes” to Christ! In the words of John the Baptist, “He must increase; but I must decrease!” (John 3:30) The Lenten invitation is for us to be “Crucified with Christ” (Gal. 2:20), that we may be “raised with Him to newness of Life!” (Romans 6:4) Lent is a reminder of the importance of self-commitment. It is a time for renewed dedication. In the light of the completeness of Christ’s self giving, how small and how weak our devotion seems. Lent is a reminder, as we contemplate the Cross, that Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my life, my soul, my all... FROM THE CLASSES EASTERN CLASSIS The annual meeting of the Eastern Classis was scheduled to be held this year in our Trenton, N. J. church. Due to unforeseen circumstances, and because of the request of the leaders of the Trenton church, the meeting will take place in our Perth Amboy, N. J. church. Sunday, April 4, 2:00 P.M. Officers and delegates as well as friends are cordially invited to attend. Bishop Louis Nagy will be present at this meeting. NEW YORK CLASSIS The New York Classis will meet in the New York 82nd Street Church on Sunday, May 16 at 2 P.M. The drawing on the title page is by Lajos jjj iij Szalay, one of the best graphic artist in our time, jjj jjj Born in Őrmező, Northern Hungary, in 1909, he jjj HI was graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts of ill II; Budapest in 1935. His first volume of drawings was jjj jlj published by Uj Idők in 1946. In 1947 he was a ijl jjj member of the Hungarian delegation to the Peace jji jjj Conference in Paris in the capacity of graphic jji jjj artist. In 1948 he went to Argentina where he was jjj jjj professor first at the University of Tucuman, then jjj HI at the Escuela Superior des Bellas Artes of Buenos jjj jjj Aires. He came to the U.S. in 1960. His drawings jjj jjj appeared at William D. McAdams, Harper & Row, jjj jjj Delta Books, Reporter Magazine, New Times Pub- jjj jjj Ushers, etc. The drawing on the title page was made jjj jjj especially for Magyar Egyház. Roman Catholic Theologians Discuss Non-Catholic Religions (EPS)—One hundred Roman Catholic theologians attended in Bombay, India, a session dealing with the relations of Christians with men of non-Christian religions held in connection with the 38th International Eucharistic Congress. The speakers included Hans Kueng, Dean of the theological faculty of the University of Tiibingen, Germany; and Raymond Pánikkor, an Indian priest who is the author of several books on the Christian church and other religions in India. The Paris daily Le Monde summarized the discussions in these points: • The classic formula “No salvation outside the Church” must be catagorically rejected, as it is the source of serious misunderstandings. • Christ also reveals Himself to adherents of non-Christian religions. • Outside the Christian Church there exists at least an implicit form of Christianity; the missionaries’ role is not so much to “save people” but rather to make use of this widespread “implicit Christianity” and to create lay communities in which men can learn to live in a Christian way. • From this point of view, the important consideration is not so much baptism, but the creation of favourable conditions for man’s spiritual development. • Non-Christian religions are, as it were, “vestibules” leading to Christianity. In countries where many non- Christian children attend Catholic schools, it is normal that teachers should give courses about the religions to which these pupils belong. Controversial Curriculum A Best Seller in Canada (Toronto) — Sales of the new United Church of Canada Sunday school curriculum have more than doubled early expectations, according to church officials. Widespread controversy over the material, called “The World and the Way,” was cited as a contributing factor in the sale of some 740,000 units since last June. The curriculum has been under fire particularly by conservative and fundamentalist churchmen and groups. Much of the criticism has centered around the use of the word “myth” which, according to those who prepared the curriculum, means “profound spiritual truth conveyed in picturesque form.” The curriculum classified the first 11 chapters of the Bible as “myth.” (EPS, Geneva.) BISHOP JOHANNES LAURI of Stockholm has been named as head of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Exile. He succeeds ninety-year-old Archbishop Johan Kopp, who has retired because of ill health and advancing age. Some 8,000 Estonians fled their homeland in the years beginning with the Soviet occupation of 1940. They settled in Western Europe, the Americas, and Australia. The Church in Exile now reports more than 65,000 baptized members in 67 parishes in those parts of the world. ONE GREAT HOUR OF SHARING MARCH 28 . . to make use of every opportunity to lessen the distress of the afflicted . .
