Magyar Egyház, 1998 (77. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1998 / 1. szám
10. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ THE WOODEN CHURH OF MISKOLC BURNED DOWN The wooden church of Miskolc burned down at the dawn of December 4. The historical wooden church located in the centre of the Cistibiscan Reformed Church District was built in Transylvanian style between 1936 and 1938, mostly as a spiritual abode for those Reformed Hungarians expatriated from Transylvania. “We live in a world where the darkness of the night is lit up by the flames of a burnt church building. These hours were those of horror, but the light of the Betlehem star is still bright providing new strength and filling our hearts with hope that the church will be rebuilt.” - as it was put by bishop Dr. Gusztáv Bölcskei, ministerial president of the General Synod. The police soon caught the perpetrator, a 28-year-old young man, who confessed that he had committed his deed at an “inner inspiration”. A national collection was started for rebuilding the “Wooden Church”, a historical monument. Donations can be sent to the Treasurer of The Hungarian Reformed Church in America: Priscilla Hunyady,.Treasurer, 50 North Washington Avenue, Colonia, New Jersey 07067. Make the check payable to: Hungarian Reformed Church in America and mark: “Church Rebuilding”. ARE YOU LISTENING? To listen is to apply oneself to hearing something. To pay attention! What lies ahead? Tomorrow? Next Week? Next month? Next year? Believe in God? Why do we go to church? Are we listening to the Sermons? We can exercise all of these by listening to the Bible verses which are preached to us whenever we attend church services. To listen is to gain moral strength. Increases days of joy and reduces days of despair. We must listen to our pastor. We must remember that they are the servants of the gospel by the gift of God’s grace. Remember these things when you see your pastor in church. And remember to pray for them. They need your cooperation and encouragement. “Lord God, give power to your servants who have tremendous tasks. Bless them, encourage them, give them daily your gift of grace as they work among us.” Each day, especially on Sunday, we have the opportunity to listen to God speak. Often we become too busy to listen at all. We become so engrossed in ourselves at times that we seem to crowd out the energy we need to listen. But it is true that most people try to listen to others while doing something else. “She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said.” Luke 10:39 God is the wisdom and courage. His spirit within us sooths our heart and clears away any confusion in our thoughts. We know God will never forsake us and that He will always love us. The art of listening gives us the insight and the awareness of the goodness of God everywhere. Each day is more richer and fulfilling. Children listen to your parents. Parents listen to your children. A family is more than just the people we call mother, father, sister or brother. These relationships are special and important parts of our lives, we are part of a much larger family — the family of God. In order to receive an answer to the questions we ask of God, we open ourselves to divine guidance, and listen when we pray. God hears our questions and provides the answers at the right time and in the right way. As we listen, we are filled with a sense of peace and well being, for God loves us, hears us, and answers our prayers. “Listen, children... and be attentive, that you may gain insight.” Proverbs 4:1 In prayer you give equal time to praying and listening. I know that God will listen without judging. In the silence we can listen to God. God speaks to us and guiding us and showing us the way. By giving equal time to praying and listening we realize a special relationship with God. We give thanks that God is an important part of everything we do in life. There is so much we can gain, only if we listen. As we listen we learn. Our listening prayer makes each day a rich and new experience. Are you listening? “Speak, Lord, for thy servant hears.” (1 Samuel 3:9) Pearl Hatten HUNGARY CELEBRATES ITS NATIONAL ANTHEM The 175th anniversary of the birth of the Hungarian Anthem, was commemorated on January 22, 1998. Ferenc Kölcsey, the author of the Anthem, member of the Reformed church, was a student of the Debrecen Reformed Collegium. This day is recorded in Hungary as the Day of Hungarian Culture. After 175 years, an ecumenical worship took place in the Reformed church of Szatmárcseke, where the poet wrote the text of the Anthem. The Word was preached by bishop Dr. Gusztáv Bölcskei, ministerial president of the General Synod of Hungary. Commemorative contributions were also delivered by Endre Gyulay, Roman Catholic bishop.
