Magyar Egyház, 1999 (78. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)
1999 / 3. szám
MAGYAR EGYHÁZ 3. oldal WITTENBERG REVISITED The Western church could not easily accommodate a movement which stemmed from a renewed listening to the world of God. When the official church established a worldwide inquisition, these radical groups went underground. They never accepted the Constaninian turning-point in the fourth century, when the formerly persecuted church became a respectable state institution. In the Middle Ages people started to see a painful discrepancy between what the Christian church is and what it should be. They saw it as their holy duty to reform their church and return it to its original purpose and mission. The first group of reformers had a vision of the church as a communion of pilgrims, in a constant process of reformation and restoration, living out an insecure existence orientated toward the coming of God’s kingdom. The church should be poor economically but poor also, in another sense: it should be reluctant to offer ready-made solutions. For the sake of the gospel the church should give up power, social recognition and respectability. * * * In the division that is unfortunately appearing in the churches today between what we might call the “activists” and the “pietists” is there not on both sides a failure of understanding just at this point? The “pietist” is too much inclined to isolate faith as if it were a private activity, and to stereotype the ways in which a man or woman may respond to Christ. The “activist” thinks that Christ can only be served by direct involvement in social problems and exercises his wit at the expense of the devout. Surly we need to listen again to the call of Christ for the whole man, the whole woman, just as we are. And there is, in the true response of faith, as we find it depicted in the Gospels, a liberation — almost a lightheartedness — that is missing today in the fulminations of both “activist” and “pietist”. * * * Reformation is not an isolated event in the 15th and 16th centuries. It is a continuous conversion, in our lives as individuals and in the community of faith, which is based on our going back to God. Our doctrines, structures and institutions need to be constantly reformed and examined. Nothing but God’s love and compassion can overpower us. God as we know him in Jesus Christ gives a new orientation and a new direction to our life. Renewal, restoration and reformation start whenever we listen to the word of God, and are ready to take it seriously. And the first step towards renewal is the prayerful desire: God, bring us to yourself, restore us to yourself. Revive our personal life and the life of our congregations and churches and restore life on this earth. * * * Today we are challenged to act out our faith in the places where we have been planted. We are sojourners in a world which is given to us as a space for our witness and service and for which we are responsible. Turning to God means also to turning to our fellow humans and to suffering nature. We cannot wallow in the peace of our heart without taking concrete actions for justice, peace and the integrity of creation. Sola Scriptura, sola gratia and sola fide are good principles, but they cannot let us forget the sufferings of refugees in Vajdaság (Vojvodina), in Kosovo and elsewhere. Out of faith in Jesus Christ we are called to work towards the humanization of our world. REMEMBERING REFORMATION DAY Reformation Sunday was celebrated in Geneva at the beginning of November with a well-attended service at the Cathedral of St. Pierre. Nine Reformed congregations, all based in Geneva, and reflecting the international nature of the city, came together to share their music and celebrate their common origins. Part of the real pleasure of the event was the collaboration between the musicians preparatory meetings which took place in an atmosphere of relaxed good humor. The Reformed, who have always had a tendency to be separated by cultural and linguistic differences, found a great feeling of unity as the Bible was read in eight languages: Dutch, English, French, Hungarian, Italian, Korean, Malagasy and Spanish. Three choirs, from the Korean and the Scottish congregations and the Cathedral itself, all sang in their own languages. The service was conducted by the Dean of the Cathedral, William A, McComish. With its closed association with John Calvin, who preached in its pulpit for many years, the cathédrale St. Pierre is a place of deep symbolic importance for reformed people in Geneva, and the atmosphere of the service was intense. The event has given all participating congregations the incentive to prepare a similar service in the cathedral next year. Such a service for Reformation Sunday is a good way for Reformed people everywhere to experience in fellowship their common heritage and a shared vision of God and the world.
