Magyar Egyház, 2003 (82. évfolyam, 1-3. szám)
2003-04-01 / 2. szám
8. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ THE POWER OF FELLOWSHIP Some years ago ministers of the area Reformed Churches met every Tuesday morning in the Second Reformed Church in New Brunswick. We had devotions together, prayed together and studied the Scriptures of the Lectionary together. We also talked about the life of our congregations and church politics. We shared with each other the hurts and joys of our ministries and our private lives. It was wonderful to be together and show our concern and care for each other in the name of Jesus. I miss those meetings! I miss the fellowship ! I miss the friendship ! In those get togethers, I was nourished spiritually, my faith was strengthened. I also received their encouragement, support and prayers. We read in the Book of Acts that the first believers met together for these reasons: encouragement, support and prayers. They devoted themselves to “the fellowship.” They met together for caring. “There were no needy persons among them” (Acts 4:34). They shared their hurts and joys. They carried each others burdens and in this way they fulfdled the law of Christ. God has called the congregations of our classis to live in fellowship, to be healthy community and to remember that we have made a covenant to encourage each other, to support each other and to pray for each other. God wants us to honor our covenant with our hearts, our souls and our minds. We are part of God's plan. Our classis has come into existence not by the will of men but by the grace of God. Some may think we can “go it alone” as a congregation. It is a big mistake. We like it or not, we need each other. So we need to use every ounce of our strength and faith to keep, maintain our fellowship is order and good shape. We are a fellowship together, and all the congregations of our classis are called by God to take honest inventory of our contribution to the community. What is our role? Do we contribute to the fellowship's health or sickness? Do we contribute to its upkeep or add to its shoddiness? Do we help build it up or do we help tear it down? Are we a healthy loving fellowship that follows God's guidance and obey the Constitution of our denomination? Do we support, pray, rejoice and mourn together? We all know the answers. May the grace and peace of God cause us to be a loving, praying, caring and sharing fellowship of the Eastern Classis of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America. (This sermon was preached at the installation of Rev. Barnabás Rőczey as dean of the Eastern Classis of the Hungarian Reformed Church in America.) The Very Rev. Barnabas Roczey, Dean Hit Movie Generates Divine Interruption Charisma News In a case of divine interruption, a pastor and a Christian couple have been answering calls to God after their telephone number appeared on a fictional pager in the new Jim Carrey hit comedy, "Bruce Almighty." In the film, Carrey stars as a constant complainer who receives the powers of God, who tries to reach Carrey by repeatedly leaving a phone number on his pager. But instead of the usual fictitious 555 prefix used by most television shows and films, God's exchange is listed as 776. When people in Sanford, N.C. dial the telephone number shown in the movie, they reach Bruce Maclnnes, pastor of Turner's Chapel Church, the Associated Press (AP) reported. While most of the callers say nothing, Maclnnes is hopeful the message will provide an opportunity to witness. "I had another call [yesterday] from a man who asked to talk to God," he said. "I told him if he was serious 1 would be happy to talk with him about God. I said if he wasn't serious he could just hang up. He hung up". Several similar phone tales have occurred in Florida, Arkansas and Colorado. A spokeswoman for Universal Studios, which produced the film, said the number was picked because it doesn't exist in Buffalo, N.Y., the movie's setting.
