Magyar Egyház, 2005 (84. évfolyam, 1-4. szám)

2005-04-01 / 2. szám

6. oldal MAGYAR EGYHÁZ MOTHER TERESA This was written by Mother Teresa and is engraved in her home for the Children of Calcutta: People are often unreasonable, illogical and self­­centered. Forgive them anyway. If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulte­rior motives. Be kind anyway. If you are succesful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies. Succeed anyway. If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you. Be honest and frank anyway. What you spend years building, someone could destroy it overnight. Build anyway. If you find serenety and happiness, they may be jealous. Be happy anyway. The good you do today, people will often forget by to­morrow. Do good anyway. Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough. Give the world the best you have anyway. You see, in the final analysis, it is between YOU and GOD, it was never between you and them anyway. Friendship and Church New national poll data indicates that friendships play a major role in church growth. A recent Gallup survey among U.S. congregation members revealed that church friendliness corre­lated with both church attendance and volunteerism. The Gallup poll also found that friendships with other church members is a key reason why many individuals joined a specific church. And members who have best friends at church tend to be more satis­fied and more involved with their churches. Michael Lindsey is a research specialist with the Gallup organization. Fie says church members want to worship in a church where they feel welcomed, and friendships are "the silver bullet that churches have been looking for." "The silver bullet is creating an environment where friendships can flourish," he adds. The Gallup researcher says there are several practical ways in which this kind of relationship building can happen. "One is by having a system where people in the church can get to know one another," he notes. Another way to foster friendships in a church is by focusing on those people who are new to the congregation. While these principles for church growth were affirmed by the Gallup survey, Lindsey points out that they are entirely biblical concepts. A Hie Martin, Agape Press Missionary: Western Europe's Darkness Foreshadows America's Spiritual Decline FOCUS ON A Southern Baptist missionary stationed in Madrid, Spain, contends that Western Europe is currently the hardest mission field on Earth. A 32-year-old Christian worker says the hostility to Christianity has become so severe in Europe. He is responsible for ministering to missionary children throughout Western Europe and for taking part in evangelistic efforts. He says it is a tough place to share the gospel. The region is marked by "a spiritual deadness that you can't believe," he notes. The American missionary believes Europe can be viewed as a sort of bellwether for the future cultural and spiritual scene in the U.S. "Living in Europe," he says, "I see Europe as probably 50 years ahead of where the U.S. is going spiritually. In Madrid, the Spanish equivalent of the House of Representatives just legalized same-sex marriages." What has descended on Western Europe, he asserts, is "just a spiritual darkness." He says most people see churches or cathedrals as just "the buildings and nothing else. They are empty on Sunday morning. There's no spiritual sensitiv­ity whatsoever." Nevertheless, he remains prayerful and deter­mined, ever grateful for his opportunity to learn and serve in what feels to him like "the hardest mission field in the world." Chad Groening, AgapePress FEAR NOT... The maxim of illusory religions runs: "Fear not, trust in God and He will see that none of the things you fear will happen to you"; that of real religion, on the contrary, is: "Fear not; the things that you are afraid of are quite likely to happen to you, but they are nothing to be afraid of' A Friend is ... A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words. A good exercise for the heart is to bend down and help another up. Friends are like four leaf clovers, hard to find, lucky to have. If all my friends jumped off a cliff, I wouldn't jump with them. I would be at the bottom to catch them. Many people will walk in and out of your life. But only true friends will leave foot­prints in your heart. To handle yourself, use your head; To handle others, use your heart. Anger is only one letter short of danger. If someone betrays you once, it is his fault; If he betrays you twice, it is your fault. Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss events; Small minds discuss people. He, who loses money, loses much; He, who loses a friend, loses much more; He, who loses faith, loses all. Beauti­ful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art. Learn from the mistakes of others. You can't live long enough to make them all yourself. Friends, you and me .... You brought another friend ... And then there were 3 .... We started our group ... Our circle of friends ... There is no beginning or end ... Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is mystery. Today is a gift. Author unknown Thanks for being my friend! You're great! John Macmurra

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