The Bethlen Home Messenger, 2002 (1-4. szám)
2002-07-01 / 2. szám
Címpltn'ő Corner By Rev. Dr. Joseph Posta, Chaplain PRAYER FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY: O God, our Help in ages past, our Hope for years to come, We give Thee grateful thanks on this anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence for the priceless blessings of liberty that with Thy help were won for us by our forefathers more than 200 hundred years ago. Stir up within us, We pray Thee, a new appreciation of the life, liberty and pursuit of happiness we enjoy in this land of the free, and greater readiness to serve our nation with our whole talents. Teach us, above all, to treasure that precious freedom of conscience and worship, without which other liberties would not long survive. May we never contribute to the loss of these dearly won blessings by our own selfishness, ambition or indifference. Teach furthermore, O Lord, that the enjoyment of freedom brings with it also responsibility to serve. To that end, make us willing to respect the laws of our country, to serve our fellow citizens well in any office of trust to which we may be elected, to exercise faithfully our privilege to vote, and to give our loyal support to all public institutions. Bless all those in authority. Give wisdom and faithfulness to those in positions of leadership. Preserve them from becoming the prey of selfish pressure groups, and give them willingness to serve the interest of the public. Grant enduring peace to our country and all its institutions, among them to our dear Bethlen Home, so that Thy Gospel may be able, without hindrance, to turn the hearts of all from the bondage of sin to the freedom won by the blood of our precious Redeemer, Jesus Christ, in whose name and for whose sake we ask this...AMEN. INDEPENDENCE DAY Two hundred and 26 years ago, on this day, leaders from the 13 colonies of America came together and made an audacious decision: they were going to revolt against the King of England, the head of the most powerful nation in the world, and in so doing, they expressed their conviction that they were acting out of a deep and abiding religious faith. The words of the Declaration of Independence constantly make reference to their faith in God. Its most famous words are these: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do...solemnly publish and declare that these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be free and independent States, they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain, is ought to be totally dissolved. Later, they would craft a constitution and a Bill of Rights. Most importantly, the very first amendment to the Bill of Rights would guarantee that the government could not establish a state church, nor could it prohibit the free and independent exercise of religious faith. A free government and the freedom to worship God as our conscience dictates have always been the hallmark of America. And it's on this July Fourth, 2002, that we remember those brave men and the courageous steps they took. Because of their wisdom and sacrifice, we are able to enjoy the benefits of democracy and the freedom to worship God as we so choose. God bless America. "We are doers of the Word" (James 1:22, 25b) PRINCE BETHLEN'S SILVER THALER The silver coin (tallér - Thaler - Dollar) herein described was minted in 1621 in Transylvania by Prince Gabriel Bethlen in commemoration of his election to the royal throne of Hungary in 1620, the year, incidentally, in which the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. continued on next page...
