Enough

Enough-the feeling which I had halfway to my New Testament field exam. I was tired, I didn't have the proper backgroud, I didn't have enough time to get through the whole material and I just wanted to give it up and go to sleep. I tried to resist the temptation so after a deep breath I continued the greek exegesis:

καὶ εἴρηκεν μοι· ἀρκεῖ σοι ἡ χάρις μου, ἡ γὰρ δύναμις ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ τελεῖται
And he said unto me My grace is sufficient for thee for my strength is made perfect in weakness

ἀρκεῖ
to assist, suffice, enough
Original Word: ἀρκέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: arkeó
Phonetic Spelling: (ar-keh'-o)
Short Definition: I am sufficient, I suffice, am content, satisfied
Definition: I keep off, assist; I suffice; pass: I am satisfied.

For me the word "enough" meant that I gave up, I was about to finish something. In God's vocabulary theword "enough" meant/means taking a deep breath and continue in another way. With him.
I can put all my wisdom and strenght together and fail. I can make just a little effort , to add what I have and God will work it out.
At that moment I felt relieved (not totally out of stress) and I said my usual pre-exam prayer: Lord, I don't ask you to make a miracle, just to bless the effort I made.

ἀρκέω - save it to your vocabulary.

Intercessiory prayer for 15/03/2011 Mirfield

The response to the words:
„You are the Lord”
is
„the sovereign Lord over all that exists.”

Merciful Father and Lord of all, hear us as we pray!

Lord, we give you thanks for the wonder of the Christian family in this world, for all the churches and all the people who love you and want to know you more. Help us to search for you everywhere, especially in your living word so we might understand your ways, follow your will and rejoice over how your kingdom is growing. We ask you to keep your church faithful and wise in its inner and outer struggles.
We pray for those who are persecuted because of their faithfulness to you: be their shelter!
We pray for those churches who are lacking faithful leaders and for those who face financial struggles: be their provider!
We pray for those who are challenged by false teachings-may your Spirit keep them on the right path.
You are the Lord,
the sovereign Lord over all that exists.


Lord, you didn't create the human race for war and destruction. You have created us to take care of what you have given us, the whole creation: plants, animals, people who surround us and of ourselves, as well. Watch over those who are in war, change the minds of those who are planning to destroy anything or anyone in this world. Heal those who survived war, massacre, bombing, abuse, because you are the only one who can be close enough to them to heal them. We pray for the restless world around us.
You are the Lord,
the sovereign Lord over all that exists.

Lord we bring before you all those who work in emergency services. We thank you for their response to your call, and that they do their work faithfully and wholeheartedly, not even thinking about the danger that surrounds them. Send your Holy Spirit on them that they might make the right decision when needed, and keep them in physical, psychological and spiritual health when they are under pressure.
You are the Lord,
the sovereign Lord over all that exists.


As Christ wept at the tomb of Lazarus so you grieve with all who suffer loss. We pray for those who are facing death, for their families and the staff who take care of them. Comfort those who are mourning the loss a friend or a loved one. We especially pray for the people in Japan. We don’t understand why natural disasters happen, but we do know that you who suffered on the cross know what pain means and you take no delight in suffering. Wrap the people of Japan in your love and help the rescue teams to find those who are still alive. We ask for your healing touch on those who are injured and hospitalized. Without your help no physician can cure. And we ask that you who are resurrection and life would light their way forward.
You are the Lord,
the sovereign Lord over all that exists.

We also pray for those whom we know and are in need of your healing touch. (silence)
You are the Lord,
the sovereign Lord over all that exists.

Lord, throughout the centuries you called many people to be a part of your work. Being your follower is not easy, but you sustain all who do. We give thanks for the life and ministry of

John Lock
Thomas B. Weatherall
Frederick Ashburner
George H. Ten Bruggenkate
William H. King
Samuel Hunter
Felix H. Matthews
George W. Butterworth
And Arthur E. White

And among those who left the college last year we pray for Robert Parker-McGee serving in The Gornal and Sedley Team Ministry.
You are the Lord,
the sovereign Lord over all that exists.

And we pray for ourselves, as well. Guide us through the days of Lent that we might look honestly at our lives, slowing down, and sitting at your feet may we let you cleanse us and be formed more like you.
O God, you are sovereign over the mysteries of life and death. To you we commend ourselves and all for whom we pray, trusting in your mercy, through your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

I ,as Influent. The word for Pentecost today

I ,as Influent. The word for Pentecost today.

Footnotes to pentecost and today’s sermon at the Methodist church in Budapest,Feketeerő sor






Today I woke up with the feeling: this is the day, this must be the day, this is really the day that the Lord has made. Something will happen today. Somehting must happen today. Something powerful, Pentecost must come with wind,red, fire,power.Maybe even God will show up today, maybe this is the day when Jesus will return. What a good timing it would be! On the day when his people gather together, when life is renewed by the Spirit. I love it! I wanna feel sunshine on my skin, see people hugging each other, sharing meal. All christians in all congregations. I wanna see people amazed by us christians, when they realize: we have something they don’t have and we are willing to share it. And what a great thing it would be when they get shocked to look at them and recite Paul’s words:” Vegyétek ezt tudomásul” which in the Hungarian translation means: you better get use to it!You better get use to it this is what God made of us.

„ Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his …..When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?"

People who were influenced will influence people.
Before the day of Pentecost came Jesus’ desciples were strong when he was with them, when people welcomed them.In those situations they felt balanced and strong. Sometimes they were weak heartened,confused,inferior when they were left alone, when they were rejected. When they stood in front of influential people they chickened out.They were influenced by the people,events surrounding them. You cannot condemn them. They are just like you and me. Have you ever felt that you change when certain people are around you? When you wanted to stick to something, but you change your opinion, behavior , your words or how you say it when it comes time to do it?And you don’t like it.You don’t wanna be influenced, blowing with the wind.You want to be strong, self conscious, balanced.

If so, you need the Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord comes and people who were afraid to be themselves got enpowered and strengthen. They stand up no matter what people might think, what people might do to them, what consequences they acts might bring upon them. They do, say what they know is right . They get their spine back. They stand up, straighten up and lift their heads up.
If you need it as I do just ask. Just ask and it will be given to you. Pray and wait and be a part of a church. We are just like they were. If God gave his Spirit to them, why would he hold it back from us? Why would he hold it back from you? You really think God does not love you this much? Be sure: He does.

„ And people heard them talking in their mother tongue”

As the pastor said today there is a much deeper meaning in these words than we might think first. They heard these words about Jesus not just on the way they understood it. They all shared the knowledge of Aram, but this was not the way how God wanted to reach them.They heard them talking on their Mother tongue. The language which is the closest to their hearts. When the words reach not only their minds, but their hearts, as well. How they feel and taste the words. We sometimes say that the two people speak each other’s language. We know what we mean. Not that there are no language barriers, but we know that they know how to talk to each other in the way the other will clearly understand what the other want to share.
And this is how it works when the Spirit comes. When we want to share something about ourselves, our life ,our faith. if we ask the Spirit and we live in the Sprit people won’t twist our words, they won’t misunderstand us. We will reach them and they will reach back. The Spirit helps us to find the way to each other. This is how the Spirit makes us one. One church.

We need you, oh, Spirit! We need you to be ourselves. We need you heal us as people and us a family. We want to dance , be strong,love each other . We want to taste and see how good you are oh,Lord,more than we do now. Thank you for finding ways to us always,you find words to reach us. You find our mother tongue language in which you speak to our hearts. Thank you for the moments when we feel we are really one family. We ar grateful for those moments when we hardly found words, but we were understood.We thank you that you always understand us.

*I dream about a day when on pentecost day we go to refugee camps and read the gospel and the pentecost story in their mother tongue language and we share the eucharist. I run out of words when I think about this : what a powerful, spiritful time it would be.

Walking on the road to Jerusalem

This is the first line of the song without I have no Holy week. I heard it first before I became Christian. I used to go just for fun to a bible study only to practice my English. One of the people who led it was my former English teacher. As one of the exercises we had to listen to this song (the writer & singer is Ray Boltz...) and fill out on a sheet of paper the missing words. I had no clue at that time that I miss more in my life than those missing words. About a year later I started to walk my life with my Master and fill my life with his gifts, but most of all with his presence. Since than I try to follow Him and since than this song follows me.Since than I can say I really live.

This song tells a story of a Jewish father who is going with his kids to the biggest festival, a real fiesta of the time to Jerusalem-to celebrate Pesach (passover). To the Holy city, where all who believe in Jahve longs to enter. To the place, to the centre where Adonaj is so present as nowhere else on this Earth. They are planning this trip since the last time they left Jerusalem and they prepare for the long journey and for the big fiest. They put the clean clothes and scraves into their bag, food and water of course and cups to drink. They brought as the most important element of their coming the lamb. The little, young lamb that became their gift to God for themselves, for their sins. They are entering those gates to meet the long ago seen friends and relatives.Hugs, songs, dance, laughter and something else is filling the air. It is full of energy: maybe the presence of the Most High.It felt as if they would have arrived to the very heart of this world.The crowed is pulsing and centered around the temple,walking in waves in one rhythm. But they experience something different this time. This is not what they have expected: Just listen to the story (song below).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5H6tv4IUss&feature=related

I don't understand God why this was the only way to make us free. If I were God I would pick another way. But I am not God and if God picked this way it meant this was the only way to save us. He does not like death. He does not like pain. He does not like suffering. These are the things which won't be in heaven (Revelations) If he let Jesus die and have this kind of death it means there was no other way. Why? I have no clue. It will be among those questions which are on my list and will be asked when I get to heaven.
Until that time let us accept what God has done for us and thank him that he did not say finally: sorry it is too much for saving me and you or it is not worth it.

May this Holy week and Easter come to you by fulfilling your life with the most precious gift of all: God, Our Master,the Lamb.

Unique Sunday

For most people- christians- Sunday is the day when they go to worship. This is how it used to be for me. Somehow I always loved Sunday worship, although there were times when I left worship before it ended, cos I got annoyed or angry what happened there under the name of worship. But I always loved it.
When I became christian there were times when I had to lie to my family to go to worship and I felt so proud of it-like becoming as persecuted as the first Christians. Of course it was not so, just my family sometimes didn't like that instead of being together on Sunday morning I am leaving the family and they had to wait for me to have lunch together. I broke the family habit. But as a teneeger I loved to do this. Sorry, but this is true. But when they explained me there is no "kegyes hazugság" (lie that can be unnoticed and ok) I still enjoyed going on Sunday morning to church. I always arrived 10-15 minutes earlier because of my bus schedule. While I was waiting for the bus I usually sang laud (I live kinda far from the city) from our songbook. Before church I was meeting my friends and we talked about what happened in the last few days and what will happen in the next. We sat together-of course being faithful to the old Lutheran habit- sitting on the back row and it was so great to get aroud the altar, kneel down and get communion-together.
For me -as it is written- Sunday was the first and the last day of the week. A special time to put everything into God's hands that was in me- thoughts, feelings, questions, worries, happiness, love,plans-everything. Being emptied by the time the sermon starts and get focused what God wants me to understand from his Word.What instructions,comforting, encouraging words are waiting for me to start a new week. And when we reached communion time I was longing to being cleansed.Even if just for a moment, cos on the way back to my pew I had my on thoughts which most of the time crossed what I promised God a couple of minutes ago: I won't plan anything just take what he plans for me.Well, leopard cannot change it's spots,I am an administrator and plan-maker professional ;-). At the table being together with my friends and being together with God-now that is something! This is what you cannot have anywhere else. You cannot be a living christian without having communion if you have the chance for it.This is harsh, but this is my opinion.
After that we sometimes went to play pool billiard,had a tea and a cake at the Márvány Cukrázda and we sometimes debated over certain parts of the sermon. Not always ;-).than I walked to my Grandma and we had lunch together.We washed the dishes, we had coffee and I was ready to leave and had my second lunch with my family-what a healthy life ;-)!An avarage Sunday.

Since I got home from my scholarship from Chicago due to my job I usually work on Sunday,so I cannot go to church on Sundays. I always knew that not having a healthy rythm of life- one day for rest and God-is a missing point in my life.
Today I got up and I could go to worhsip.It was far and I had to admit I needed 10-15 minutes to force myself to get up from bed,not thinking about how cold it is outside, not letting "I have nothing to wear" excuses hold me back to leave seminary housing and go to a church where I have never been , but I planned to visit. A Lutheran church in the Buda Castle district. Long way. Takes an hour. Finally I decided not to use bus but walk up to the church. And I was lost. I must have missed a street somewhere. I just had that point again: now this is a sign to turn back. But I went back where I started, took the bus and arrived 2 minutes before worship.
Nice area.Cobbler stones, castle-feeling,nice-old-lu

theran church from the outside. As I walked in people were standing in front of the church door from the previous worship talking as I did with my friends at home. And as I sat down and opened my songbook I went back in time and I felt home again. Sunday morning.People are walking in an out. Knoking on my shoulder to give them songbooks.Kids running around.I had no breakfast as I used to do - let the communion be my first sip and bite. People were from all ages. We started with baptism. 2 little boys.Not just pouring on water, but showing them to the congragation as the pastor lift them up- so everyone could see them - saying: just look at them, from now on you are responsible for them and for the parents. And handled the two baptismal candle to the dads.

The sermon was honest and clear. The pastor used the Bible, quoted the words and I checked him as I used to do. ( I always loved that the bible tells us to check the pastors- look after the words whether they are faithful to the scriptures).The verses were from the Ecclesiastes.
7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8the case of solitary individuals, without sons or brothers; yet there is no end to all their toil, and their eyes are never satisfied with riches. ‘For whom am I toiling’, they ask, ‘and depriving myself of pleasure?’ This also is vanity and an unhappy business.
The Value of a Friend
9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. 11Again, if two lie together, they keep warm; but how can one keep warm alone? 12And though one might prevail against another, two will withstand one. A threefold cord is not quickly broken.
he was talking about how we people long for relationships and community, friends, but with our being safe and having our own private time, space mentality consciously or unconsciously we built a brickwall and we stand alone at the end.,although we don't want it. I reached the point when due to my seminary traing I asked the question: so where is the good news, this is all true, but what does this say what god did to us. And at this moment the pastor honestly said: maybe it seems to be too big a step,and too chricstian, and maybe it can be seen as a sentence that pastors should say, but it is true: jesus came so we all have someone. He become the companion to all people . Anytime. Anywhere and to anyone.

We arrived to the 2nd sacrament. I had something more than bread and wine. Campanionship-by people and by God. Before we get the bread the pastor steps to everyone , put his hand on or head and marks all with the sign of the cross on the forehead saying: don't be afraid , have faith, God is with you. It is not usual in Hungarian churches to have the mark of the cross. It is rare that the pastor touches the people, most of the time they just keep their hands a over your head, but not here. Tasting the bread and the wine and experience the blessing of God through the pastors' hand was a moment when I knew I need Sundays. Worship can be done any day, but Sunday worship is somehow special. Unique.

Maybe nothing special happened this Sunday and you are wondering why it felt so special for me? This is what faith does. When ordinary things become extraordinary maybe just for you. When people can look at you and say nothing special has happened, but you feel that for you God was present, somehow it was different and it was a unique time for you.

May you/we all experience this extraordinary God planned and ordered Sunday rest and renewal!

Go to church,
get emptied in prayer,
be filled with by the words,
be cleansed by the bread and wine,
have family : Jesus and friends,
take what you need for the next week in the form of blessings
and go out so we can say again: see you next Sunday!

Find a church if you don't have one!Don't miss it!

"Come here Honey, let me scratch you!"

"Come here Honey, let me scratch you!"
These were the words which were echoing through my mind throughout the whole day-"Come here Honey, let me scratch you!"Where did they come from? What did they mean?Just listen carefully, and I will tell you tell you.

My niece is 10. Her name is Niki. She is a beautiful funny girl. Sweet, wanna be on the center all the time, although we know just why. Her Dad committed suicide 1.5 year ago and she is still suffering badly. She longs for love,more than we sometimes do. Her Mom's side is Roman Catholic and when she entered kindergarden she decided to go to Sunday School. My family is not really religious.We didn't sing nor christmas songs about Christ at christmastime, nor Silent night just for the culture's sake-not even the "Christian" side. But she decided to go with her Grandma to the Sunday School. Not her Mom wanted, nor the Grandma, noone else suggested. She. By her own will. She enjoyed them a lot, and of course when she learnt something new she immidiately told, showed, sung me-that is how I knew she really loved it.
A couple of weeks ago my parents brought the news she wanted to be baptised. She picked the date nearest to her real birthday and so this Sunday, February 1, 2009 we had her baptismal event-cos it was a real event on earth and in the heavens. She will belong to the Roman Catholic Tradition from now on.
The baptismal ceremony was beautiful. We all surrounded her in front of the baptismal fountain. Next to her was her Mom and Godmother and behind them all the relatives in a half circle about 35. She heard the origins of baptism, the words by Christ and after that she confessed by the old roman rite that she wanna follow Jesus and say no to the devil. We confessed our faith in Christ and she got the first cross with oil on her forhead. After this came the baptism with the water and word and it was followed by the crisma (another cross with oil on the forhead).

Now the priest instructed us- all who were baptised or unbaptised, christians or non-christians - one by one let everyone mark her by the cross of Christ on the forehead and greet her with the sign of peace: two kisses on the cheek.
And there came the moment,the cairos (God's special time,moment) in the cronos (ordinary time).there came the mystery of Baptism in that very moment, when I heard one of the non-christian relatives saying: "Come here Honey, let me srcatch you".
Let me scratch you...
Not knowing really the meaning what the symbols were.
And not really knowing what they meant.
Scratching,graving which even if it is healed leaves a mark forever as a reminder.
Like in God's palms when he says:
" Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands" -Isaiah 49,16 KJV

I felt he -in and unconscious,non-christian way- joined and represented the mystery of Christ at that place. The mystery what we, even Christians don't fully understand. The pure and overflowing love and care, the compassion with the child who needs and misses her Daddy, and the "we will carry you feeling " when he put his armes around her he just embodied Christ for her.
I love you-he said.

And now, today She was adopted. She has a Mom a Dad and Father. Never be alone. Never be lost and never be unnoticed. No need for being in the center among the people for love and care.
For the mystery has happened again: that she is in the center, in the very center of Christ's heart from this moment- forever and ever. Amen .

What if...?

Going home, finally. A long work day behind and a "great" client at the end. Can't wait to get to bed and sleep. I am going to the Blaha subway line 2. A not too neglected, but no too sympatic man joined me .
-have a minute?
just going forward...
-have you got a dime or two?
just keep going....looking straight,keep facing my destination....
-just one or two or some penny?
Please stop! I am tired, stop talking to me, don't want me to be rude, leave me alone. I am not social, I don't wanna be rude to you, this is just not my day. I looked to his eyes with my "killing" look. (sometimes I am really not the perfect Christian).
-ok, ok I see it in your eyes.
He returned and I went on my way.

But what if he was Jesus? (Matthew 25:34-40)