Pray for Hungary on Sunday, May 3, 2015
Prayers for Hungary:
Almighty God, our merciful and ever loving parent.
We praise and glorify your Holy name for your grace, esteem and trust in us for engrafting us into the real vine, into our self-giving, crucified and risen redeemer, Jesus the Christ. With shame we humbly confess that much too often we don’t really want to be His branches, for we are too wrapped up in our own selves and have no time to care about creation or our others.
Resolutely depending upon Your promise we, with the beggar’s hands of our shaky faith, ask for the power of your Holy Spirit to enable us to continue to dwell in Christ, in order to bear the fruits of peacemaking, as agents of justice and caretakers of your creation.
We implore you, not only for our own selves, but far much more for the power of your renewing Spirit in the lives of your branches, in the communities of faith of Central-Eastern Europe, and especially for Hungary. Oh please empower them to be Ambassadors of peace, unity, and equal justice for amongst all their neighbors.
Apart from Christ, we are totally helpless and unable to do anything. Thus, for His sake, please hear us and help us.
Amen.
Mission Stewardship Moment from Hungary:
Central-Eastern Europe was a strong bastille of Christianity for more than a thousand years. Not only against the Tartars, but also the strong imperialistic spreading of the Ottoman Empire, they acted as a very strong protecting “wall.” The champion amongst them was Hungary. Of course, they paid an enormous price of human lives and sufferings.
By the year of 1590, when Gaspar Karoli completed the translation of the Bible to Hungarian, 92 percent of the country were members of the Hungarian Reformed Church. Even today, after Holland, Switzerland, and Scotland, Hungary has the highest percentage of Calvinists. It is not at all accidental that the pastors and teachers of the Hungarian Reformed and Lutheran Churches were sold to be galley slaves because they refused to denounce their faith. Pope John Paul II officially apologized for this in 1992.
Today they, who are our partners, very deliberately and diligently work as instruments of equal justice, especially in the Roma (Gypsy) Mission. There are very strong strides and also quite a few accomplishments. There is, of course, room for improvement. Their work, in many ways, exceeds their strength and capabilities.
They very much need our prayers, recognitions and help. Please lend your support as you are able to. Success is not only heights achieved, but much more obstacles overcome.
God Bless and help you in your Witness as “engrafted branches” in Christ.
(Prayer and Mission Moment by Barbara and Zoltan Szucs)
Mission Partners in Hungary:
More information on Hungary:
http://www.globalministries.org/hungary
Global Ministries Missionary in Hungary:
Zoltan Szucs, a member of HRC of Lorain, United Church of Christ, Lorain, Ohio, serves the Reformed Church in Hungary. He works as Professor of Practical Theology at Karoli Gaspar University in Budapest. His appointment is supported by Week of Compassion, Our Churches Wider Mission, Disciples Mission Fund and your special gifts.
Barbara Szucs, a member of The Lorain Hungarian Reformed Church, Lorain, Ohio, serves the Reformed Church in Hungary. She works with the Roma (Gypsy) Mission as an enabler. Her appointment is supported by Week of Compassion, Our Churches Wider Mission, Disciples Mission Fund and your special gifts.