12.27.09
Unitarian Service on December 27th 2009.
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English Service - audio wma 50 min. 7,4 MB
Download text - doc file
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Celebrants:
Rev. Knut Heidelberg
Rev. Sándor Léta
Gyopár Pávai
Márton Szabó
Osztováta Ensemble
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1. Welcome and Opening words by the Minister:
Show us Oh, Lord your way, let us walk in your truth and worship you from our clean heart. Amen
Chalice lighting by Márton Szabó:
I light this chalice to be the light of life in the coming year. To shine before us, to show us God’s way we have to follow, so may not walk blindly, but to step into the future with self-confidence.
Rev. Sándor Léta:
Welcome everyone to this first service in our unitarian church. I would like to introduce ourselves: I am Sándor Léta, the minister of Béla Bartók Unitarian Church. We have a norvegian unitarian minister friend among us, Knut Heidelberg who organized the Unitarian Church in Norway, and spending his time here in Budapest until mid January. Our organ player is Gyopár Pávai. In the service will take also part Márton Szabó and the Osztováta Ensemble (Osztováta it means weaving loom, which in hungarian is szövőszék, but in Transylvania they call it osztováta)
Todays service main leading idea is to ask God to bless our life as we leave this year, and be with us in the new year too.
2. Beginning song: 352 – Find a stillness - We use the book of Singing the living tradition (16. song in Unitarian songbook ) 
The Bible reading, words of wisdom, and prayers will be led by Reverend Knut Heidelberg.
3. Bible Reading:
We read from the Gospel according to Matthew chapter 22 verses 37 to 39:
Jesus said unto him, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself.
- “Words of wisdom” (Contemplation)
I do have to confess to admire the Salvation Army. It is not the theology nor the uniforms nor the organization – it is not even the Salvation Army of to day. But it is its founder. Wiliam Booth. And thinking of it – it may not even be this person itself but the optimism and faith he represented. And perhaps not even this but simply because his Christian faith was action. His faith was what I will call a Here-And-Now-Faith. The faith of the present moment. A story may illustrate what I mean. It goes like this, and it is said to be true. A story of faith from real life:
One late night - I have never figured out the date but it has to be sometime last part of the 19th century – Wiliam Booth is walking home from a meeting. He passed under Charing Cross Bridge in London (which the painter Claude Monet made famous in one of his paintings). During this walk he observes more than hundreds homeless people – all sleeping outdoors. The very next day Wiliam mentions this for his son, Bramwell, and during the conversation taking place between a father and his son, Wiliam gives Bramwell an order. He says, “Do something”.
That is all. “Do something”. And believe it or not: This order is the beginning of what later would become the enormous social care work that has made the Salvation Army so famous. To me this is the most naïve order to give somenone and at the same time it is the very foundation of our Christian faith. And that is what I admire about Wiliam Booth. Not his theological understanding of the faith – because he was no Unitarian, but I am. And our understanding of theology and Jesus and faith differ very much. But our understanding of the mission which Jesus gives us, is pretty the same. The mission is “do something”.
I have noticed that if this order had been given to modern people of today, the answer would often be, “Oh, it will not help. There are so much trouble, and what I as an individual may do, does not really, really help in the long run.” This is typical for us living today – us living in the post-modern world. We argue that to save the world we need big political solutions and large investments. And in all the problems of the world it really does not matter if you or I do some changes in our lifestyle. It is the big solutions that are needed, we think. Those solutions that once for all solve the problems – and really not the small change you and I as private persons deceide for ourselves to do in our lives.
And still. Christian faith is so simple. Of course, believe me, it is possible to make our Christian faith extremely complicated by the help of theology and political power. Oh, yes. No problems at all. But Jesus did not make things complicated. On the other hand others trying to do him evil asked him tricky theological and complicated questions just to claim him as a false prophet. To be Christian is to be here-and-now. It is the religion of the present. And when it comes to action then we are talking about actions here-and-now. To be a Christian is to do something now. It is to receive the mission “do something” in a naïve way. It is not to start arguing in ways like: “It does not matter what I as a private person does because ….”
The situation is as follows: A father and a son had a conversation sometime at the end of the 19th century. And today: Our Father in Heaven and we – His children – His daughters and sons – we too should find time to such a conversation. Our Father in Heaven is ready whenever you find time.
We are now moving from one year 2009 and entering another new year 2010. But whatever we do there is no other place than to stay here-and-now. This is the very place where our faith exists. Here-and-now is the foundation of the Christian faith even when we move in time from one year to another year. Here-and-now is where and when our Father in Heaven wants to talk to us. And here-and-now is when we answer even when moving in time from one year to another. And if I am not much mistaken this conversation is always “do something”.
If you wonder why “do something”, the answer is what the Christian faith is all about. Jesus told us “You shall love your neighbour as yourself. “ This love is not of yesterday – and tomorrow has not come so we do not know what tomorrow brings. Yes we are moving from one place in space and time to another place and time in space. But this movement is still not reality. The only reality that exists is here-and-now. Here-and-now do something because love your neighbour as yourself. Or as the Unitarian Albert Schweitzer once said: “Those that really have seen the poor people will always be rich enough to do something.”
At the moment tomorrow does not exist and yesterday is gone. Even the last second we experience is now history and the next second to come does not yet exist. Here-and-now is the Christian faith. To do something here-and-now is its foundation. Yes it is naïve. But the person you help will not mind if you do something naïve.
5 & 6 Prayer & Lord’s Prayer
Let us pray inspired by Albert Schweitser:
Hear our humble prayer, O God, for our world,
especially for those who are suffering;
for those that are overworked, underfed and cruelly treated;
for all living beings;
for any that are killed or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry.
We entreat for them all Your mercy and pity,
and for those who deal with them we ask a heart of compassion
and gentle hands and kindly words.
Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to everyone,
and so to share the blessings of the merciful.
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours
now and for ever. Amen.
7. Song – Let us listen to the OSZTOVÁTA Ensemble www.osztovata.hu
8. Sermon – Rev. Sándor Léta
Dear friends, my sermon’ main idea it is written in the Gospel of Luke, chapter thirteen (13), verses 6 through 9:
Luke 13:6-9: Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a man who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He went looking for figs on it but found none. So he said to his gardener, “Look, for three years I have been coming here looking for figs on this fig tree, and I haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it go on using up the soil?’ But the gardener answered, “Leave it alone, sir, just one more year; I will dig around it and put in some fertilizer. Then if the tree bears figs next year, so much the better; if not, then you can have it cut down.’ “
Dear friends,
As we listen to Jesus story we know Jesus isn’t just talking about a fig tree. He’s talking about you and me, we and our earthly life. We are led to ask ourselves, “Am I bearing fruit?
Was this past year fruitful? it was a really good year? It was a good year because you had success in your business, a good year at work or at school, good family relationships, new friendships? 2009 was a year that included a lot of exciting things, new challenges, tasks completed, a great holiday only?!.
Think back and check what kind of a person you were during 2009. Are there some regrets? If you were able to have some part of the year over again, would you have behaved differently? Would you have shown more understanding, cared more, been more patient, less critical, been more supportive and helpful?
As we reflect on the past year, are there certain things that we would like to do differently in the future?.
How about your relationship with God? Did that flourish and grow during 2009 or did it just hover in much the same place as it did the previous year or perhaps even went backwards as you prayed less, heard less from God, worshipped less. Maybe God didn’t play a big part in your life during this past year.
You could well ask the question: how much did my life reflect the fact, that I am God’s child – did I speak as a child of God;
did I act with the love of God in my heart;
did I interact with others with the same love and forgiveness that God has shown toward me?
In order to embrace the new, we must release the old. A trapeze artist cannot swing from one bar to another without letting go. An important part of preparing for the New Year is to review the past year, to release it and to learn from it.
As we stand on the threshold of another year, Jesus’ parable has a very clear point. What was good we should take with us, and continue our work in the future. What was wrong and not so good, we should not repeat again. Leave it in this year. So we have to decide what to cut off and what to carry with us for another year and try it. But even what we think was not fruitful in this past year, it can be next year.
So don’t through things away unnecessary. Take more care of it like in this past year, use fertilizer, nurture it, and GOD will take care to bear fruits.
And get to work! There is no better way to use the time in this coming New Year too.
Take time to work–it is the price of success
Take time to think–it is the source of power
Take time to read–it is the fountain of wisdom
Take time to worship–it is the highway to reverence
Take time to be friendly–it is the road to happiness
Take time to laugh–it helps to lift life’s load
Take time for God’s Word–it comforts you and gives you faith, hope and love and
It washes the dust of earth from your eyes.
Take time for God–it is life’s only truly lasting investment. Amen.
9. Silent meditation – Rev. Sándor Léta
God is Spirit, and those who worship, must worship in Spirit and Love. Let us listen to the voice of the Spirit and pray in silence…
… May God listen to our prayers and strenghten us.
10. Song - Let us listen to the OSZTOVÁTA Ensemble
11. Announcements – Rev. Sándor Léta and Márton Szabó
- In the announcement I want to let you know, that English services will be regularly held in our church every last Sunday of the months in the coming year, from 12 ’o clock.
- Next month, January 31st service’ main idea is to remember of the religious freedom day: between 6-13th of January 1568 was held in the city of Torda the Diet by the Hungarian king John Sigismund. At this diet led by Ferenc Dávid - the unitarian reformer - was proclaimed the Law of religious freedom and tolerance which allowed for four religious denominations to live freely their faith. This is also the starting date of the Unitarian Church.
- For the next services we are open for good ideas, so I prepared some paper in our meeting room, and I would like to ask to write your first impressions and also ideas for the future services.
- After the actual service I invite you in our meeting room for further talk, coffe or tea, for a social hour to get to know each other.
- Going out please support the church finantially to be able to fulfill its calling and the organized future programs. There are two boxes near the door. Thank you.
And now, I call Márton Szabó, who recently spent a few months in the United States, in the UU Congregation of Roanoke, to talk about his trip and experience.
12. Song - Let us listen to the OSZTOVÁTA Ensemble
13. Blessing – Rev. Sándor Léta
May God bless our life:
God be in front of you, to show the good - right ways for you.
God be near you, to embrace and protect you.
God be behind you, to protect from the evils actions.
God be under you, to catch from falling.
God be in you, to comfort, console you in sadness.
God be around you to protect when other attacks you.
God be above you to bless your all actions.
In this way bless God your life today, tomorrow and all the time.
Amen.
14. Closing song: 37 – God who fills the universe … from the Singing the living tradition (193. song in Unitarian songbook) 
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Liturgy:
1. Welcome and Opening words by the Minister
2. Beginning song: 352 – Find a stillness (16. song in Unitarian songbook )
3. Bible reading
4. Words of wisdom
5. Meditation / Prayer
6. Lord’s Prayer
7. Song - OSZTOVÁTA
8. Sermon
9. Silent meditation
10. Song - OSZTOVÁTA
11. Announcements
12. Song - OSZTOVÁTA
13. Blessing
14. Closing song: 37 – God who fills (193. song in Unitarian songbook )