Christmas Story - Czechoslovak Baptist Convention

Christmas Story - Czechoslovak Baptist Convention

Contents
Convention Mission Statement
The Czechoslovak Baptist Convention of USA
and Canada exists 1) to assist in extending the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in lands of central and eastern Europe, particularly the Czech
and Slovak Republics; 2) to support the work
of Baptists and other evangelical churches
in North America that minister to persons of
Czech and Slovak descent, and 3) to provide a
Christian context for worship, fellowship, teaching, and appreciation of heritage among those
in the United States and Canada who bear
interest in the nationalities we represent.
Editorial – Natasha Laurinc............................................... 3
From the President............................................................ 4
From the Executive Secretary............................................ 5
Breaking Worry’s Grip – Donald Shoff............................ 6
Osvobození se od trápení – Donald Shoff....................... 10
Update from Baptist World Alliance................................. 12
40th Anniversary for Helen and Henry Pojman – Vlastimil Pojman.... 13
40. výročí svatby Heleny a Jindřicha Pojmanových – V. Pojman...... 13
Ladies’ Page – 89th Annual Meeting................................. 14
In Memory – Milan Slovak Steffel...................................... 16
Christmas poems............................................................... 18
Sing to the Lord – Natasha Laurinc.................................. 19
Zpívejte Hospodinu – Nataša Laurincová................. 19
Youth Scene:
The Christmas Story in Hymns – Natasha Laurinc........... 20
Children’s Corner: Christmas – Natasha Laurinc............ 22
Vánoce – Nataša Laurincová............. 23
Misijní poslání konvence
Československá baptistická konvence Spojených států a Kanady byla ustanovena za účelem:
1) napomáhat v šíření evangelia našeho Pána
Ježíše Krista v zemích střední a východní Evropy,
zvláště v České a Slovenské republice; 2) podporovat práci baptistů a jiných evangelikálních
církví v severní Americe, které slouží českým
a slovenským potomkům; 3) předkládat formu
bohoslužby, obecenství a učení, vážit si dědictví
těch, ve Spojených státech a v Kanadě, kterým
leží na srdci národy, které reprezentujeme.
Glorious Hope/Slavná nadìje
Volume 38, No 5, 2012
(USPS 009334), ISSN 0700-5202
Published Bi-Monthly by
The Czechoslovak Baptist Convention
of USA and Canada.
Periodical postage paid in Detroit, MI.
Donations
All donations should be mailed to our financial secretaries, using
enclosed envelope.
USA:
Czechoslovak Baptist Convention
C/O Vera Dors
6621 Elmdale Rd
Middleburg Hts, OH, 44130
CANADA:
Czechoslovak Baptist Convention
C/O Henry Pojman
1305 Inglehart Dr
Burlington, ON, L7M 4X6
Make check payable to Czechoslovak Baptist Convention or
CZSKBC.
Feel free to make a special designation on the bottom of the
check:
Convention, Glorious Hope, Scholarship Fund, Bibles for
Czechoslovakia, etc.
Please do not mail checks to our main address in Detroit, MI.
Gifts for Ladies’ work—make check payable to Czechoslovak
Baptist Women’s Missionary Union.
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Printed on recycled paper
Editor-in-Chief: Natasha Laurinc
email: [email protected]
You may send articles to above address.
Desktop publishing and art: Vit Malek
Assistant Editors: Janice Cermak, Ondrej Laurinc, Ph.D.
POSTMASTER: Send address changes to
Publication Office:
Glorious Hope / Slavná nadìje
P.O. Box 441516, Deitroit, MI, 48244, USA.
email: [email protected]
WWW.CZSKBC.ORG
Convention photos by Dusko Pilic
Moving?
Let us know
By Mail:
CZSKBC
P. O. Box 441516
Detroit, MI, 48244
Email:
[email protected]
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o
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





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
Vol 38,
Vol 38,
NoN5, 12
5,
E d i t o r i Ea d
l itorial
I
was aware of three major life milestones right from my early
childhood. At least they seemed major to me. They were
my birthday, summer holidays, and Christmas. It was only
later as an adult that I recognized Easter as an important/major
holiday as well.
One’s birthday is a natural milestone for every person. Summer breaks were for us children a wished-for reprieve from
school duties and they always held the promise of various enjoyable activities. Soon after another school year began, Thanksgiving was celebrated. In former Czechoslovakia, this holiday was
not recognized by the state and was only celebrated amongst
believers. Christmas was next in line. We eagerly anticipated this
holiday and spent time preparing for it. Christmas began with
Christmas Eve, and the peak of the holidays was Christmas Day.
In Czechoslovakia another holiday, St. Stephen’s Day, was celebrated on December 26th. We would spend these three days
in the company of our congregation. Christmas Eve belonged
mainly to the Sunday school. I will never forget how my knees
shook while we recited our rhymes/poems. Silent Night and
Jesus Christ is Born were the two out of many songs that have
stuck in my brain the most. Songs, poems, prose, testimonies,
sermons…there were so many contributions to the programme
that the service got extended by a few hours. On the first day of
Christmas, a church service was held in the morning as well as
 Continues on page 9
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d ranného dětství jsem vnímala tři velké životní mezníky. Alespoň se mi zdály být velkými. Byly to mé
narozeniny, letní prázdniny a Vánoce. Až později, již
jako dospělá, jsem začala vnímat jako velký svátek také Velikonoce.
Osobní narozeniny jsou přirozeným mezníkem každého
člověka. Letní prázdniny byly pro nás, děti, vytouženým přerušením školních povinností a slibovaly mnoho různých dobrodružství. Záhy po začátku dalšího školního roku se slavilo
díkůvzdání za úrodu. V bývalém Československu tento svátek
nebyl uznávaný státem a slavil se jenom mezi věřícími. A potom
byly na řadě Vánoce. Velmi jsme se těšívali na tyto svátky a také
jsme se na ně připravovali. Vánoce začínaly Štědrým večerem
a vyvrcholily prvním svátkem vánočním. V Československu se
také slavil druhý svátek, na Štěpána, tak byl označován 26. prosinec. Tyto tři dny jsme trávili v obecenství sboru. Štědrý večer
patřil hlavně nedělní besídce. Nikdy nezapomenu na to, jak se
mi chvěla kolena při přednášení básniček. Tichá noc a Narodil
se Kristus Pán mi ze všech vánočních písní utkvěly v paměti
nejvíce. Písně, básně, rozmluvy, svědectví a kázání... Programu
bylo tolik, že se shromáždění protáhla na několik hodin. Na
první svátek vánoční bylo shromáždění ráno i odpoledne.
Domů jsme přijížděli až večer. Únava nám nedopřála kochat se
 Pokračování na straně 9
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From the President
A
Christmas fire invites
us to watch it burning,
logs aflame, sparks flying
upwards. We have sat here before
and been warmed, but each fire is
different, every coming an invitation… Let us look into the flame
of another Christmas then, let us
watch the sparks flying upwards
and the embers glowing in this
holy place.
In the dim, shadow-flickering light,
An ember of longing glows.
Watching it, it shimmering grows,
With the sighs and tears of a tortured world.
Encased within the fiery coal a great host peer out;
Crushed, downtrodden, twisted, huddling.
Is my face among them?
Is any longing for freedom, any crying for relief,
Any thirsting for righteousness bursting my breast?
Does sorrow for sinfulness, my sin,
Grief for brokenness, my own and the world’s
Have any weight in my heart?
Longing is prelude. Humility the posture
For salvation on the wind.
The breeze lights up another ember,
The white-hot cinder of arrival.
Time collapses, Heaven invades earth!
Incarnation has happened—Now!
In the present! He is here!
Shall I run to the caves,
Bid the rocks to hide me?
But no, it is the first Advent still.
This coming is hidden and humble,
Deity compressed, near and enfleshed In an infant.
Not recoil but glad reception is proffered.
Let us go and see this thing that has happened,
Meet our Saviour who now has come.
A baby! No threat here, but is there?
A third coal in the fire of Christmas
Pulses with orange light.
After encounter, what? Return to normal?
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Lord, let it not be!
Allegiance then, Allegiance!
The true King has come,
I must bow, follow, serve.
But these are too wispy, ethereal.
What must be brought low?
Pride of possession, position, heritage, nationality.
Where must I follow?
Where Jesus is going,
To flee and return,
To grow and learn,
To identity with sinners.
How shall I serve?
As Jesus did,
By showing and speaking the truth in love,
By helping and healing the poor and the sick.
By dying and rising with Him
Evermore to live.
May true longing for salvation—personal, local
and world-wide—a keen awareness and joyful welcome of Christ’s arrival in the present moment, and
a warm renewal of whole-hearted allegiance to Him
be worthy sparks flying upwards from our Christmas
meditations.
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
has not overcome it… The true light which enlightens
everyone was coming into the world… And the Word
became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen
his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of
grace and truth.”
John 1:5,9,14 (ESV)
The Hope of His coming,
The Peace of His presence &
The Joy of His salvation be yours
This Christmas and always.
Stan Mantle

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From the Executive Secretary
T
he Mid-year Meeting of the General Board of the
Czechoslovak Baptist Convention was held on Saturday, November 3, 2012, in Cleveland, Ohio. Eighteen
members and two guests were present at the meeting.
As the General Board, we are happy to report regarding our
104th Annual Convention, scheduled for July 11-14, 2013.
After receiving a positive response and feedback on our
new location, the Board has decided that Alleghany College will host the next two conventions.
The theme that has been chosen for the 104th Convention is:
On the way with Jesus (Mark 10:32a)
Thurs. July 11....Called to Follow (Mark 1:14–19)
Fri. July 12............Winning by Losing (Mark 8:31–35)
Sat. July 13..........Comforted and Reassured (John 14:15–27)
Sun. July 14........Appointed to Bear Fruit (John 15:9–17)
We encourage you to check the upcoming issues of Glorious Hope as well as our website www.czskbc.org for future
updates.
We hope that you will mark your calendar to join us July
11–14, 2013.
In His service

Darko Siracki
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Friday evening message, July 6, 2012, 103rd Annual Czechoslovak Baptist Convention, Meadville, PA
Breaking Worry’s Grip
Donald Shoff
Matthew 6:25-34
P
roblems are a very real part of
life. We are deluding ourselves
if we think we will ever come
to a place in this life of having
no problems. Problems and worry go
together. You will rarely find one without the other. Worry is the emotional
reflex to problems.
If problems, then, are a part of life
for believers as well as unbelievers, how
is it that Jesus can say so emphatically
do not worry. Note how often He
restates that command in the passage
we have just read:
6:25 do not worry
6:27 Who of you by worrying
6:28 why do you worry
6:31 do not worry
6:34 do not worry
As we look carefully into this passage, we are going to find that Jesus is
doing more than saying, Just Stop It!
He sets forth four directives, or steps,
we must follow if we are going to break
worry’s grip. Before we consider these
directives, we need to understand what
Jesus is not saying.
He is not saying that prudent foresight is wrong. He is not commanding
a shiftless, thriftless, reckless life-style
that gives no thought to the future for
ourselves or our children. The writer
of the Book of Proverbs says, The wise
man saves for the future but the foolish
man spends what he gets (Prov 21:20
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LIV). Jesus is not contradicting this
Scripture or so many other passages
that praise hard work and foresight.
Nor is He saying that having a savings
account, buying insurance or living by
a budget is wrong,
It is also important to understand
that Jesus is not implying that if we
follow His directives we will then live a
stress-free life. Problems are as much a
part of life as breathing. When writing to his dear friends at Corinth, the
apostle Paul says, Besides everything else,
I face daily the pressure of my concern
for all the churches (2 Cor 11:28). We
will never be free from the pressure of
problems in this life. However, when
pressure becomes oppression and stress
becomes distress, we have crossed the
line.
If worry is not prudent foresight,
then what is it? The word itself answers
that question. The word for worry in
the original text meant dividing the
mind, which underscored the impact of
worry on one’s judgement and sense of
well-being. The English word for worry
is even more expressive. It originally
meant to strangle or choke and by the
time of Middle English, meant to seize
by the throat and tear. In contemporary
English, however, we have so overworked the word worry that it has lost
much of its original meaning. Probably a better translation for the word
that Jesus used would be anxiety, as in
several modern translations.
This passage that we are studying is
part of what we call the Sermon on the
Mount. In this section, Jesus addresses
three groups: you, hypocrites, and
pagans. The hypocrites were the Pharisees, the professional religionists of that
day. The pagans were gentiles who worshipped idols and false gods. But who
was this you group? The you group
were those who sincerely addressed
God as Heavenly Father. The context
makes clear that they were Christ’s
disciples. They were those who listened
to his words as from God and who had
committed their lives to him.
So the question arises, how does
one become a part of that group? John
1:12 answers that question: To all who
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received him, to those who believed in his
name he gave the right to become children of God. Before we can share in the
inheritance, we must be in the family.
Before we can sincerely address God
as My Heavenly Father we must have
received Him. That is, we must have
believed in His name.
I have been a pastor for over 45 years
and made it a priority to be involved
in our church’s New Member classes. I
would ask each person coming to join
the church this question:
Have you come to the place in your
spiritual life where you can say that
you know for certain that if you were
to die tonight you would go to heaven?
Most professing Christians attending those classes were coming to join
our church from other churches. I was
always amazed at how many had not
come to the point of certainty about
their salvation. Their answers were often
something like: I hope so, or I am doing
the best I can, or I have always believed.
Some believed that going to heaven
depended on their good works. Some
thought growing up in a Christian
home made them Christians. Others
thought that it might even be presumptuous or prideful to be so certain
about going to heaven. One of my joys
through the years was in helping many
grasp the truth of John 1:12 and John
3:16.
Until we have come to the point
of certainty regarding our relationship
with Christ, we will not break anxiety’s
grip.
Not only must there be a certainty
of relationship, that is, to know who
we are, but also a certainty of character,
that is, a certainty of who God is. A
major emphasis of the Sermon on the
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Mount is the character of God. One of
the primary ways God has chosen to
reveal Himself in Scripture is through
His names. There are hundreds of
names in Scripture speaking of the
triune God.
We parents name our children to
distinguish child A from child B. Most
names today are simply a handle. We
could use numbers in the place of
names and get by just as well. Not so
with God. Each of His names reveals a
different aspect of His character. Each
of His names reveals something of who
He is.
It is very important to note the name
Jesus used for God. Usually, He calls
the one true God Father. In Matthew
6:9 he says, This, then, is how you should
pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed
be your name. In His desire to reveal
God’s character, he uses a name that
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everyone understood: father. Everyone
understood that this word stood for
the person who loved them more than
anyone else and who was their protector and provider.
In stressing God’s character as a
loving provider, Jesus reasons from
the lesser to the greater (25, 26). He
says if God is mindful of the needs
of the birds of the air (the least of His
creation) surely He will care for His
children (the greatest of His creation).
He emphasizes the foolishness
of worry when he asks, Can all your
worries add a single moment to your
life? (27 NLT). He goes on to say that
worry demonstrates our lack of trust
in our Heavenly Father, no matter how
orthodox our statements about Him
(28–30).
In verses 31–32, He stresses the fact
that our Heavenly Father is committed
to caring for the needs of His children
even when by our worrying we say, in
essence, the problem facing me now is
too big for God. God still cares for us
even when we doubt it.
I heard a story about a man who
was hiking in an area with which he
was not familiar. It was in the middle
of winter. He came to a frozen river
that he had to cross. He very carefully
tested the ice to see if it would hold
him by putting one foot on it. He
eventually got up the courage to put
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his full weight on the ice and gradually
inched across the frozen river on his
hands and knees. When he was in the
middle of the river, expecting at any
moment to hear the ice begin to crack,
he heard a strange rumbling noise in
the distance. He paused and listened
carefully. Eventually, coming down
the road he had just traveled, he saw a
team of horses pulling a large wagon
loaded with logs. The wagon came
down the slope, out onto the frozen
river and quickly went up on the other
side. All the while the hiker was on his
hands and knees in the middle of the
river waiting for it to break under his
weight.
I’ve often thought of that story
when I am struggling with the emotional reflux of some problem. The
man’s lack of trust in the ice had no
effect whatever on the thickness of the
ice. It did, however, have a tremendous
effect on the level of his anxiety. So
with us. If we ever break worry’s grip,
it will only be when we come to the
point of putting our full weight of trust
in the loving character of our Heavenly
Father.
Jesus’ command, do not worry, was
not an offhand, nonchalant suggestion. Rather, it was a repeated command in the strongest form possible.
The grammatical form in the original
text is what is called the imperative
mood. A command was always in this
form. Here is the point: commands
were addressed to the will. It is something that could be done if one chose
to do so. To do otherwise would be a
deliberate act of disobedience. This is
probably the hardest part for most of
us to accept: that worrying is a deliberate choice, an act of disobedience. We
want to dismiss worrying as an inherited family trait or simply a reaction to
the severity of the issues we are facing.
To worry is to sin. Anyone, then,
who knows the good he ought to do and
doesn’t do it, sins (James 4:17). However, we are assured that if we confess
our sins, he is faithful and just and will
forgive our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).
God’s act of purifying mentioned
here not only has to do with His forgiveness of the guilt of the past but also
means He continually purifies us in the
sense of changing our behavior. God’s
act of purifying us, or breaking worry’s
grip, cannot begin until there is honest
confession of what it is from God’s
point of view.
As Jesus comes to the end of his
teaching on worry, He sets forth the
core issue for conquering it. For one
may do all the above and still not conquer worry; the worry-filled lives of too
many believers give testimony to that.
Here is the core issue: But seek first his
kingdom and his righteousness and all
these things will be given to you as well
(6:33).
To seek first His kingdom and His
righteousness is not a legalistic exercise. To seek His way first—above our
own—is a lifestyle that grows out of
a warm relationship with the living
God. It has been my personal experience as well as my observation of many
Christians over the years that we seek
His kingdom first only when we have
made a heart commitment to put Him
first in everything.
For me it was a crisis of surrender
before it became a way of life. I was a
student in seminary, pastoring a little
church in a poorer part of Fort Worth,
Texas. Those were very lean days in
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our lives at best. Judy, my wife, worked as a secretary and
I pastored this little church and went to seminary. It was
difficult but we got by. Our little church was meeting in a
barrack building next to the railroad track, at the end of a
street that was almost impossible to find. In spite of the location, God was blessing, many people were coming to faith
in Christ and the church was growing. We had to have more
room. So the church took a leap of faith, bought a large piece
of property on a busy thoroughfare and signed the contract
with a builder for our first unit. I gave up my salary at the
church and went to work part-time in a grocery store. God
was blessing and we were thrilled.
Before long, however, Judy got sick and had to give up
her job. Fort Worth was going through an economic downturn, and because I was the last hired I was the first to be
laid off. One of the most significant, life-changing crises in
our lives came about when with our last paycheck we sent
the monthly check for rent. We then realized that if we gave
our tithe that week we would have nothing left—not even
enough to buy milk for our three-year-old daughter. I can’t
tell you the depth of my struggle. I especially wrestled with
this verse, Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all
these things will be given to you as well. Judy and I talked and
prayed about what we should do. Finally I said, Honey, here
we are in seminary preparing for a life of ministry. We are facing
a need, not because of our foolishness but because we have done
what we believed God wanted us to do. If God and His Word
are not dependable, let’s find out now. We wrote the check. I
tell you honestly, I have never worried like I did that afternoon. I had a family to provide for and had just given the last
dollar we had. Later that evening, there was a knock at the
door and several people from the church were standing on
the porch with sacks of groceries in their hands. The spokesman for the group said, Pastor, we don’t know if you need
groceries or not but we all began to sense this afternoon that you
needed them. We are here to tell you that we love you and want
to give you these groceries.
That was one of the great spiritual experiences of my life.
I knew in my head that God was trustworthy. I was in a class
of systematic theology in seminary and we had just studied
that. But I didn’t really know God was trustworthy. It was
not until I made a serious commitment to trust Him that I
discovered indeed He is trustworthy and so is His Word.
If you are struggling now, facing a crisis that has robbed
you of joy, you could be on the verge of learning one of the
great lessons of life: God is trustworthy and you don’t need to
worry. As little children in Sunday school, we used to sing:
Why worry when you can pray
Trust Jesus, He’ll show you the way
Don’t be a doubting Thomas
Rest fully on His promise
Why worry, worry, worry, worry
When you can pray.

      Vol 38, No 5, 12
Editorial… Continues from page 3
in the afternoon. We would arrive home late in the evening.
We weren’t able to enjoy our presents, we were so tired, so we
went to sleep. On St. Stephen’s Day we visited the abandoned,
the elderly, and in short, everyone who was unable to take part
in the church service. And we loved it. We traveled via train to
remote places, even in snow storms. In the mountains many
times the connecting train didn’t come and we would continue on foot. What an adventure that was! Cheerful spirits
were reflected in the smiles of those visited, oftentimes accompanied by tears of gratitude which stay with me to this day.
During Thanksgiving we reflect on and express our
gratitude for material gifts, which have been given to us in
abundance through the year. During Christmas we have the
opportunity to express gratitude for the biggest gift in the spiritual sense of the word, for our Lord Jesus Christ. This gift is
an expression of God’s love for man, which hasn’t changed for
hundreds of years. The joy expressed by the angels to the shepherds near the town of Bethlehem more than two thousand
years ago shoots through people and nations like rays of light,
and those that touch those rays become their carriers. Nothing
but joy can pass the news on.
The words from St. Luke: “…I bring you good news of great
joy for everyone! The Saviour—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has
been born tonight…” (Luke 2:10–11) remind us of the reason
to rejoice, and that’s not only Christmas 2012.
Editor-in-Chief Natasha Laurinc
Translated by Elizabeth Jane Fields
Editorial… Pokračování ze strany 3
obdrženými dárky ze Štědrého večera. Na Štěpána se konaly
návštěvy opuštěných, přestárlých, zkrátka těch, kteří nemohly
být v obecenství. A to jsme milovali. Cestovali jsme vlakem
na odlehlá místa i ve sněhových bouřích, v horách mnohdy
závějemi vlak neprojel a my jsme pokračovali pěšky. A to bylo
dobrodružství! Radostná nálada byla zjevná a úsměv těch
navštívených častokrát se slzou vděčnosti v oku mne provází
ještě i dnes.
Při díkůvzdání prožíváme a vyjadřujeme vděčnost za
tělesné dary, kterým se nám během roku v hojnosti dostalo.
Při Vánocích máme možnost vyjádřit vděčnost za ten největší
dar v duchovním smylu slova, za Pána Ježíše Krista. Tento dar
je projevem Boží lásky k člověku, která se po staletí nemění. Ta
radost, zvěstovaná andělem pastýřům v betlémské krajině před
více než dvěmi tisíci lety, se proplétá jako paprsek mezi lidmi
a národy, a kdo je ní dotknut, stává se jejím kurýrem. Nemůže
jinak, než radost předávat dál.
Slova z Lukášova evangelia: “…zvěstuji vám radost velikou,
kteráž bude všemu lidu. Nebo narodil se vám dnes Spasitel, jenž
jest Kristus Pán...”(Lukáš 2;10–11) nám připomínají důvod k
radosti, a to nejen o Vánocích 2012.
Nataša Laurincová, šéfredaktorka
9
Kázání v pátek večer 6. července 2012 na 103. Československé konvenci baptistů v Meadville, PA
Osvobození se od trápení
Donald Shoff
Matouš 6;25–34
P
roblémy jsou neodmyslitelnou
součástí života. Namlouváme si,
že můžeme žít bez problémů.
Problémy a starosti však spolu
souvisí. Nedají se od sebe oddělit. Starost
je emocionálním vyjádřením problému.
Jsou-li tedy problémy součástí života
věřících i nevěřících, proč tedy Ježíš zdůrazňuje nemějte starosti? Všimněte si, jak
často se tento příkaz opakuje v úryvku,
který jsme právě četli (Matouš 6; 25, 27,
28, 31, 34).
Při pozornějším čtení si všimneme,
že Pánu Ježíši jde o něco víc. Poukazuje
na čtyři direktiva, čili stupně, kterými
musíme projít, chceme-li překonat
sevření, které starosti působí. Nejprve si
však musíme uvědomit, co Ježíš neříká.
Neodmítá moudrou opatrnost.
Nedoporučuje nečinnost, marnotratnost,
nezodpovědný životní styl, který nemyslí
na budoucnost naši nebo našich dětí.
Pisatel Přísloví říká: Moudrý člověk šetří
do budoucnosti, ale nerozumný všechno promrhá (Přísloví 21; 20; volný překlad). Pán
Ježíš neprotiřečí poctivé práci a prozíravosti. Také neodsuzuje spoření, pojištění
nebo rozpočet.
Je důležité si také uvědomit, že Pán
Ježíš neslibuje život bez stresu, budeme-li
se Jeho pokyny řídit. Problémy v životě
jsou takovou samozřejmostí jako dýchání.
V listě do Korintu apoštol Pavel svým
drahým píše: A nadto ještě na mne denně
doléhá starost o všechny církve (2. Kor. 11;
28). Náš život nikdy nebude bezstarostný.
Pakliže se tíha stane trápením a stres
utrpením, překročili jsme hranici.
10
Jestliže starosti nejsou opatrností,
co to tedy je? Na tuto otázku sám výraz
odpovídá. Výraz starosti v původním
textu vyjadřuje rozdělení mysli, což podtrhává dopad na vlastní úsudek a vědomí
pohody. Anglický výraz pro starosti je
ještě mnohem výstižnější. Původně to
znamenalo škrtit nebo dusit a ve staré
angličtině vyjadřoval uchvátit za hrdlo a
rozervat. Nicméně v dnešní angličtině
jsme tento výraz tak přepracovali, že
mu nezůstalo téměř nic z původního
významu. Lepší překlad výrazu, kterého
použil Ježíš, bude pravděpodobně úzkost,
tak jak tomu je v modernějších překladech.
Oddíl, který probíráme, je součástí Kázání na hoře. V této části Pán
Ježíš oslovuje tři skupiny: vás, pokrytce
a neznabohy. Pokrytci byli farizejové,
nábožné osobnosti tehdejší doby.
Neznabozi byli pohané, kteří uctívali
modly a cizí bohy. Komu patřilo oslovení
vy? Patřilo těm, kteří upřímně nazývali Boha Nebeským Otcem. Z oddílu
jasně vyznívá, že se to týkalo Kristových
učedníků. Tedy těch, kteří naslouchali
Jeho slovu jako slovu od Boha a kteří mu
zasvětili život.
Vzniká otázka, jak se někdo stane
součástí této skupiny? Odpověď na tuto
otázku najdeme u Jana 1; 12: Těm, kteří
ho přijali a věří v jeho jméno, dal moc stát
se Božími dětmi. Musíme do rodiny patřit, abychom se mohli podílet na dědictví. Abychom mohli upřímně oslovovat
Boha jako svého Nebeského Otce, musíme
Ho přijmout. To znamená, že musíme
uvěřit v Jeho jméno.
Jsem kazatelem již více než 45 let a
mou prioritou bylo zapojení se do biblických hodin pro nové členy. Každému,
kdo se chtěl stát členem sboru, jsem položil tuto otázku: Dospěl jsi ve svém duchovním životě k tomu a můžeš říci s jistotou, že
půjdeš do nebe, kdyby jsi dnes zemřel?
Většina těch, kteří navštěvovali tyto
hodiny, se hlásili ke křesťanství a chtěli
se připojit k našemu sboru, přicházeli
ze sborů jiných. Vždy mne udivovalo,
kolik jich nemělo jistotu spasení. Mnohé
odpovědi byly tohoto druhu: doufám
nebo snažím se nebo vždycky jsem věřil.
Někteří věří, že dobré skutky vedou do
nebe. Jiní si myslí, že narození se do křesťanské rodiny z nich činí křesťany. Další
zase považují jistotu spasení za troufalost
a domýšlivost. Rád jsem mnohým pomáhal k správnému pochopení slova u Jana
1;21 a 3;16.
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Pokud si nejsme jistí naším vztahem
ke Kristu, sevření úzkosti nepřekonáme.
Musíme si být jistí svým vztahem
— to znamená vědět, kdo jsme a znát
Jeho charakter. Tedy vědět, kdo je Bůh.
Kázání na hoře poukazuje na Boží charakter. Bůh se v Písmě nechává poznat
prostřednictvím jmen. V Písmě nacházíme stovky jmen označujících Boha.
Každé jmého odhaluje určitou stránku
Jeho charakteru. Každé to jmého nám
odhalí něco o Bohu.
Je důležité si uvědomit, které jméno
používá Pán Ježíš. Jednoho pravého Boha
obyčejně nazývá Otcem. U Matouše 6;9
říká: A takto se modlete: Otče náš, který jsi
v nebesích, posvěť se jmého tvé. Aby nám
přiblížil Boží charakter, používá oslovení, které nám je velmi blízké –— otče.
Takovému oslovení každý rozuměl, protože se vztahovalo na toho, kdo miloval
nejvíce, na ochránce a dárce.
Když Ježíš poukazoval na Boha jako
milujícího dárce, postupoval od nejmenšího k největšímu (25, 26). Jestliže Bůh
pečuje o nebeské ptactvo (nejmenší ze
stvoření), rozhodně se bude starat o své
děti (největší v Jeho díle stvořeni).
Aby zdůraznil pošetilost trápení, ptá
se: Přidájí vám starosti něco k životu?
(27). A pokračuje tím, že starosti poukazují na nedostatek důvěry našemu
nebeskému Otci, bez ohledu na naše
ortodoxní pojetí Boha (28–30).
Naše trápení svědčí o tom, že problémy, kterým čelíme, Bůh nezvládne.
Nebeský Otec je zavázán se starat o své
děti, říká ve verších 31–32. Bůh o nás
stále pečuje, i při našich pochybnostech.
Ježíšův příkaz nemějte starosti nebyl
ledabylým, lhostejným návrhem. Spíše
je to důrazné zopakování příkazu.
Gramatickému stylu původního textu
říkáme rozkazovací způsob. Jinak se
příkaz nedá vyjádřit. Příkaz se vždy
vztahuje na vůli. K činu může dojít
pouze za souhlasu dotyčného. Cokoliv
jiného bude považováno za úmyslnou
neposlušnost. Akceptovat to, že starosti
jsou vlastně vědomým rozhodnutím,
neposlušností, je pravděpodobně pro
většinu z nás velmi těžké. Rádi bychom
zařadili starosti mezi dědičné vlastnosti
nebo jako reakci na závažnost daných
problémů.
Dělat si starosti je hřích. Kdo tedy
umí činit dobře, avšak nečiní, má hřích
(Jakub 4; 17). Nicméně jsme ujištěni, že
vyznáváme-li však své hříchy, Bůh je věrný
a spravedlivý, aby nám odpustil hříchy a
očistil nás od veškeré nepravosti (1. Janova
1; 9).
Toto očišťování, o kterém je zde
zmínka, se netýká pouze odpuštění
našich vin, ale jedná se o to, že nás Bůh
neustále očišťuje, což má za následek
změnu našeho chování. K Božímu očištění, čili osvobození od trápení nemůže
dojít bez upřímného vyznání.
V závěru svého kázání se Ježíš zaměřil
na podstatu problému a na vítězství nad
ním. Přesto se může stát, že k vítězství
nedojde. Svědčí o tom životy naplněné trápením mnoha věřících. Čteme
hledejte nejprve Boží království a jeho
spravedlnost a toto vše vám bude přidáno
(Matouš 6;33).
Hledat nejprve Jeho králoství a Jeho
spravedlost není fráze. Hledat nejprve
Jeho cestu — kromě naší vlastní — to
je způsob života, který vyplývá z úzkého
vztahu s živým Bohem. Hledat nejprve
Jeho království je možné pouze tehdy,
rozhodneme-li se dát Mu ve všem první
místo, a to je mou osobní zkušeností
jako také mnoha dalších křesťanů, se
kterými jsem se setkal.
V mém případě muselo nejprve dojít
ke kapitulaci, než jsem tím způsobem
začal žít. Během studií na semináři jsem
působil v jednom malém sboru v chudší
části Fort Worthu v Texasu. Manželka
Judy pracovala jako sekretářka. Žili
jsme skromě. Náš sboreček se scházel
v zastrčeném baráku u tratě na konci
ulice. Přesto nám Pán Bůh žehnal a
sbor se rozrůstal. Potřebovali jsme větší
prostory. Na základě víry se sbor rozhodl
zakoupit větší pozemek na hlavní třídě a
podepsal kontrakt na první část stavby.
Vzdal jsem se svého platu a našel jsem
si práci na poloviční úvazek v potravinovém obchodě. Pán Bůh nám žehnal a
my jsme byli nadšeni.
Zanedlouho Judy onemocněla a
nemohla pracovat. Ekonomika ve Fort
Worthu poklesla, a protože jsem do
obchodu nastoupil jako poslední, byl
jsem první propuštěn. K zásadní změně v
našem životě došlo, když jsme z poslední
výplaty zaplatili nájem. Uvědomili
jsme si, že po zaplacení desátku nám
nic nezůstane. Ani na mléko pro naši
tříletou dceru. Slovy se nedá vypovědět,
jaký jsem prožíval zápas. Zápasil jsem
zvláště s veršem hledejte nejprve Boží království a jeho spravedlnost a toto vše vám
bude přidáno. S Judy jsme to probírali a
modlili jsme se. Nakonec jsem řekl: Moje
milá, připravujeme se do celoživotní služby.
Naše situace nevznikla kvůli naší nedbalosti, věřili jsme, že děláme to, co po nás
Pán chce. Přesvědčme se tedy, zda-li se dá
na Boha a na Jeho slovo spoléhat. Vypsali
jsme šek. Upřímně se přiznávám, že jsem
se v životě tolik netrpěl, jako toho odpoledne. Právě jsem dal poslední peníze
a musím se postarat o svou rodinu.
Později, večer, se ozvalo klepání na dveře
a na verandě stálo několik lidí se sboru
s taškami potravin. Mluvčí za celou
skupinu řekl: Bratře kazateli, nevíme jestli
potřebujete jídlo, ale odpoledne jsme to tak
všichni cítili. Přišli jsme vám říct, že vás
máme rádi a chceme vám ty potraviny dát.
Byla to úžasná duchovní zkušenost.
Uvědomil jsem si, že Pán Bůh je důvěryhodný. Probírali jsme to na semináři
v hodině metodické teologie. Ve skutečnosti jsem si to však neuvědomoval. Až
do té doby, dokud jsem se nerozhodl na
Něho spoléhat a přesvědčit se, že On i
Jeho Slovo je důvěryhodné.
Jestliže procházíte těžkostmi, které
vás obrali o radost, možná stojíte před
novou životní lekcí – Bůh je věrohodný a
nemusíte se trápit. V nedělní škole jsme
jako děti zpívávaly:
Proč se trápit, vždyť se můžeš modlit,
Věř v Ježíše, cestu ti ukáže,
S Tomášem nepochybuj,
Jeho slibům důvěřuj,
Proč se trápit, trápit, trápit, trápit,
Vždyť se můžeš modlit.
Kázání Donalda Shoffa přeložila
Nataša Laurincová.
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11
Update from Baptist World Alliance
Scan code for the BWA mobile app! or go to
http://get.thechurchapp.org/share/baptist-world-alliance
12
      Vol 38, No 5, 12
40th Anniversary
ry
n
e
H
d
n
a
n
e
l
e
H
r
fo
Pojman
H
elen and Jindrich (Henry) Pojman celebrated their
40th anniversary on September 23, 2012. It is amazing how time flies; it seems like it was only a few
short years ago when my parents decided to immigrate to
Canada and change our lives forever. Most of you reading
this article know my parents from the many Conventions
in Philippi, West Virginia, and
now in Pennsylvania. Both my
dad and my mom have been
involved with the Toronto
Czechoslovak Baptist Church
and the Czechoslovak Baptist
Convention from our early
days in Canada.
The Pojmans, their “kids,”
and their families, along with
close friends, got to celebrate
this occasion on Saturday, September 1st. Although this was
a big “40th” anniversary, the
day was set up to be spent with
the family and to enjoy each
other’s company. It was also
one of the rare times when the
whole family—son, daughters,
their husbands and the three
grandchildren—were able to
be there. It was also one of the
rare occasions when I barely
took my camera out, so there is
a serious lack of photos, from
my side anyway.
We’re hoping that there will
be many more anniversaries
to come and that the family
together times will not be as
rare.
Vlastimil Pojman
40. výrocˇí svatby
Heleny a Jindˇrich
a
Pojmanových
H
elena a Jindřich Pojmanovi oslavili své 40. výročí
svatby 23. září 2012. Je úžasné, jak ten čas letí. Zdá
se, že je to jen pár let, kdy se moji rodiče rozhodli k
emigraci do Kanady a tím navždy změnily naše životy. Většinou mé rodiče znáte z konvencí ve Philippi v Západní Virginii
a nyní i z Pennsylvánie. Hned od příchodu do Kanady byli
oba moji rodiče zapojeni do
práce Československého
sboru baptistů v Torontě a
Československé konvence
baptistů USA a Kanady.
V sobotu 1. září se Pojmanovi s rodinami svých
tří dětí sešli, aby i s blízskými přáteli tuto vzácnou
příležitost oslavili. Ačkoliv
to byla velká oslava, jednalo se hlavně o setkání s
rodinou a vzájemné potěšení s ostatními. Byla to
také jedna z mála příležitostí, kdy se celá rodina —
syn, dcery s manžely a tři
vnoučaty — mohla sejít.
Byla to také jedna z řídkých chvil, kdy jsem téměř
nepoužil fotoaparát, a
proto nemohu nabídnout
ani jeden snímek.
Doufáme, že se dožijeme mnoha dalších výročí
a rodinná setkání nebudou
tak ojedinělá.
Vlastimil Pojman
přeložila Nataša Laurincová
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13
Ladies’ Page
the Czechoslovak Baptist
Women’s Missionary Union
103rd Annual Czechoslovak Baptist Convention
Friday, July 6, 2012
President Deb Mulder warmly welcomed those present at
the 89th Annual Meeting of the Czechoslovak Baptist Women’s Missionary Union.
Heather Mantle opened the session with prayer.
The praise team, consisting of Deb Mulder, Donna Nesvadba, Natasha Laurenc and Margaret Springle, led in the
singing of:
• Jesus, Name Above All Names
• Jesus What a Beautiful Name
The scripture passage was taken from Isaiah 40:12–26,
and was read by Margaret Springle.
Speakers:
Anthony Vahala has answered
God’s call to serve in his home
country of Czech. Anthony,
Jamie, Hannah, Rachel, Sarah,
Joshua and Isaiah will be going
there as a family in the summer of 2013. They are presently
receiving support from Tyson
Creek Baptist Church. They are
giving God all the glory as they
have been provided with missionary housing and fundraising has begun. To date they have
reached 30 per cent of their target.
Many Czechs associate Christianity with Communism,
and this makes it very difficult to reach them. Anthony
knows that God has placed this mission on his heart and this
will involve laying a biblical foundation for future generations through evangelism, church planning and training of
pastors. Anthony has helped with the opening of the Czech
Bible Institute www.cbikromeriz.cz. It will eventually be
accredited.
Anthony is also part of church planting in Wake Forest,
NC. They have a new partnership with Eurovangelism in
14
Canada and therefore Canadians will be able to contribute
to this ministry and be eligible for a tax deduction. www.
eurovangelism.ca .
Ruby Mikulencak
Ruby started her mission work
in June 1972, and finally made
the decision to retire this year.
However, as she states, she has
not retired from serving God.
Ruby shared with us the
details of the last few months as
she made her farewells to so many
friends and colleagues. Ruby was
very aware that it was important
for her to say her farewells well for her sake as well as for the
many people she has influenced and that have influenced her.
She traveled the length and breadth of Ghana. She attended
many farewell services at which gifts were given and received
as well as experiencing great sorrow and great joy. Having
said farewell to Ghana, Ruby travelled to Australia and New
Zealand to visit missionary colleagues and their families, and
returned to Wisconsin in March of this year, 2012.
Referring to her long years of faithful service, Ruby has
been asked, “How did you do it?” Her response was that
it was only through God’s faithfulness. Ruby reminded us
that the greatest significance and
meaning in life is to love God
and to be available to God, to use
as He wishes. Ruby will continue
to “be available to God” through
special projects in her home
country.
Deb Mulder
Deb reminded us of the very
important work that the Potma
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family is doing and their involvement with church planting
in Prague. As has been mentioned on many occasions, it is
difficult to reach the hearts of our Czech people, and missionaries like the Potmas need our continued prayers as they
seek to do God’s will.
103rd Czechoslovak Baptist Convention of
USA and Canada
Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA
July 5–8, 2012
Heather Mantle
Heather spoke about Matthew
House in Windsor and the great
work that is being done there.
They have served more than 400
refugees from over 47 countries.
As Heather stated, “The world
has come to our country.” There
are five Matthew Houses in
Ontario, and they are a great
place to share our faith experiences and a place where we can
learn from the newcomers.
Donna Nesvadba
Donna presented the Treasurer’s Report including the information from USA and Canada.
Iva Kern
Iva Kern, guest speaker from
the Czech Republic, stated that
she first heard about our conferences through Glorious Hope. She
spoke about the important work
that the women of the Czech and
Slovak Republics are doing and
the importance for us of serving
the Lord wherever He places us,
whether it be wife, mother, sister,
grandmother, daughter. Women
from both republics meet yearly
and this year they met in Bernolakovo, Slovakia, in April. Iva
brought with her the greetings of the 300 sisters that met at
the conference. The theme and focus of their conference was
“The Power of Prayer,” and the scripture text was taken from
James 5:16. Iva also brought with her the gift of a beautiful
plate and copies of a lovely sketch drawn for the conference.
Their next conference will take place in Ostrava, two weeks
after Easter in 2013. Iva assured us that the women of both
the Czech and Slovak Republics continue to pray for us and
our mission work.
Deb Mulder closed in prayer.

Respectfully submitted,
Margaret Springle
      Vol 38, No 5, 12
15
In Memory
Milan Slovak Steffel,
May 26, 1922–July 20, 2012
Missionary Printer
M
ilan Steffel was a
World War II veteran
who attended college on the GI Bill and learned
to become a master printer. After graduating
from college, he was recruited to be a university
teacher at the same school, and he did that for
five years. Feeling the call of God to pursue fulltime Christian service, Milan and his wife Virginia left California and eventually joined CLC
[Christian Literature Crusade] to become missionaries to the Philippines in 1963. They spent
10 productive years growing their team from
three people to 30, and they did printing work
for dozens of missions and Christian organizations.
After their son, Steve, graduated from high
school, they returned to the USA and Milan
worked in Washington, D.C., as a printer for
another Christian organization. He then rejoined
and worked with the CLC team in Fort Washington from 1977 to 1981. During his time in
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Washington, Milan trained a music teacher who
had just joined CLC, Dick Brodhag, on how to
become a printer. Dick went on to be the main
CLC printer for many years. Also during his time
with CLC in the USA, Milan helped get printing equipment acquired, prepared, and shipped
to CLC printshops in Columbia and India.
Milan lived a full and effective life and will
be remembered for his faithfulness, servant heart
and wonderful sense of humor. He is an example
to all of us in serving as an “unsung hero” of the
CLC ministry. Who knows how many people
he will meet in heaven who came to faith as the
result of reading a book that he printed.

      Vol 38, No 5, 12
103rd Czechoslovak Baptist Convention of
USA and Canada
Words to describe my dad
Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA, July 5–8, 2012
Faithful–My dad began his life as a follower of Christ
by attending a Bible study at a church in Cleveland, OH,
and pestering the pastor with questions until he ran out and
decided to give his life to the Lord. After he and my mom
were married, they moved to California where they felt the
call to full-time Christian service, and my dad embarked on
43 years of full-time Christian service with several different
missions.
Engineer–My dad loved equipment and was always setting up or managing Christian printing operations. At the
time he graduated from college and taught at California Polytechnic Institute, printing was an engineering course, so he
is officially an engineer. As chief engineer, he also ušed to oil
everything that moved or squeaked.
Mark Twain said: When l was a boy of fourteen, my father
was so ignorant l could hardly stand to have the old man
around. But when l got to be twenty-one, l was astonished at
how much the old man had learned in seven years.
My dad and mom encouraged me to study engineering,
and, fortunately it was after they had become so learned that
l accepted the advice. That has proved to be very good advice.
Adventurer–My dad was willing to pick up and move to
wherever God was leading. He and my mom were able to
have a fruitful ministry at four different missions over the
course of their lives and served many, many others in the
Christian community. It wasn’t always easy, the pay was meager, but he followed the call of God and had a very fulfilled
life. A few weeks ago when l mentioned there was some work
l was going to do at the Royal Ranger camp, he wanted to go
after he got his hip fixed.
Sense of Humor–There really wasn’t any experience my
dad couldn’t turn into a story— from childhood thru the 2nd
World War to the events of the day. Added to that was a sense
of humor. Even at the hospital both the patients and staff
remarked that they enjoyed his stories and sense of humor.
Devotions–Like clockwork, every morning, my mom and
dad wouid have devotions, reading the Bible out loud, and go
thru their prayer list together. Those they couldn’t touch in
real life, they impacted thru the prayer time.
Goďs Blessing – I have reflected on the fact that for so
many years they toiled in the Kingdom of God, and for many
of those years had very little income, yet God abundantly supplied their every need. They were excellent stewards and not
only had enough for their own needs but were able to give to
many others. My dad’s life is a testimony of the truth of Matthew 6:33: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well. He enjoyed a
full life and now, absent from the body that slowed him down
a little, he is enjoying the presence of the Lord.

      Vol 38, No 5, 12
17
Narodil se
Narodil se
nejen pro Josefa a Marii
nám narodil se
stojí v evangeliích
narození
radost
pro všechny
narození
spása
pro všechny
narození
začátek
nového života
nové naděje
nového poselství
narození
příslib růstu
dospívání
zralosti
narození
předchází smrti
narodil se
by člověk
mohl žít
na věky
raduj se
Would You Follow?
How many would follow the star tonight
If it shone past the milky way,
Leave comfortable homes and follow it still,
Over the hills and away.
How many would open their doors tonight
For a weary and shabby pair?
Make room at hearths for a stranger - child,
Though the infant be wondrous fair?
How many would give of their goods tonight,
The best they possess and more,
For their faith in a star and an angel choir
And a king forevermore?
We censure the folk of a bygone time
For indifference to mary’s plight.
How many would do any better now?
Would you follow the star tonight?
Author unknown
Bethlehem of Judea
A little child,
A shining star.
A stable rude,
The dooe ajar.
Yet in that place,
So crude, forlorn,
The hope of all
The word was born.
Nataša Laurincová
Author unknown
Sing to the Lord
I
cannot imagine a church service without
song. Singing is a beautiful expression of a
strong emotional experience. What we are
talking about is singing as an artistic expression, a form of communication that has been
used this way for centuries and more. It is no
wonder, then, that singing is a very important aspect of a church service.
Choirs have likewise been a necessary
component of the Convention’s church services. How many special people have stood
and conducted the Convention choir in the
course of its 103 years of existence! How
many beautiful choruses have reverberated
through the singers, who have generally
had only a few hours to rehearse the songs
performed.
The secret was and is having hearts on fire
for the Lord Jesus Christ. This was evident
as the choir sang during this Convention as
well. It was a priceless experience to hear not
only those who don’t speak Czech or Slovak,
though it is their heritage, but also those
who have no Slavic heritage, rehearsing, in
Czech, the chorus “The Lord is my Light and
my Salvation.” The enthusiastic determination to pronounce complicated words and
consonants, like Ř for example, brought tears
to my eyes—tears of gratitude for the love
of Jesus Christ that was being manifested in
that moment. And when, during the Sunday
service, the congregation sang “Majesty,” I
felt goosebumps rise on my skin; it seemed
to me that heaven was opened and surely we
stood before the throne of God . . . I cannot
imagine a Convention without a choir.
Natasha Laurinc
Translated by Elizabeth Jane Fields
Zpívejte Hospodinu
N
eumím si představit shromáždění bez
zpěvu.
Zpěv je spontánním vyjádřením
silného citového zážitku. Jedná se o hlasový
umělecký projev, určitou formu komunikace.
Je tomu tak od pradávna. Není divu, že zpěv
je velmi důležitou složkou bohoslužeb.
Pěvecké sbory byly vždy neodmyslitelnou
součástí také konvenčních shromáždění.
Kolik vzácných lidí stálo ve vedení konvenčního pěveckého sboru v průběhu 103 let
trvání konvence! Kolik krásných chvalozpěvů
zaznělo v podání zpěváků, kteří měli obyčejně
jen pár hodin na nácvik písní.
Tajemství spočívalo a spočívá v zapálených
srdcích pro Pána Ježíše Krista. O tom svědčila
služba zpěváků i při letošní konvenci. Být
svědkem toho, jak nacvičují chválozpěv „Jeť
Pán světlo mé a spása má“ v češtině nejen
ti, kteří již jazyk neznají (protože jsou již x-tá
generace žijící na severoamerickém kontinentě), ale i ti, kteří nemají slovanský původ,
je zážitek k nezaplacení. Nadšená odhodlanost zvládnout výslovnost komplikovaných
slov a spoluhlásek, jako například „ř“, mi
vehnala slzy do očí. Slzy vděčnosti za lásku
k Pánu Ježíši, která byla v tu chvíli manifestována. A když při nedělním shromáždění
zazněla píseň „Králů Král, velebný pánů Pán“,
naskočila mi vzrušením husí kůže a zdálo se
mi, že se nebe otevřelo a že jistě stojíme před
trůnem Božím...
Neumím si představit konvenci bez pěveckého sboru.
Nataša Laurincová
Yo u t h S c e n e
The Christmas
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son…
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: A virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will
call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) (hymn O Come, O Come, Emmanuel) But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be
ruler over Israel… (Micah 5:2) (O Little Town of Bethlehem)
I
n those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a
census should be taken of the entire Roman world.
And everyone went to their own town to register. So
Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he
belonged to the house and line of David. He went there
to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to
him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the
time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to
her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed
him in a manger, because there was no guest room available
for them. (Away in a Manger) And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at
night. (While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks) An angel
of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone
around them, and they were terrified. (The First Noel) But
the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good
news that will cause great joy for all the people. (Hark! The
Herald Angels Sing) Today in the town of David a Savior
has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be
a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying
in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host
appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to
God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on
whom his favor rests.” (It Came upon the Midnight Clear,
Angels We Have Heard on High) When the angels had left
them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
“Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened,
which the Lord has told us about.” (What Child Is This?)
So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the
baby, who was lying in the manger. (Silent Night) When
they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what
had been told them about this child, and all who heard
it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But
Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in
her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising
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      Vol 38, No 5, 12
Story in Hymns
God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were
just as they had been told. (Luke 2:1-20) (Go, Tell It on the
Mountain)
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the
time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem…
(Matthew 2:1) (We Three Kings of Orient Are) …the star
they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped
over the place where the child was. (Matthew 2:9) (O Holy
Night) On coming to the house, they saw the child with his
mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts
of gold, frankincense and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11) (O Come,
All Ye Faithful)
O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, o come let
us adore Him, Christ the Lord: Shout for joy to the LORD, all
the earth, burst into jubilant song with music. (Psalm 98:4)
(Joy to the World!) I will sing to the LORD all my life; I
will sing praise to my God as long as I live. (Psalm 104:33)
(O Worship the King) Praise him, all his angels; praise
him, all his heavenly hosts! (Psalm 148:2) (Angels, from
the Realms of Glory) Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD
a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
(Psalm 149:1) (There’s a Song in the Air) …indeed, he
who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. (Psalm
121:4) (I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day) For to us a
child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be
on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6)
(Join All the Glorious Names; Good Christian Men,
Rejoice) Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let
them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” (1 Chronicles 16:31) (Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah)
Note: The time frame of the hymns noted above is
between the years 1305 and 1907. Most of the hymns are
dated in the 1800s. Good Christian Men, Rejoice is one
of the oldest hymns. The tune first appeared in 1305. Go,
Tell It on the Mountain was first published in 1907 in
Work’s Folk Songs of the Negro as sang on the Plantations and
is one of the last spirituals.
Natasha Laurinc
      Vol 38, No 5, 12
21
Children’s Corner
Wooden nativity scene built every year in Mohelnice, Czechia, in local church
D
Christmas
id you know that Christmas in the Czech Republic
and Slovakia starts with Christmas Eve Feast?
The traditional meal is fish (usually fried carp) or
schnitzel, with potato salad.
Did you know that for some families Christmas Eve Feast
starts with fish head soup?
Christian families read the Christmas story from the Bible
before the meal.
There is remembrance of loved ones who are missed at the
festive table—because they have gone to their heavenly
home—and then prayer.
After the meal, the family all gather around the Christmas
tree, and the gifts are opened.
Seated around the tree, the family sing carols and enjoy
many different kinds of delicious Christmas cookies. Everyone is at peace.
The nativity scene, remarkably carved, is the beautiful creation of Czech and Slovak folk artists.
Did you know that there is a live nativity scene on display
in a Slovak store in Grove City, Pennsylvania?
Merry Christmas!
Natasha Laurinc
Christmas cookies in Czech republic
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      Vol 38, No 5, 12
Vánoce
V
íte, že Vánoce v Čechách a na
Slovensku začínají Štedrým
večerem?
Tradičním jídlem je ryba (nejčastěji
smažený kapr) nebo vepřové řízky s
bramborovým salátem.
Víte, že v některých rodinách štědrovečerní večeře začíná polévkou z
rybí hlavy?
V křesťanských rodinách se před
jídlem čte z Bible příběh o narození.
Před modlitbou se vzpomíná na
ty, kteří již odešli do nebeského
domova a u prostřeného stolu
chybí.
Po večeří se celá rodina sejde u stromečku a začne rozbalování dárků.
Kolem stromečku se zpívají koledy,
vychutnává se vánoční cukroví,
vládne mír a pohoda.
České a slovenské vyřezávané Betlémy jsou překrásným dílem lidových uměleců.
Víte, že živý Betlém je vystaven ve
slovenském obchodě v Grove City v
Pennsylvanii?
Veselé Vánoce!
Nataša Laurincová
      Vol 38, No 5, 12
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