Journey into the Unknown Dr. John V. Upton, Jr.

Journey into the Unknown Dr. John V. Upton, Jr.

Contents
Convention Mission Statement
Editorial–Natasha Laurinc...............................................
From the President–Robert Dvorak..............................
From the Executive Secretary–Darko Siracki..............
Symbols of Advent–Natasha Laurinc............................
Symboly adventu–Nataša Laurincová...........................
Journey into the Unknown–Dr. John V. Upton, Jr........
Ladie’s Page–Women’s Missionary Union..................
Youth Scene–Kornel Bukovec........................................
Interviews–102nd Convention..........................................
Rozhovory–102. konvence..............................................
From Our Readers............................................................
Children’s Corner–Miss Pickles’ Patch.......................
The Mid-year Meeting Picture November 5, 2011......
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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.
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 37, No 5, 2011
(USPS 009334), ISSN 0700-5202
Published Bi-Monthly by
The Czechoslovak Baptist Convention
of USA and Canada.
Periodical postage paid in Detroit, MI.
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:
103 Czechoslovak Baptist Convention
rd
Glorious Hope / Slavná nadìje
P.O. Box 441516, Deitroit, MI 48244 USA.
www.czskbc.org
email: [email protected]
WWW.CZSKBC.ORG
Cover: Advent photo
Photography: Dusko Pilic, George Sommer, Anna Malkova
Donations
Mail your US contributions in enclosed envelopes. Do not mail them to Detroit address!!!
All donation should be send in enclosed envelope.
The checks will be delivered to right financial secretaries (Vera Dors,
Henry Pojman, Marija Sommer or Donna Nesvadba).
! Gifts for Ladies’ work—make check payable to Czechoslovak
Baptist Women’s Missionary Union.
! Gifts for Convention—make check payable to Czechoslovak Baptist Convention. On the bottom of the check mark to what account
you are sending your contribution: Convention, Glorious Hope,
Trust Fund, or Scholarship Fund.
 You may send separate check (one for Ladies and one for Convention accounts) in the same envelope.
 If you are sending contributions for Convention (Convention,
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Printed on recycled paper
Glorious Hope etc.), you may send only one check, and
write on the bottom how you want to divide the amount
(for example: Total $150; $100 Convention, $50
Glorious Hope etc.). You do not have to send two
separate checks.
For your information, financial secretaries’ addresses
are as follows:
USA:
Vera Dors
6621 Elmdale Rd.
Middleburg Hts, OH, 44130
Canada:
Henry Pojman
1305 Inglehart Dr
Burlington, ON L7M 4X6
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Editorial
The Strength of Fellowship, also known as God’s Love in Action
“For where two or three come together in my
name, there am I with them.”
(Matthew 18:20)
T
hese are the words of Jesus Christ
that testify to his presence in the life
of human beings. This presence affects
and influences people, and later is manifested by
Christians’ love, unity, understanding, and mutual
service. The order of this wording has meaning: loving Christ brings unity, which aids in mutual understanding and in serving one another. “No one has
ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in
us and his love is made complete in us,” (1 John 4:12).
Community of this kind among people is something very unique. The reality that two, three, or
more people gather together proves that they share
an understanding and have something in common.
It could be similar interests, talents and abilities,
experiences, problems, history, vision or calling,
hope, or faith in someone or something. This kind
of fellowship encourages and offers solidarity, refuge, friendship with understanding, and smoothes
over differences, strengthening the sinews of society.
And these things characterize a society as a whole.
Fellowship is an excellent component of society. The
King James Version calls this type of fellowship complete (1 John 4:12). The root of this completeness is
love – God’s love permeating human relationships.
These relationships join individuals, families and all
of humanity alike, regardless of the nationality or
heritage of said individuals.
Isn’t the 102nd Czechoslovak Baptist Convention proof of this love in relationships? The pages
of Glorious Hope talk about this love, and testify to
beautiful relationships joined and woven together in
an unbelievable way that can be summed up in one
statement: God’s love in action.
Editor-in-Chief Natasha Laurinc
Translated by Elizabeth Jane Fields
Síla obecenství neboli Boží láska v praxi
“Neboť kdekoli se shromáždí dva nebo tři v mém
jménu, tam jsem já uprostřed nich.”
(Matouš 18;20)
o jsou slova Pána Ježíše Krista, která svědčí
o Jeho účasti v životě člověka. Tato účast na
člověka působí, ovlivňuje ho a to se potom projevuje
mezi křesťany (následovníky Ježíše Krista) láskou,
jednotou, pochopením a vzájemnou službou. Toto
pořadí má svůj význam: láska ke Kristu spojuje
a přináší jednotu, která napomáhá vzájemnému
pochopení a službě jednoho druhému. “Boha nikdy
nikdo neviděl. Když ale milujeme jedni druhé, Bůh
v nás přebývá a jeho láska v nás došla naplnění.” (I.
Janova 4;12)
Pospolitost tohoto druhu je mezi lidmi něčím
jedinečným. Skutečnost, že se dva, tři nebo více lidí
sejde, svědčí o tom, že dotyční si vzájemně rozumí
a mají něco společného. Mohou je spojovat stejné
zájmy, obdarování a schopnosti, zkušenosti, pro-
T
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blémy, historie, vize či poslání, naděje, víra v někoho
nebo v něco. Takové společenství povzbuzuje, nabízí
solidaritu a útočiště, přátelství s porozuměním,
usměrňuje rozdíly a upevňuje svazky společenství.
A to charakterizuje celé společenství jako takové.
Obecenství je vynikajícím komponentem společnosti. Kralický překlad Bible nazývá takový druh
společenství dokonalým (I. Janova 4;12). Původem
této dokonalosti je láska, Boží láska promítnuta do
lidských vztahů. Tyto vztahy spojují jak jednotlivce,
tak rodiny a celé lidstvo bez ohledu na národnostní
příslušnost jednotlivců.
Není 102. Československá konvence baptistů
důkazem této lásky a vztahů? Stránky Slavné naděje
o této lásce hovoří, svědčí o krásných vztazích, propojených a propletených neuvěřitelným způsobem,
a přesto ústící do jednoho bodu: Boží lásku v praxi.
Nataša Laurincová, šéfredaktorka
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From the President
W
e’re back at that time when an old year
goes barreling into a new one. How
does this cycle turn around so fast? It
didn’t use to be that way. Somebody must have
turbo-charged the calendar.
I’m not happy about how fast these days are
flying, but what can you do? As an increasingly
popular saying goes, “It is what it is!”
In some ways the rapid passing of time is not
all bad. Particularly if one is going through deeply
troubling times—unrelenting stress, physical
pain, anguish in heart or mind, or whatever other
cause. In such circumstances, the urgency to get
beyond today as quickly as possible is strong,
so let the hands of the clock fly.
Then too, we sometimes recall the loss of
persons especially beloved in our respective
life stories. It seems “like only yesterday” that
they were present and active in our lives.
Jesus was born more than two thousand years
ago, but it sure doesn’t seem like that long, does
it? The Christmas observance annually brings us
the sense of something fresh, powerful, and new.
No sense whatever of an event encased in ancient
history, rather something that seems like today’s
news. I love it. May it always stay that way.
Our convention this year will have gone
through the Christmas and New Year experiences
103 times. That’s a lot, but God stands with us at
this 103rd time around just as at the first. And we
are as passionate about the Christ Child, we are as
enthusiastic about a new year too, as at any point
along the passing of those years. The passing of
time, whether fast or slow, makes no difference
when you are living by the faith that the God who
came among us in the birth of Jesus has stayed
steadily beside us through all the intervening years,
pledging that his presence in this new year will not
be different from in the past.
May the next twelve months be good for you
and yours in the blessing of the Lord
Robert Dvorak
Merry Christmas and blessed year 2012 from the
Editors to all readers of the magazine Glorious Hope.
Požehnané vánoční svátky a šťasný rok 2012 přeje
čtenářům časopisu Slavná naděje redakce.
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From the Executive Secretary
T
he Mid-year Meeting
for the General Board of
the Czechoslovak Baptist
Convention was held on Friday,
November 5, 2011. The meeting
was hosted at Grace Baptist Church
in Windsor, Ontario. A total of 21
members and seven guests were in
attendance.
We are happy to report that we
are well into planning the 103rd
Annual Convention. Our guest
speaker will be Milan Kern,
President of the Czech Baptist Union. We hope to have
a tentative program printed
in the next issue of Glorious
Hope.
The theme the General Board chose for our
103rd Convention:
“What Life in the Lord”
Thursday, July 5—Speaking to God with
Urgency (Luke 11:5–13; 18: 1–8)
Friday, July 6—Walking One Day at a Time
(Matthew 6:25–34; Isaiah 30:15)
Saturday, July 7—Confident about Tomorrow
(I Corinthians 10:13)
Sunday, July 8—Acting with Super-Human
Strength (Philippians 4:11b–13)
As reported in the President’s letter, as well as
on our web site, Allegheny College in Meadville,
Pennsylvania, will host the upcoming convention,
July 5–8, 2012.
We encourage you to check the upcoming
issues of Glorious Hope, as well as our web site
www.czskbc.org for future updates.
We hope that you will mark your calendar and
join us, as we return to the state of Pennsylvania
for the first time since our 76th Convention in
1985.
In His service,
Darko Siracki
“Your talk talks, and your walk talks, but your walk talks
louder than your talk talks.”
I, therefore…beseech you to walk worthy of the
calling with which you were called. Ephesians 4:1
The Mid-year Meeting of the General
Board of the Czechoslovak Baptist
Convention
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Symbols of Advent
Natasha Laurinc
I
was taught that Baptists don’t have
symbols, any symbols whatsoever.
Later on I discovered that there are
some symbols.
I remember trying to make the point of
leaving out the Christmas tree during the
Christmas season. My family supported
me and we had a nice Christmas without
a Christmas tree. The spirit of Christmas
is in our hearts, I told my children, and I
hope they did understand.
All right, I proved my point, and then
I realized that the Christmas season is so
special that it needs to be recognized with
something different. So we had a Christmas
tree again. And a really nice one with all
the decorations you can think of. And we
enjoyed it.
There are at least four instances of symbols that are important in the Baptist tradition: representations of the cross of Jesus
Christ, the rites of baptism and the Lord’s
Supper, and the Bible. The central acts of
worship together are preaching, singing,
baptism, and the Lord’s Supper. These do
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not require an elaborate material culture.
Many Baptist ministers do not wear robes
during worship services; their dressing “like
the rest of the people” is an expression of
Baptist belief in the priesthood of all believers. But beyond these instances, there are
no additional symbols used for Advent, the
Christmas season or Easter.
I have to admit that I like the fact that
the Advent season is marked so clearly in
our Western society. Isn’t that the perfect
way to let everyone know that special season is coming? Growing up in a communist
regime, I didn’t know much about Advent.
Then we came to Toronto and joined
the Czechoslovak Baptist Church. I was
surprised to see the Advent wreath in our
Czechoslovak Baptist Church in Toronto.
So I did some research.
Advent means “coming,” from the Latin
word adventus. It is a period of preparation
for the celebration of the birth of Jesus
Christ at Christmas. It is also a period of
preparation for the return of Christ the
King in his second Advent.
Advent marks the start of the Christian
year in western Christianity. Its length varies from 22 to 28 days, starting on the Sunday nearest to November 30 (St Andrew’s
Day), encompassing the next three Sundays, and ending on Christmas Day.
The date when the season was first
observed is uncertain. Bishop Perpetuus of
Tours (461–490) established a fast before
Christmas that began on November 11 (St
Martin’s Day), and the Council of Tours
(567) mentioned an Advent season. In the
sixth century, Advent was shortened to its
current length, and later the fasting was no
longer observed. Advent was originally a
time to reflect and prepare for Christmas,
similar to the way that Lent is a time to
prepare for Easter; it has sometimes been
referred to as the Winter Lent. In recent
times the restrictions that Advent brought
to Christians have changed and become
more relaxed. In many countries it is
marked by a variety of popular observances,
such as the tradition of an Advent wreath
and the lighting of Advent candles.
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Advent wreaths are widely used in some
countries during the four weeks before
Christmas to symbolize the coming of the
promised Messiah. The ring or wheel of
evergreens decorated with candles was a
symbol in northern Europe long before the
arrival of Christianity. The circle symbolized the eternal cycle of the seasons. The
evergreens and lighted candles signified
the persistence of life in the midst of winter. Pagan rituals often included lighting
candles in a wreath to signify hope for the
return of the sun in the midst of winter.
At some point, Christians in Europe
began to borrow this ancient custom
and incorporate it into the celebration of
Christmas. The evergreen boughs of the
Advent wreath symbolize everlasting life.
The circle represents the continuous love
of God, with no beginning and no end, as
well as the soul’s immortality.
No one knows when the wreath was first
used for Advent. Some sources suggest it
was in common use in the Middle Ages,
others that it was established in Germany
as a Christian custom only in the 16 th
century. The Catholic
and Lutheran religions
were among the first
to formally adopt the
Advent wreath. The
four candles on Advent
wreaths symbolize each
of the four weeks, as
well as the 4,000 years
between Adam and Eve
and the birth of Christ.
Other evidence
suggests that Advent
wreath traditions may
have become established
much later. Research
by Prof. Haemig of
Luther Seminary, St.
Paul, points to Johann
Hinrich Wichern (1808–1881), a Protestant pastor in Germany and a pioneer
in urban mission work among the poor,
as the inventor of the modern Advent
wreath. During Advent, children at the
mission school Rauhes Haus, founded by
Wichern in Hamburg, would ask daily if
Christmas had arrived. In 1839, he built a
large wooden ring (made out of an old cartwheel) with 19 small red and 4 large white
candles. A small candle was lit successively
every weekday during Advent. On Sundays,
a large white candle was lit. The custom
gained ground among Protestant churches
in Germany and evolved into the smaller
wreath with four or five candles known
today. Roman Catholics in Germany began
to adopt the custom
in the 1920s, and in
the 1930s it spread to
North America in both
Roman Catholic and
Protestant churches.
In the Western
church, the liturgical color for Advent
has traditionally been
purple, the color associated with royalty.
It symbolizes Christ
the King, the Prince
of Peace. It also represents penitence and
fasting, which were
once more central to the Advent season.
Though some traditions
still use purple candles,
blue is now a popular
alternative color for both
Advent vestments and
Advent candles, especially in some Anglican
and Lutheran churches.
This is in keeping with
the liturgical meaning
of blue as hope and
waiting. It also serves
to reserve purple, with
its meanings of sorrow and repentance,
for the Lenten season.
Rose is the color for the
third Sunday, known as
Gaudete Sunday (from
the Latin word for “rejoice”), anticipating
the joy of the Christmas celebration. So
a rose or pink candle may be lit on that
Sunday. In Protestant churches, it is more
usual to use four red candles on the wreath,
reflecting their traditional use in Christmas
decorations.
Other variations of the Advent wreath
add a white candle in the centre to symbolize Christmas, sometimes known as the
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Christ candle. It can be lit on Christmas Eve
or Christmas Day. White is the traditional
festal color in the Western church. A wreath
with four red candles and one white one is
probably the most common arrangement
in Protestant churches.
Advent wreaths are
used by millions of Christians worldwide to mark
the season of Advent and
to symbolize the many
ideas and hopes present
in the celebration of the
birth of Christ. Advent
wreaths vary depending
on Christian denomination, but the symbolism
and intent of the candles
on the Advent wreath
remain the same. There
are many interpretations
of the Advent candles.
Some see the candles as
standing for hope, peace,
joy and love, and liturgies
with these themes are used along with the
lighting of Advent candles.
Hope—the anticipation and expectation of Christ’s birth and the hope of
Christ’s second coming,
Peace—a time to focus our attention
on the faith that brings peace,
Joy—the good news of salvation for
the world,
Love—the love Jesus provides through
His birth, life, death, and resurrection.
Traditionally the Advent candles are
lit counterclockwise. Some light the pink
candle on the last Sunday before Christmas
instead of the third. In all traditions, the
symbolism is steeped in the Christian faith.
Well, I don’t mind the symbolism in this
case. It helps us to focus and that is good.
We need to have HOPE and then PEACE
which brings JOY and fulfills us with
LOVE—essential ingredients for human
beings living in the 21st century.
This year Advent begins Sunday,
November 27, and ends Saturday, December 24. May the Advent season bring
Hope, Peace, and Joy to every day of your
life, and may the LOVE of Jesus Christ be
manifested in every moment of your life
throughout the whole year 2012!

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Symboly adventu
Nataša Laurincová
B
yla jsem učena, že baptisté nemají
symboly. Nijaké symboly. Později
jsem zjistila, že přeci jen nějaké
symboly existují. Vzpomínám si na dobu,
kdy jsem se snažila dokázat, že k Vánocům nepotřebujeme vánoční stromeček.
Rodina se ke mně přidala a prožili jsme
pěkné Vánoce i bez stromečku. Vánoce
prožíváme v srdci, vysvětlila jsem dětem, a
doufám, že mi rozuměly.
Dobře, přesvědečila jsem je, ale potom
jsem si uvědomila, že Vánoce jsou vzácné
období, které je potřeba nějak odlišit. A
tak jsme zase na Vánoce stromeček měli.
Opravdu hezký stromeček a se všemi
dekoracemi, které si jen můžete představit.
A moc se nám líbil.
U baptistů se setkáváme nejméně se
čtyřmi druhy symbolů, tradičně klíčovými:
záruka Kristova kříže, obřad křtu, zachovávání večeře Páně a Bible. Bohoslužba je
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soustředěna na kázání, zpěv, křest a večeři
Páně. To baptistům postačuje a nepotřebují se přizpůsobovat světu. Zatímco v
některých církvích kazatelé káží v rouše,
baptisté roucho nepoužívají. Oblékají se
jako všichni ostatní, a tím demonstrují své
přesvědčení o kněžství všech věřících. Nic
nenajdeme o adventu, Vánocích a Velikonocích.
Musím přiznat, že se mi líbí, jak je v
západní společnosti advent zřetelně označen. Není to ten nejlepší způsob, jak dát
najevo, že vzácná doba příchází? Vzhledem
k tomu, že jsem vyrůstala v komunistickém režimu, o adventu jsem mnoho nevěděla. Po příchodu do Toronta jsme začali
navštěvovat Československý baptistický
sbor. Byla jsem překvapena, když jsem
uviděla adventní věnec v našem Československém baptistickém sboru v Torontě. A
tak jsem si něco prostudovala.
Advent znamená příchod, z lat. adventus. V křesťanských církvích je přípravou
na příchod Ježíše Krista o Vánocích. Je to
také období přípravy na druhý příchod
Ježíše Krista. Označuje začátek církevního
roku západní církve. Kolísá mezi 22 a 28
dny, počínajíc nejbližší nedělí k 30. listopadu, zahrnujíc další tři neděle a na první
svátek vánoční končíce.
Není známo, kdy se začalo se zachováváním období adventu. Biskup Perpeteuus
z Toursu (461 – 490) zavedl vánoční půst,
který začínal 11. listopadu (na sv. Martina), a Toursovský concil (567) již hovořil
o adventní době. Někdy během 6. století
došlo ke zkrácení adventního období na
dobu, jakou známe dnes, a období půstu
nebylo již dodržováno. Advent je původně
obdobím přemítání a přípravy na Vánoce,
podobně jako je půst přípravou na Velikonoce. Advent byl někdy označován jako
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zimní půst. V současné době nejsou požadavky adventu na křesťany již tak přísně
dodržovány. V mnoha zemích se advent
vyznačuje různými oblíbenými zvyklostmi, jako je třeba rozvěcování adventních svíček.
Symbolem adventu jsou v některých
zemích adventní věnce. Označují části
adventu, jsou to čtyři týdny před Vánocemi, symbolizující příchod zaslíbeného
Mesiáše. Věnce nebo kola ze zelených
rostlin, ozdobené svíčkami, byly symbolicky používány v severní Evropě už před
příchodem křesťanství. Kruh symbolizuje
neustálý cyclus čtyř období. Věčně zelené
větvičky a zapálené svíčky znázorňují
trvání života uprostřed zimy. Při pohanských rituálech bylo často používáno
zapalování svíček do kruhu jako vyjádření
naděje na návrat slunce uprostřed zimy.
Křesťané ve středověku tento starodávný
zvyk převzali a začlenili do vánočních
oslav. Adventní věnec je vyroben ze zelených větviček, symbolizující věčný život.
Kruh vyjadřuje nekonečnou Boží lásku,
bez začátku a konce, a také nesmrtelnost
duší. Není známo, kdy
vznikl první adventní
věnec. Podle některých
teorií byl věnec běžně
používán již ve středověku, jiné prameny
uvádějí, že byl křesťany
v Německu převzat
někdy okolo šestnáctého století. Katolická
a luteránská církev byly
mezi prvními, kdo formálně převzal adventní
věnec. Adventní věnec
má čtyři svíčky, které
symbolizují čtyři jednotlivé týdny a 4 000
let mezi Adamem a
Evou a narozením Krista.
Podle jiných teorií byla tradice adventního věnce založena až v 19. století. Profesor luteránského semináře Haemig
v St. Paulu poukazuje ve svém bádání
na německého protestantského pastora
Johanna Hinricha Wicherna (18081881), průkopníka městské misie mezi
chudými, tvůrce moderního adventního
věnce. Johann Hinrich Wichern založil v
Hamburgu školu pro chudé děti Rauhes
Haus. Děti se ho v předvánoční době každodenně ptaly, kdy už budou Vánoce. V
roce 1839 proto vyrobil předchůce dnešních adventních věnců ze starého dřevěného kola, 19 malých červených svíček a 4
bílých svící. Během adventu se každý den
zapalovala svíčka. V
neděli se zapálila velká
bílá, v ostatní dny
malá červená. Zvyk
se rozšířil mezi protestantskými církvemi
v Německu a vyvinul
se do dnešní podoby
menšího věnce se
čtyřmi nebo pěti svíčkami. Římští katolíci v
Německu přejali tento
zvyk ve 20. letech 19.
století a ve 30. letech
19. století se rozšířil
mezi římské katolíky a
protestanty i v Severní
Americe.
V západní církvi se fialová barva používá ve třech ze čtyř adventních nedělí. Je
to barva spojená s královskou hodností. Symbolizuje Krista jako Kníže
pokoje. Vyjadřuje také
pokání a půst, což bývalo
účelem adventu. Přestože některé tradice stále
používají fialové svíčky,
populární alternativou,
co se týče adventních
rouch a svíček, se stala
barva modrá, zvláště u
anglikánské a luteránské
církve. Z liturgického
hlediska modrá představuje naději a očekávání.
Nahrazuje tak fialovou,
která představuje lítost
a kajícnost během půstu. Třetí neděle
zůstává označena růžovou barvou, která
se nazývá Gaudete (podle latinského slova
radujte se), čas radosti během svátečních
oslav. Růžová svíčka bývá zapálena na třetí
neděli. U protestantských církví se používají na adventním věnci čtyři červené
svíčky, tradiční dekorační barva Vánoc.
Další varianty adventních věnců mají
vprostřed přidanou bílou svíčku, symbolizující Vánoce. Někdy bývá nazývána
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Kristovou svíčkou. Ta může být zapálena
na Štědrý den nebo na Boží hod vánoční.
Bílá je tradiční sváteční barva v západní
Evropě. Čtyři červené svíčky s jednou
bílou ve středu je pravděpodobně nejčastějším uspořádáním adventního věnce u
protestantských církví.
Miliony křesťanů na
celém světě používají
adventní věnce k označení adventního období a
ke znázornění mnohých
představ a nadějí ve spojitosti s oslavami narození Krista. Adventní
věnce jsou různé, podle
křesťanských
denominací, symbolika a účel
svíček na adventním
věnci se však nemění.
Existuje mnoho výkladů
významu
adventních
svíček. Někteří věří, že
jednotlivé svíčky symbolizují naději, pokoj, radost a lásku. Při
zapalování svíček se používá liturgie s
těmito tématy:
naděje – tušení a očekávání Kristova
narození a naděje Kristova druhého příchodu;
pokoj – příhodná doba soustředit se na
víru, ktrerá působí pokoj;
radost – radostná zvěst o spasení světa;
láska – láska Pána Ježíše zjevená v Jeho
narození, životě, smrti a vzkříšení.
Je tradicí, že na adventním věnci jsou
svíčky vždy zapalovány proti směru hodinových ručiček. Někteří namísto třetí
neděli zapalují růžovou svíčku poslední
neděli před Vánocemi. Někteří používají
čtyři fialové svíčky. Ať už je tradice jakákoliv, symbolika do křesťanské víry prosákla.
Nuž tedy, v tomto případě mi symbolika nevadí. Napomáhá ke koncentraci, a
to je dobře. Potřebujeme NADĚJI a také
POKOJ, který přínáší RADOST a naplňuje nás LÁSKOU – něco nepostradatelného pro život dnešního člověka.
Letos advent začíná v neděli 27. listopadu a končí v sobotu 24. prosince. Nechť
v tomto adventním období je patrná
naděje, pokoj i radost v každém dnu života
a nechť je láska Pána Ježíše Krista zjevná v
každé chvíli během celého roku 2012!

9
Journey into
the Unknown
Dr. John V. Upton, Jr.
Genesis 12: l–4a
l’
m pretty sure that not everyone is
a Star Trek fan, but those famous
opening words over every episode
still stir the hearts of millions: “Space,
the final frontier, these are the voyages
of the Starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission is to explore strange new
worlds, to seek out new life and new
civilizations, to boldly go where no one
has gone before!” It‘s better with music,
isn’t it? It is one of those countless
examples of this epic, human myth of
heroes on a long journey of discovery. You have Homer’s Odyssey, King
Arthur‘s knights questing for the Holy
Grail, Sinbaďs voyages, Bunyan’s Pilgrim‘s Progress, Dorothy’s yellow brick
road, Frodo and Sam Wise’s journey
for the ring. And on and on they go,
these stories of journeys of discovery.
Why do we keep making these stories and loving these stories? The deepest reason l can think of is that they tell
us about ourselves. They tell us what
our lives are or had better be. Living
is a journey. Iťs always a leaving and a
moving on and all along encountering
and learning. It‘s about being changed.
The verbs in Star Trek’s opening words
are vital to authentic human life. Our
continuing mission is to explore, to
seek out, to boldly go—and if not
boldly, at least to go.
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This theme is all through scripture.
The Bible is teeming with journeys.
Liberated slaves trekking 40 years
through the wilderness. Exiles in
Babylon aching for the journey back
home. Disciples sent out through all
the world. The apostle Paul journeying
all over the place. And Jesus, not only
itinerant from village to village to village, not only on the long grim journey
to his cross, but constantly saying to
people with a great gleam in his eye,
“Follow me!” And so many of them
actually did. And do you remember,
that is what his people actually called
themselves for years before their world
hung a moniker on them—“Chris-tians.” They called themselves “people of
the way.”
You might think it would be otherwise. And l think many people out
there feel that religion is otherwise,
that religion is about stability, security,
permanence, safe haven. But authentic faith is an open-ended journey. Iťs
about changing, growing, dynamic
movement, tremendous vulnerability,
and good discoveries in the company
of fine, adventurous companions on
the way.
So, in fact, the very first story about
faith in the Bible has God telling
somebody to pack up, leave home, and
head out someplace unknown to him.
Father Abraham we call him, because
he is the first, the prototype for living
by faith, and the very first thing, the
defining thing we know of him is that
he heard a call to leave the life he knew
and go where he had no idea where he
would end.
In a way, it was not the first time
for him. His family of origin had
started out in the big city of Ur, in
what is now Iraq, about 70 miles on
the far side of Bagdad. But they left
that place and journeyed far to a place
called Haran, in present-day Turkey.
So Abram, as they called him then,
already knew that living is not about
permanence and stability but about
moving on. But then later, the word
came uniquely to him, “Go from your
country, your kin, your father’s house
to the land that l will show you.” Do
you hear that? Leave everything and
go to a place l will show you. In other
words, walk away from where you are
with no idea of where you are going.
Did the conversation go like this?
“Abram!” “Who’s there?” “Iťs the
Lord.” “Really.” “Yes. And l’ve come
with something to tell you.” “Whaťs
that?” “Pack up, leave your friends and
your family, leave your security, leave
what you know.” “Leave all of that, for
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
what?” “We’re going to the new place.”
“The new place?” “The new place.”
“Where is the new place?” I‘ll show
you when we get there.” “l don’t even
get to know where l‘m going?” “Show
you when we get there.”
So Abram talked with Sara, his wife,
and they packed their things and said
their goodbyes to the people they loved
and got in the “car” and with tears
in their eyes, left it all. “Lord, where
are we going?” And there was silence.
“Lord, Where are we going?” More
silence. And they didn’t hear another
word, l think, until late one night,
not sleeping, a voice rises in Abram‘s
mind, a thought like a voice: “This
is it; this is the place. Where you are
now, this is home.” The story says the
Lord appeared to him and said, “This
is where the blessing will be for your
family.”
There are many stories about this
man, but this is the one that stuck.
This is the one that makes him the
prototype of living by faith as the New
Testament Book of Hebrews says: “By
faith Abraham obeyed when he was
called to go out to a place and he went
out not knowing where he was going.”
That is what faith is. It is the not knowing our future but walking toward it,
trusting that Goďs faithfulness is going
to meet us there, and in fact, is with us
here every step of the way.
And steps we must take. Sometimes
we don‘t have a choice. Something
happens or something that needed to
happen doesn’t happen, and we are
Never get finished taking
new steps of risking faith.
in a difficult and sometimes painful
situation. We are facing a future we
hadn’t counted on, uncertainties everywhere and very little comfort to get us
through the nights and days. “l don’t
know where l am going, l can’t see the
future.” Then that is where the choice
can be made, if we make it, to trust,
to move forward to whatever is ahead,
trusting the one who said, “l will show
you the place, l will wait for you there.
l am with you now. l am with you all
the way.”
Sometimes life presents us with
more of a choice than that. A door
opens before us to do something we
probably ought to do, to undertake
some new, difficult endeavor, to take
some kind of stand, to say some words
we probably should say, to risk something big, to give something big, but
we are anxious about it because we
can’t see whaťs going to happen when
we’ve done it. It comes down then to
the not knowing, and in the not knowing to trust the one who said, “l will
show you, l will await you, l am with
you every step of the way.”
Sometimes in this world you feel
We are never too old
and never too young to
embrace some marvelous new insecurity and
to embrace new steps of
risk called faith.
lost, with no sense of clarity, much
ambiguity, too little comfort for
now. To keep living, to keep moving,
and loving, and waiting in that long
uncertain season of your life is what it
means to be a child of God. Do you
want to know what your life is going to
be like next year, next week? Then see
a psychic. But faith is open-ended and
the blessing is not just at the end of the
journey. The blessing is in the step-bystep of trust along an uncertain way.
Thomas Merton once offered this
prayer: “My Lord God, l have no idea
where l am going. l do not see the
road ahead of me, l cannot know for
certain where it will end, nor do l really
know myself, so the fact that l think l
am following you does not mean l am
actually doing so, but l believe that the
desire to please you does in fact please
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
you, and l hope that that desire will be
in all that l am doing and l know that
if l do this you will lead me by the right
road though l may know nothing about
it. Therefore, l will trust you always,
and though l may seem to be lost and
Authentic faith is an
open-ended journey.
in the shadow of death, l will not fear.”
Or to put it in the words of an
old gospel song, “Many things about
tomorrow l may not seem to understand, but l know who holds tomorrow, l know who holds my hand.” Now
here is a funny thing: Do you know
how old Abram was when he heard the
voice and left everything and headed
out where he didn’t know? He was 75
years old! He was 75—that is almost a
geezer! We are never too old and never
too young to embrace some marvelous
new insecurity and to embrace new
steps of risk called faith.
And it never ends, thank the Lord,
it never ends. When Abraham arrived
at that new place, it turned out there
was a drought in the area. The Promised Land, as it turned out, was a
famine land then. He had to move
right on to someplace else, and though
he did come back to the new place and
lived in those environs for many years,
did you know he never secured, never
bought a plot of land there till at the
end, and it was a burial plot. It was for
his wife and himself. In a way, for him,
the journey never came to an end until
finally he came to his rest.
May your life and your faith never
cease to be pilgrimage, never get
finished taking new steps of risking
faith. Don’t be afraid of the future that
God does inhabit. Uncertain as all
our tomorrows may be, we lift up our
hearts on this good, great journey that
is taking us home.

11
Ladies’ Page
88th Annual Meeting of the Czechoslovak Baptist
Women’s Missionary Union
A
Friday, July 15, 2011
s part of the 102 Annual Czechoslovak Baptist Convention, President Deb Mulder warmly welcomed
those present at the 88th Annual Meeting of the
Czechoslovak Baptist Women’s Missionary Union.
Breakfast was served first, making it possible for every
woman and child at the Convention to participate. The men
also held their own breakfast meeting.
After the welcome, Dottie Kvasnica opened the session
with prayer.
The scripture reading was taken from Philippians 2:9–11
and read by Margaret Springle.
During Praise and Worship we sang four songs, piano
accompaniment played by Donna Nesvadba:
His Name is Wonderful
There’s Something About That Name
Jesus’ Name Above All Names
Blessed Be the Name
Deb introduced a new song by first playing the YouTube
clip, and then we sang it:
Jesus What a Beautiful Name
Thanks to technology we had the privilege of joining Ruby
Mikulencak in Ghana via Skype. Ruby shared with us that
she is leaving Ghana in January 2012. She is concentrating
on saying her very difficult goodbyes with the hope of easing
the pain of those she has known so long during her ministry.
She asked that we pray that God would give her strength for
the task and safety as she will have to travel great distances
to accomplish the farewells. Ruby asks as well that we pray
for her future. God has called her back to America but what
12
nd
that future holds is not clear. Ruby is very much looking
forward to being with us in 2012.
Heather Mantle presented the video sent by Mark and
Gretchen Potma. The video features the Potmas where they
live and continue God’s work in the Czech Republic. They
take us through their neighbourhood in Skalka and their
work as they mentor Czech leaders, lead a Christian Kids’
Club and run a summer camp. They are involved also in
teaching marriage courses and the Alpha Course. Over 20
new believers have been baptized.
Heather Mantle, who has spent time at the summer camp,
prayed for the work that our missionaries are doing.
Marija Sommer and Donna Nesvadba presented the
budget, discussing the needs for the coming year such as
Glorious Hope, the tract ministry and our missionaries. Givings throughout the year were encouraged. Marija offered a
prayer before the offering was taken.
Anthony Vahala presented his fervent answer to God’s
call that he and his family take the Lord’s message to the
Czech Republic. Anthony noted that Czech is known to be
the most atheistic country in the world. Most Czechs equate
Christianity with Communism and this makes it very difficult
to reach them. God has placed this mission on their hearts,
and after Anthony finishes his studies, the family plans to
move there next year.
Deb Mulder closed in prayer.
Respectfully submitted by
Margaret Springle
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Yo u t h S c e n e
W
hen I was younger, perhaps
late teens, early 20s, I made
a promise to God that I
would read the Bible for at least five
minutes every day. This was suggested
to me by a speaker I was listening to at
a Christian seminar. He had made the
promise as a young man himself and
had been consistent ever since. He said
that whenever he felt tired or lazy as the
day neared its end, just knowing he had
made a promise to God compelled him
to get out of bed and read, even if it was
three o’clock in the morning, just for the
sake of keeping his promise.
In my case it didn’t work out that way.
I was doing well for a while, but soon
began to give in to laziness and fatigue.
Eventually I was back to where I started:
inconsistent. One reason for this outcome
is that I was trying to approach God
through fear. It is much like what religion
places in front of people if they want to
please God. At least this is how I saw it.
The promise began to be a burden to me
instead of an act of love towards God.
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
Making promises to God is risky. It
might work for some, but it didn’t work
for me. My advice would be to keep your
promises to a minimum, if at all.
The struggle to be consistent in reading God’s word is still with me. But I’ve
learned that there is no trick to it. Simply,
it’s discipline, and more important, a love
relationship. The Bible is God’s response
to all of the questions and needs that we
present to Him. If all we do is ask and
not allow God to respond, it’s a one-sided
conversation that will soon end up boring us, and we will likely stop. We need
to have faith that God has something to
say to us.
Psalm 119: 9–16 is a text that shines
some light on this topic. Each verse speaks
for itself and either gives us a good reason
to stay close to the Bible or teaches us
how to do it.
May we all find that joy the Psalmist
speaks of, the joy that comes through
obeying a God who loves us as much as
He ever will.
Kornel Bukovec
13
I n t e r v i e w s – 1 0 2 nd C o n v e n t i o n
What brought you to the 102nd
CZSKBC?
Kathy Shereda
My husband! I first came
to the convention in 1997. I
had met my husband, Paul
Shereda, in 1985, and his
father and mother often
talked about the conventions, as his father, Joe
Shereda, had been a president of the Convention
for many years. I found
out that the convention had been held in
Poplar Springs Baptist Church, our church
in Henrico, and so I began to be interested.
But we talked about the convention and
never went. It wasn’t until the death of Rev.
Shereda and Mrs. Shereda in 1996 that we
all decided to go. Our sister-in-law, Dawn
Shereda, David’s wife, suggested that we go.
They had gone, and they came back with a
report of what a revival it was and they said
how wonderful it was—a mountain-top
experience—and that we needed to go back
and connect with our roots. So as David and
Dawn brought these marvelous reports, the
following year we all went as a family. And
it was a wonderful time. We couldn’t believe
it. When Mary got here, Mary Shereda
Grant, and we all saw how wonderful it
was, we immediately went to Grafton, and
Mary went into the Wal-Mart and bought a
video camera because she wanted to record
everything that we saw and heard and take
it back to the church to be able to report to
the Czech and Slovak people in the church
what we had discovered, everything we had
found. So we took the video recording back
and we shared with the church and inspired
them a little bit.
Then we came to the convention for several years and looked forward to the experience. There were some years we didn’t come.
I went back to school for six years, all summer, all winter—I didn’t take a break. And
14
then when I finished school we came back.
And I guess the highlight was maybe 2009,
the Centennial, and I was very honored
to do the three-day Bible study. That was
my husband’s last convention. And he was
already beginning to decline from the cancer
so it was a very, very special convention for
all of us, and because of his death last July
we of course did not come. I feel very, very
honored to be able to come back this year,
and I represent both of us. I know that in
heaven he is watching, he is watching all of
us as we are here as a family. And I know he
will be very, very proud to see his son Eric
pick up the torch for the family.
Eric Shereda
Well, this is my third convention. I enjoy the new friends
that I have met over the last two
years. It is awesome to learn
stories about my grandfather,
J.J. Shereda, from those who
still remember him. This year
was more solemn for me as this
was the first convention since
my father, Paul Shereda, passed
away. Overall, I have a lot of respect for the
convention and those leaders and attendees
who came before me. I look forward to being
able to contribute in any way I can to further
the cause.
Donna Nesvadba
I’ve come to the convention because for us it’s a family
tradition. We’ve been coming
almost every year for the last
maybe twenty years. Even
before that I came with my
parents when I was a child.
We come to connect with our
Czech roots, with people we
don’t see except here maybe once a year and
for the fellowship and the music. It’s something you can’t describe and it’s just missing
when we don’t come.
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
Ken Kupisz
This convention was a mission opportunity for us to bring
two boys from Czech Republic.
One doesn’t go to church at all,
the other one is struggling in his
faith, so we brought them here
to have Christian fellowship
with other Christian boys.
Luke Korcok
I love to be here but can not
come every year but every other
year or every third year. But this
year I figure it’s time to come
again. I was here for the onehundred-year celebration and
now is one hundred and two,
so God willing I will be here in
a year or two again.
Milko Lamos
It’s been so many years I’ve
been coming, I’d say it’s close
to 22. We missed some and
we would not miss this one,
because it is different, I have to
say, this time. Because most of
the time we came with our children, and this time we brought
only one of our girls. But we
want to continue the tradition and encourage
them. Hopefully we will encourage many
young people so that this convention will
grow back to what it once was, to 350, 400
members. So we pray the Lord will bless the
convention and we will continue in the same
way as we have for so many
years when the Lord blessed us
and led us.
Jovan Vlasic
Well, I’ve been coming to
this convention for the last
seventeen years, since we have
been in this country, and it’s
always very enjoyable, seeing
our friends and hearing God’s
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
word and just experiencing the excellent
worship. And we love it.
Harry Tarr
What brought me to the
102nd Convention is the fact
that I’ve been to the others and
I enjoyed the fellowship and
the messages, plus the fact that
my wife is Czech and I enjoy
the people. And this year as
usual the music I found very
inspiring and top class as well.
I enjoyed it, and I’m in music
myself. And also the messages I enjoyed very
much and finally, the young people. And the
program itself and the area. I like the Philippi
area. It’s very beautiful and different for me.
It is a long drive, about twelve
hours, but it’s worth it and I
enjoy getting together with
people that I haven’t seen for at
least a year. That’s my feeling.
Glenda Racinsky
We come to the convention – it is a lovely holiday, a
very relaxing time, and we just
come home well nourished
and rejuvenated. It is really a
good time.
Dottie Kvasnicka
It is part of our lives.
I would feel terrible if we
couldn’t come.
Lorra McCurring
What brought me to the
convention was just to have
an experience of the beauty of
Philippi and to come to the
conference that my daughter
was coming to for seven years
and it has just been wonderful
and beautiful, a great family
time, and beautiful to worship
God this way.
15
I n t e r v i e w s – 1 0 2 nd C o n v e n t i o n
Ruth Willow
I came to this convention
because my dear friend Judy Shoff
has been after me to come for the
last three years. Then Judy was not
able to come, because of her husband Don, but I still felt God’s calling for me to come. And I’ve been
blessed by being here, very blessed.
Anna Jugovic
I came here because my son
Bosko comes here. My friends
also used to come here often. I
am a born-again Christian, so I
was naturally attracted to meeting
more of God’s children. I wanted
to come here so that I could see
what it’s like. Everyone says that
the people here are very nice and good. On top
of that, the weather and scenery are both very
nice, so we are glad we came.
Anna Braun
I came because I heard that it
is very nice here. I have never been
here before, so I was curious about
this beautiful area, as well as meeting new people which I wanted to
get to know, and did get to know.
Katarina Hrudka
I likewise came here because
I heard that it is a very beautiful area. We feel very good being
here. Even the weather is fantastic,
and I really like it.
Milena Vesela
We came here to meet with our
friends, our brothers and sisters
from the Czechoslovak congregation. Because the Czechoslovak
Church in Toronto no longer
exists, this was an opportunity to
get together, encourage one another and love each other.
16
Eva Kupisz
What brought us back to
the convention? After a few
years of absence we again decided to attend the convention.
I don’t now remember the
reason. I do remember that
when we came here and went
about the little town of Philippi, we met John Alac, who
greeted us very warmly. And that set the tone
for the entire convention. One here simply felt
as among one’s own. And that we continued
coming here thereafter just followed naturally.
We experienced the friendship of this Christian family, which is always a delight.
Peter Vesely Sr.
We always loved coming to
the convention, always looked
forward to it and always had
a good time here. Unfortunately, we couldn’t make it for
a number of years. We freed
ourselves up to finally make it
back again. We are very happy
that we are here, and that
there are enough old friends
still here to make us feel good.
John Vlcek
I am very glad that I am
able to be here at this convention. I am also happy that I
was able to bring along some
friends from my home country. They are my brother and
sister in Christ. I consider the
Czechoslovak Baptist Convention the heritage of my ancestors that came to
Canada and the United States. It was a long
time ago that I attended this convention for the
very first time. Then, it was in Campbell, Ohio.
Mutual friendship here is very strong and grows
ever stronger with time. The fellowship we have
here is precious. We rejoice in the Lord’s service
and the fellowship we have here. It is Christ’s
love that brings us together.
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
Ondrej Stuska
To recharge my spiritual
battery.
Anna Franka
This year’s convention has
been an especial encouragement
to us with the theme “Heroes of
Faith.” We are learning every day
in practical ways that faith has
its own value. Now we have the
chance to remind ourselves what
it means theoretically and then
put it into practice again. To be meeting
with all these different people from diverse
nations is a truly unique experience. I don’t
know very many people here, but I am
happy to get acquainted with new people
from my part of the world.
Trip to Blackwater Falls State Park
Tana Rackova
I came here from the church
in Vavris. It is the oldest congregation not only in Slovakia,
but in the entire former republic of Czechoslovakia. I have
desired to come to Canada
because my father was here in
the 1930s. This became a reality for me thanks to the Lord
and my former schoolmate,
who invited me along with my
husband John. We got saved in
1996, were baptized, and can
testify to the Lord’s blessing on our lives,
and that when we seek God’s kingdom,
everything is given to us besides. We love
it here. We have met lovely, interesting people, we have visited a number of families
and we are excited to experience this way
of life which seems to be a little different
from ours. It seems a bit more peaceful and
balanced.
John Racko
I don’t know if I could add
much more to that, because
I’m feeling the same way as my
wife. We both wanted to visit
this country that allows us to
experience such closeness with
God, closer fellowship and
relationships even in regards
to the past and history Czechs and Slovaks
share, at home and overseas. I see this as a
connection between God’s children, past
and present. I am happy to witness this at
the convention.
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
17
Rozhovory – 102. konvence
Co vás přivedlo na 102. konvenci?
Kathy Shereda
Můj manžel! Poprvé jsem přijela na konvenci v roce 1997.
Svého manžela Pavla Sheredu jsem poznala v roce 1985.
Jeho otec i matka často hovořili
o konvenci a jeho otec Joe Shereda byl prezidentem konvence
mnohé roky. Dozvěděla jsem se,
že se konvence také konala v baptistickém sboru Poplar Spring v
Henriku, a tak mne to zaujalo.
O konvenci jsme mluvili, ale nikdy jsme
na ni nejeli. Až po smrti kazatele Sheredy a
po smrti jeho manželky v roce 1996 jsme se
všichni rozhodli jet. Navrhla to naše švagrová Dawny Sheredová, Davidova manželka.
Oni tam jeli a vrátili se zpět se zprávou, jaké
to bylo oživění a jak to bylo úžasné, zážitek
na vrcholcích hor, a že musíme jet všichni a
navázat kontakt s našimi předky. Na základě
tohoto úžasného podání Davida a Dawn jsme
následujícího roku, jako rodina, jeli všichni.
A bylo to něco nádherného. Nemohli jsme
tomu uvěřit. Když přijela Marie Sheredová
Grantová, a my viděli, jak je to báječné, okamžitě jsme jeli do Graftonu a Marie koupila
ve Wall-Martě videokameru, protože chtěla
všechno, co slyšela a viděla, natočit a vzít
zpět do sboru, aby mohla podat Čechům a
Slovákům zprávu o tom, co jsme objevili a
všechno, co jsme zjistili. A tak jsme videový
záznam přivezli a podělili jsme se s ním ve
sboru a trochu jsme je inspirovali. Začali
jsme na konvenci jezdit a vždycky jsme se
těšili. Potom jsme několik let nepřijeli, protože jsem se vrátila zpět do školy. Studovala
jsem šest roků, v létě, v zimě, bez přestávky.
Po ukonční školy jsme se zase vrátili. Myslím, že ta nejvýznamější konvence byla v roce
2009, sté výročí, měla jsem tu čest vést po tři
dny biblickou hodinu. Byla to také poslední
konvence mého manžela. Jeho zdravotní stav
se již viditeně zhoršoval díky rakovině, proto
18
tato konvence byla velmi, velmi mimořádná
pro nás pro všechny. Vzhledem k jeho úmrtí v
červenci minulého roku jsme se pochopitelně
konvence nezúčastnili. Je mi velmi velkou ctí
mít možnost se zúčastnit letošní konvence za
nás za oba, vím, že se s nebe dívá… dívá se na
nás na všechny, jsme tu jako rodina. Vím, že
by byl velmi, velmi hrdý na svého syna Erika,
který přebral rodinnou pochodeň.
Eric Shereda
Toto je již třetí konvence, které jsem se zúčastnil. Těším se z nových
přátel, kterém jsem poznal
během posledních dvou
let. Je to úžasné dozvídat se o mém dědečkovi
J. J. Sheredovi od těch,
kteří si ho ještě pamatují.
Tento rok byl pro mne o
to vzácnější, že to je první
konvence od úmrtí mého otce, Pavla Sheredy. Celkově si velice vážím konvence i těch
vedoucích a účastníků, kteří tu byli. Těším se
na to, že v budoucnosti budu moci nějakým
způsobem také přispět.
Donna Nesvadba
Přijela jsem na konvenci proto, že pro naši
rodinu je to tradicí. V
posledních dvaceti letech
jezdívám na konvenci
téměř každý rok. Dokonce
i předtím, ještě jako dítě,
jsem sem jezdívala s mými
rodiči. Přivádí nás sem
náš český původ, setkání s
těmi, se kterými se vidíme
možná jednou za rok, a také obecenství a
hudba. Je to něco, co se nedá popsat a prostě
nám chybí, když nepřijedeme.
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
Ken Kupisz
Tato konvence byla příležitostí přivézt dva chlapce z České
republiky. Jeden do kostela
vůbec nechodí a ten druhý se
potýká s otázkami víry, tak jsme
je vzali s sebou, aby se tu sešli s
jinými věřícími chlapci.
Lukáš Korčok
Jsme rád, že jsem zde,
nemohu jezdit každý rok, ale
každým druhým nebo třetím
rokem. Letos jsem si řekl, že
bych měl opět jet. Přijel jsem
na sté výročí, nyní máme sto
druhé, tedy s Boží pomocí budu
zde opět za rok nebo za dva.
Milko Lámoš
Jezdím na konvenci již
mnoho let, řekl bych asi 22.
Někdy jsme se nedostali, ale
tuto bychom si nenechali ujít,
protože tentokrát je jiná, musím
říci, protože většinou jsme jezdívali s našimi dětmi. Tentokrát
však s námi přijela jenom jedno z
našich čtyř děvčat, pokračujeme
však v naší tradici a snažíme se
je povzbuzovat. Doufáme, že se
nám podaří nadchnout další mladé lidi, aby
se tato konvence znova rozrostla, jako kdysi,
možná na třistapadesát nebo čtyřista členů.
Modlíme se, aby Pán konvenci požehnal a
konvence pokračovala tak, jako Pán žehnal
po mnoho let a vedl nás.
Jovan Vlasic
Nuže, posledních sedmnáct
let, od doby, kdy žijeme v této
zemi, se účatním této konvence.
Vždy je to velmi příjemné
setkání s našimi přáteli, naslouchání Božímu Slovu a vůbec
účast na prvotřídních bohoslužbách. To se nám líbí.
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
Harry Tarr
To, co mne přivedlo na 102. konvenci, je
faktem toho, že jsem jezdíval
na předchozí a vždy jsem se
těšil s obecensství i kázání,
dále moje manželka je Češka
a mám rád lidi. Jako vždy, i
letos byla hudba inspirující
a zároveň na vysoké úrovni.
Líbila se mi, sám jsem také
hudebníkem. Kázání se mi
také velmi líbila a nakonec i
mládež. A samotný program vůbec a to prostředí. Miluji oblast Philippi. Je překrásná a
jiná. Je to dlouhá cesta, asi dvanáct hodin,
ale stojí za to a těším se na setkání s lidmi, se
kterými jsem se aspoň rok neviděl. To jsou
moje pocity.
Glenda Racinsky
Jezdíváme na konvenci
– je to pěkná dovolená, skutečný odpočinek, a domů se
prostě vracíme velice obživeni a osvěženi. Skutečně
vynikající.
Dottie Kvasnicka
Je to součást našich
životů. Cítila bych se hrozně,
kdybychom nemohli přijet.
Lorra McCurring
Co přivedlo na konvenci
mne, byla potřeba spatřit
krásu Philippi a zúčastnit se
konvence, na kterou moje
dcera jezdí sedm let. A bylo
to prostě úžasné a nádherné,
rodinná pohoda a krásný
způsob uctívání Boha.
19
Rozhovory – 102. konvence
Ruth Willow
Přijela jsem proto, že moje
milá přítelkyně Judy Shoff se na
mne v posledních třech letech
přesvědčovala, abych jezdila.
Judy však nemohla přijet kvůli
svému manželovi Donovi. Já
jsem přesto cítila Boží volání,
abych jela. A byla jsem obohacena, velmi obohacena.
Anna Jugovic
Prišla som sem, pretože sem
chodieval môj syn Boško. Často
sem chodievali aj moji priatelia. Ja som znovuzrodená, preto
ma veľmi ťahalo poznať nových
Božích ľudí. Chcela som prísť,
aby som videla, ako to tu vyzerá.
Všetci hovoria, že veľmi pekne a že sú tu veľmi
dobrí ľudia. Navyše počasie je pekné, aj príroda je veľmi pekná, a tak sme radi, že sme
prišli.
Anna Braun
Ja som sem prišla, pretože som počula, že je tu veľmi
pekne. Nikdy predtým som tu
nebola, preto som bola zvedavá
na tento pekný kraj, ako aj na
nových ľudí, s ktorými som sa
chcela spoznať a s ktorými som
sa spoznala.
Katarína Hrudka
Ja som sem tiež prišla, lebo
som počula, že je tu veľmi
krásne. Veľmi dobre sa tu cítime.
Aj počasie je pekné, všetko je tu
pekné, veľmi sa nám tu páči.
Milena Veselá
Přijeli jsme se setkat se svými
známými, s bratřími a sestrami z
československého sboru. Protože
československý sbor už v Torontě
neexistuje, tak toto byla příležitost, abychom se opět potěšili,
povzbudili a měli se rádi.
20
Eva Kupisz
Co nás přivedlo zpět na konvenci? Po několikaletém odloučení jsme se znovu rozhodli
konvenci navštívit. Již si nepamatuji důvod. Pamatuji si však,
když jsme tehdy přijeli a šli
jsme po náměstíčku ve Philippi,
potkali jsme Jana Alače, který
nás pozdravil a velmi pěkně
přivítal. A to dalo tón celé konvenci. Člověk se tady prostě cítil jako mezi
svými. A to, že jsme sem potom začali jezdit,
to jenom následovalo. Poznali jsme totiž přátelství křesťanské rodiny, a to člověka vždycky
těšilo přijet.
Petr Veselý st.
Na konvenci jsme vždycky
jezdili velice rádi, vždycky jsme
se těšili a vždycky nám tady bylo
dobře. Bohužel několik let po
sobě nám to z různých důvodů
a okolností nevyšlo. Osvobodili jsme se od toho a opět jsme
mohli přijet. Jsme moc rádi, že
tu jsme a že nás, těch starých
známých a milých, které rádi vidíme, je stále
dost, aby nám bylo dobře.
Ján Vlček
Veľmi sa teším, že tento rok
opäť môžem byť na konvencii. Som veľmi rád, že som so
sebou mohol priviesť aj svojich priateľov z rodného kraja.
Sú to moji rodáci, brat a sestra
v Kristovi. Považujem československú konvenciu za odkaz
mojich predkov, ktorí prišli do Kanady a Spojených štátov. Je to už dávno, keď som sa prvý
raz zúčastnil na Československej baptistickej
konvencii. Bolo to v Campbelli, v Ohiu. Vzájomné priateľstvo je tu veľmi silné a stále se
utužuje. Obecenstvo, ktoré máme, je vzácne.
Máme radosť zo služby Pánovi a obecenstvu,
kde sa všetci stretávame. Je to láska Kristova,
ktorá nás spája.
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
Ondrej Stuška
Nabiť si duchovnú batériu.
Táňa Račková
Ja som prišla so zboru
z Vavrišova. Je to najstarší
zbor na Slovensku, ale aj v
celej bývalej Československej republike. Veľmi som
túžila prísť do Kanady, pretože môj otec tu bol v tridsiatych rokoch minulého
storočia. Splnilo sa mi to
samozrejme vďaka Pánovi, a
potom môjmu spolužiakovi,
ktorý nás sem aj s manželom Jankom pozval. My sme
sa obrátili v roku 1996, dali sme sa pokrstiť, a
môžem naozaj potvrdiť, že nás Pán požehnáva,
a že keď hľadáme kráľovstvo Božie, tak všetko
ostatné nám bude pridané. Tu sa cítime veľmi
dobre. Stretli sme milých a zaujímavých ľudí,
navštívili sme rôzne rodiny a sme nadšení, ak
to tak môžem povedať, tunajším životom, ktorý
sa nám zdá trochu odlišnejší od nášho. Taký
pokojnejší a vyrovnanejší.
Ján Račko
Neviem, či by som vedel k
tomu viac dodať, lebo prežívam
rovnaké pocity ako manželka.
Spoločne sme túžili dostať sa
do tejto krajiny, ktorá umožňuje tak silno prežívať blízkosť
Božiu, bližšie príbuzenstvo aj
společenstvo, a to aj vzhľadom
na našu minulosť, na spoločnú históriu Čechov
a Slovákov doma aj tu v zahraničí. Vidím v tom
veľké prepojenie, oblúk spájajúci Božie deti cez
minulosť so súčasnosťou. Som rád, že som toho
svedkom na tejto konvencii.
Anna Franka
Tohtoročná konvencia je pre
nás zvláštnym povzbudením už
samou témou, ktorou sú hrdinovia viery. Učili sme sa prakticky a
učíme sa v každodennom živote,
že viera má svoju cenu. Teraz si
to ešte raz môžeme zopakovať
teoreticky, a potom zasa prakticky dokazovať. A
takisto spoločenstvo s ľuďmi z rôznych krajov
je naozaj jedinečný zážitok. Ja ešte stále spoznávam. Nepoznám veľa ľudí, ale som veľmi rada,
keď môžem spoznať nových krajanov.
From Our Readers
J
ust a note to let you know how I
appreciate your magazine.
What precious memories come
back to me. My mother was from Lawndale
Church in Chicago, and during my college days
at Wheaton I spent most weekends with Aunt
Anna and Uncle Joe Mazanec. In 2004 I went to
convention with cousin Richard and met several
old friends – Maria Hulka, Ferrent, Judy Shoff
and others.
Perhaps I can go back sometime…
God bless you all.
Praying for you,
Josephine Strnad
      Vol 37, No 5, 11
Dear Mrs. Dors,
When I received Glorious Hope with the history
of the Czech Convention and saw the pictures
and history of Rev. Henry Boubelik, I knew I must
contribute something to his dear memory.
He was married to my first cousin, Mabel
Short. They visited us when visiting her mother
in Portland, Tennessee.
He was a fine Christian man and preacher.
Sincerely,
Julia A. Forbis

21
Children’s Corner
MISS PICKLES’ PATCH
G
ood day my friends!
As summer comes to a
close and fall sneaks up
slowly, I wanted to send
you a message to check up on how
you have been since the last time
I saw you!
It was just a few weeks ago that
we met for the very last time at
Alderson-Broaddus College. (Next
Glorious Hope issue I will give you
a little sneak peek of what’s to
come for next year’s location.)
We had lots of fun learning about
how God treasures us, and how He
treasured people from the Bible.
We learned that each one of us
is important to God, and that God
has special things in store for our
lives. I also learned about each one of you and the
things that are important in your lives. I’m so glad
you were able
to make it to
the convention, and can’t
wait for us
to see each
other again
in another
t w e l v e
months.
A s
I
was saying
before, I
really enjoyed
hearing about
the important things in
your lives like
Jesus, your
families, and
22
even your favorite stuffed dog! One
of the important things in my life
is backpacking with my brothers.
Jesus teaches me a lot on my journeys into the forest. Over the next
few issues, I would like to teach you
some of the things I have learned.
When you go on a backpacking
trip, one of the first things you
should pack is a trail map! (Kinda
like the treasure map we used at
the convention to find the treasure.)
You can’t begin a journey if you
don’t know where to start! It tells
you what paths you should take, and
where you can find water. A trail
map tells you where there is danger
(like a cliff or a cave where bears
might live). It shows you where you
can take shelter, and how far you have to hike.
Just like that, when we begin a journey with Jesus,
we need to know where to start! Because of this,
God gave us a trail map called the Bible. The Bible
tells us what paths we should take and where we
can find living water. It tells us what things will get
us in trouble (Remember
the Ten Commandments?)
and how we can enjoy life
praising God. The Bible is
the map to tell us how we
can get to Jesus. And just
like the treasure map we
used at the convention,
when we get to Jesus we
will find the biggest treasure ever! You may be wondering, how can we know
all these things about the Bible? We read it! I’ve
made up a little game for you to practice learning
from the Bible. All you need to do is look up the Bible
verse and fill in the words that are missing to see
some lessons it teaches.
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Psalm 119:105
“Your___________ is a lamp unto my ____________,
and a light unto my ___________.”
Exodus 20
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS
1. Do not worship other ___________.
2. Do not worship idols.
3. Do not misuse ___________ name.
4. Keep the _________ holy.
5. ___________ your father & mother.
6. Do not murder.
7. Do not commit adultery.
8. Do not _____________.
9. Do not _____________.
10. Do _________ covet.
John 4:13–14
13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who ____________
this water will be ________ again, 14 but whoever
drinks the water I give them will ___________
thirst. Indeed, the _____________ I give them
will become in them a spring of water welling up to
Well, that’s about it for me—but before I go I
wanted to let you know that as much as I love writing
to you,
I would love to hear from you as well! If you would
ever like to write me a letter, you can e-mail it to either
[email protected] or send it to my home at”
1665 - 6th Ave., Apt. 23, Huntington WV, USA
25703.
I hope to hear from you soon!
With much love in Christ, Miss Pickles 
_______________________.”

      Vol 37, No 5, 11
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