Magyar Református Egyház

Archive for the ‘Worship’ Category

First Church in Lawrenceburg,TN hosted the community Ministerial Association for a Lenten service and then served a lunch of soup, sandwiches, and light dessert after the service. A collection was taken for the Ministerial Association’s work with people in need throughout the year.

The sermon was based on Matthew 6:25-34: Seek First The Kingdom and was preached by Rev. Chuck Huckaby.

The children from the preschool sang at the end of the service before the congregation was dismissed for lunch with a sung prayer.

This website zsoltarok.magyarportal.hu (Hungarian Language) is dedicated to the Hungarian rendition of the Genevan Psalms sung by József Dinnyés and as set to verse by Albert Szenci Molnár (1574-1634).

The Hungarian Reformed Church, in the Continental Reformed tradition, has focused the song of its corporate worship on metrical versions of the Psalter in addition to other Bible based hymns.

Below, the Debrecen Kántus (Choir) is pictured. While the main site is in Hungarian, an English language version site is also available as well as in German. There are audio recordings available for download. The site also has a variety of videos (YouTube) available to view.

Below are a variety of Psalms performed in Hungarian:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfNPWm2Qfec&eurl=http://www.kantus.hu/index.php?page=video&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwv-B1PjiY0&eurl=http://genevanpsalter.redeemer.ca/biblio_discography.html&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHxO1u67vSM&eurl=http://genevanpsalter.redeemer.ca/biblio_discography.html&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Thanks to Dr. David Koyzis, a modern lover of the Genevan Psalter, for pointing out these resources.

The current Hungarian Reformed Church liturgical calendar has been posted here.

Note: This entry was updated 8/5/2008. The newly updated communion document is significantly longer and contains portions that were not previously available. Thanks to former Synod Presbyter James Ballas for his work in locating the original.

A .doc file containing the Order of Holy Communion printed by the Calvin Synod in 1967 is available on the page “Historical Resources” page. The existing document is a scanned copy of the original booklet and as such the document may be somewhat hard to read. Volunteers are needed to put the text in suitable typed format for future publication and to help provide a more legible copy of this document for current and future use.

It’s title page appears below:

The following is a typical Hungarian Reformed Sunday Worship Service prior to World War II. Here you can see how the Hungarian Reformed Liturgy changed somewhat upon coming to America. The translation of the Hungarian form was by Rt. Rev. John Butosi.

Sunday Morning Order of Worship Service

1. The Standing Hymn of the Congregation (standing)

2. Main Hymn of the Congregation (sitting)

3. Invocation (standing)

4. Bible Reading (minister from the pulpit)

5. Prophetic (small) Prayer

6. Hymn

7. Announcement of the Text Selection (by minister with congregation standing)

8. Sermon (sitting)

9. Pastoral (big) Prayer (standing)

10. Lord’s Prayer (standing)

11. Announcement of Offering (they would give as they leave the church)

12. Benediction of Congregation (standing)

13. Announcements

14. Closing Hymn (standing)

Order of Worship in American Hungarian Reformed Churches

(Adapted from the Reformed Church in Hungary)

ORGAN PRELUDE

CHORAL INTROIT (if a choir is available)

CALL TO WORSHIP (congregation stands and minister recites)

1) Our help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Amen.

or

2) Grace be to you from the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

INVOCATION PRAYER (said in unison with all standing)

OPENING HYMN (standing)

BIBLE READING

HYMN

PROPHETIC PRAYER (standing)

APOSTLE’S CREED (standing)

CHORAL ANTHEM (if a choir is available)

OFFERTORY (In Hungary, the congregation puts the offering in when they arrive at the church. There was no offering during the service. In later practice, the offering takes place either here or after the sermon.)

Offertory hymn (can be sung during collection if desired)

PRAYER OF DEDICATION OF OFFERING

DOXOLOGY

SERMON (congregation stands as minister introduces sermon with reading of bible text and then is seated during sermon)

PASTORAL PRAYER (standing)

LORD’S PRAYER (standing)

ANNOUNCEMENTS

(Communion would go here on those occasions)

CLOSING HYMN (standing)

BENEDICTION (standing)

ORGAN POSTLUDE