Thursday, October 4
Hungary
The Love Bridge (Szeretethid) is a growing ministry of the Hungarian Reformed churches. The bridge is a volunteer initiative encouraging all people of all ages to put their faith to work for a day. Begun in 2009, this outreach of love to the communities in which they live drew 7,000 participants in 2010.
The outreach has truly found a need in Hungarian churches - finding ways that average people can serve God through serving their neighbors. For previous generations, there was great pressure on the church to be seen and not heard. Since the fall of communism in 1989, though, the church has worked to rebuild, especially its role in the life of the community.
Love Bridge is an organized effort to get people out and active. Each presbytery's coordinator assigns work locations and informs congregations of meeting points. Participants are given T-shirts, and tasks are distributed to all. Work assignments include helping the elderly with yard work, flood recovery work, painting playground equipment, and cleaning and decorating graves in cemeteries. One youth group visited a home for the elderly, bringing gifts and spending time individually with residents, listening and sharing stories.
Sharing the love and spirit is not always organized or conventional. One doctor cared for her employees who normally care for the patients by giving free medical exams, including mammograms. A group of women started cleaning the monument in the center of town. Townspeople spontaneously began to join them, helping to paint, bring and plant flowers, and make food for the workers.
- Rev. Kathy Angi, former PC(USA) mission co-worker, Budapest, Hungary
Let us join in prayer for:
Partners/Ministries
Reformed Church of Hungary (RCH): Rev. Gustav Boelcskei, presiding bishop, Rev. Zoltan Tarr, general secretary, Rev. Balazs Odor, ecumenical officer, Karoly Czibere, diaconal department, Zita Toth, mission department * Church of Scottish Mission in Budapest: Rev. Aaron Stevens, director * Hungarian Interchurch Aid: Lazlo Lehel, director * Bethesda Children's Hospital * Immanuel Home: Zsofia Gyoeri * Opre Roma: Gyula Balogh, president, Dr. Karolian Kosa, secretary * Oenkentes Diakonia Ev.: Emese Zavodi *Iranian Evangelical Fellowship of Budapest * Roma Gadje Dialog through Service: John Stringham, director
Presbytery Partnerships: Missouri Union Presbytery and Presbytery of the Twin Cities Area with the RCH
PC(USA) Agencies' Staff
Robin Roach, Board of Pensions
Lisa Robbins, Presbyterian Mission Agency
Let us pray
Lord God, thank you for your gift of love that transforms our lives. Thank you for giving us opportunities to share and receive that love. Continue your work in the churches of Hungary. We ask all of this as your children. Amen.
Daily Lectionary
Morning Psalms 116; 147:12-20
First Reading Hosea 4:1-10
Second Reading Acts 21:27-36
Gospel Reading Luke 6:1-11
Evening Psalms 26; 130
