Sunday, June 29, 2008

John Calvin and Chuck Smith

Here's a picture of the sanctuary at our new church building.
I took it right after the cleaning lady had been there - she always sets up the stage this way with the table, so it looks like its ready to host a talk show or maybe an arm wrestling competition.

Anyways, the reason I posted this was to show that there are 2 portraits hanging on the wall behind the stage.

The one on the right is a picture of John Calvin - reformer and father of Reformed Theology (AKA Calvinism)
So, as you can see in this second picture, John Calvin (or Jancsi bácsi, as I like to call him) looks over my shoulder every Sunday as I preach. Its almost like he's reading over my shoulder the whole time - and I don't really like it when people do that.
Another interesting thing to me about this picture, is that - I don't know when it was made, if it was made during Communism or what, but it seems to me to have a striking similarity to this picture of Hungarian Stalinist leader Rákosi Mátyás.
Having said all that - I actually do like the picture. Its cool that he's pointing to the scriptures and putting his hand on his heart, as if to say that he's touched by it.

The picture on the left is of a man named Kovács Károly, who apparently was the pastor of the Reformed church in Eger from 1889-1901.
What's interesting about him, is that translated to English, Kovács means Smith and Károly is Charles. In other words - his name is Chuck Smith!
And the most ironic thing about it all: In our Calvary Chapel, between "Chuck Smith" and John Calvin on our wall, its Chuck's picture that we take down every week so we can project on the wall!
Don't worry - there's no ideological or theological statement involved in that - just an odd coincidence.

12 comments:

  1. Calvin-admiring site TheAmericanView.com; pls visit/comment.

    JLof@aol.com

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  2. Anonymous10:26 PM

    that is just funny. aand it is only Nick Cady who would ever connect things like this...:-)

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  3. You're too funny! The picture of you preaching is hilarious...John looks engrossed in the sermon. I am just waiting for an "Amen brother!" or whatever they used to say back then.
    "Yea and verily my good man!"

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  4. Luca - did you click on any of the links? I know it doesn't really have anything to do with anything in the post, but I really like the link about arm wrestling - especially the x-ray of the arm broken by arm wrestling. That's so hardcore!

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  5. Jodi - Re: "Yea and verily my good man!"
    I can somehow totally imagine Josh using that phrase in church (or outside of church, for that matter).
    But don't forget that Calvin was French (a fact surely conveniently forgotten by many red-blooded American Presbyterians, who hate liberal French wussy-men and who prefer to eat Freedom Fries and Liberty Toast). So, probably he would have said something like, Wie, wie! Magnifique!

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  6. Anonymous12:10 AM

    We tend to think of him as Scottish!

    Josh

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  7. That's true. In fact, if that picture of Calvin were to just start speaking to me, I would expect him to sound like Sean Connery.

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  8. That is too hilarious, Nick! Love the post!

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  9. Anonymous7:17 PM

    Okay, now that's funny...

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  10. Anonymous10:15 AM

    Dear Nick,

    I found your web site while searching for Calvinist churches in Eger, Hungary.

    My grandfather (Imre of Emerick Toth) was born in Eger in 1870 and was associated somehow with a Calvinist church there.

    I wonder if you can tell me where I might check in Eger when I go there in October this year to learn if there are any relatives of my grandfather still living there.

    Many thanks for your help.

    Regards,

    Emerick W. Toth
    Email: kingtoth@gmail.com

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  11. Emerick, I can probably connect you with some people. I will write you an email.

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