wfn.org | Goooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal !!!!!!!!!!!!

["Daphne Martin_Gnanadason" <Daphne.Martin_Gnanadason@warc.ch>]

Uniting General Council 2010                                    

>News Release 
>21 June 2010

>Goooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal !!!!!!!!!!!!
>Von Jan-Gerd Heetderks, VGV-Correspondent 
>Look at these enthusiastic Brazilians and Chileans, despairing
>Englishmen and Italians, and how disappointed those Germans are,
>and the South Africans and Australians;look at the smiling Dutch
>and South Koreans, how thrilled the Swiss were – at least until
>yesterday … 
>No, I do not write about the effects of the first report of the
>Nominations Committee, but about the World Cup. If you happen to
>hear a sudden loud scream in the hall, it is not because somebody
>just spilled burning hot coffee on somebody’s toes, but because
>Cameroon just scored a goal. 
>Well, soccer is being celebrated even in Grand Rapids, a place
>where the Calvin Knights usually play basketball. At times, some
>delegates may furtively arrive a bit late in the mornings,
>despite the fact that the bus left on time. Had they overslept?
>No, their team was onthe tube, so the temptation to watch the
>game was greaterthan theirthirst for Bible studies or morning
>worship.
>So far so good. Yet …instead of everyone cheeringtogether, now
>some spectators happily celebratea goalwhile the rest vent their
>anger and frustration.
>One German lady severelyproposedthe TVs in the building be
>switched to another channel. Fortunately, she did not succeed.
>Who is going to celebrate in the end? Well, hewho (
>http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&p=Ci4HO3kMAA&search=who&trestr=0x8040
>) laughs (
>http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&p=Ci4HO3kMAA&search=laughs&trestr=0x8040
>) last (
>http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&p=Ci4HO3kMAA&search=last&trestr=0x8040
>) laughs (
>http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&p=Ci4HO3kMAA&search=laughs&trestr=0x8040
>) loudest. (
>http://dict.leo.org/ende?lp=ende&p=Ci4HO3kMAA&search=best.&trestr=0x8040
>)  Innominations for the Executive Committee, a quota system will
>apply; however, such quotas do not exist for world champions in
>soccer. So far, the Europeans have gained the biggest share of
>the titles (as usual), but the South Americans
>havehelpedwritesoccer history – and come up with the best players
>in the history of thegame. 
>If the newly formed World Communion of Reformed Churches really
>wants to celebrate unity in justice, then everyone must hope an
>African or Asian team will finally become world champion. Could
>that be a proposal for the Policy Reference-Committee?
>But as we all know, friendship ends where soccer starts. And
>thus the question arises whether the World Cup is possibly
>threatening the unity we just celebrated. In Grand Rapids, the
>question is:Will who becomesWorld Soccer champion be more
>important than shared Reformed tradition or injustices and
>dangers of globalisation? 
>Well, probably not. The unity in the spirit through the bond of
>peace is stronger! 
>At least until the eight-finals.
>The Uniting General Council 2010 in Grand Rapids, United States
>(June 18-28) marks the merger of the World Alliance of Reformed
>Churches and the Reformed Ecumenical Council to form the World
>Communion of Reformed Churches. 

Contact: Kristine Greenaway

UGC News Room – Calvin College - Hoogenboom Center Room HC 204
Cell phone: 1-616-826-5540 or 1-616-826-8636: News Room:
1-616-526-7885

UGC News Room – Calvin College - Hoogenboom Center Room HC 204 
Cell phone: 1-616-826-5540 or 1-616-826-8636
email: kgr@warc.ch
web: www.reformedchurches.org (
http://www.reformedchurches.org/#_blank )