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cover of the IER hymn book (1998):
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Praise be to God who daily supports your family with His grace God is our salvation and guides us on from generation to generation with strength. God most high can place us in your eternal peace, in which we live forever more. Praise God the Liberator. He is our Redemptor, freeing us from death.
Here the expression of faith is not liturgical, nor is it mystical or transcendental. It is something that can only be lived through, whole and holistic. The relationship with God goes beyond the spiritual dimension and can be seen in daily conversation, understood as spaces and moments of absolute and effective exercise of God's sovereignty and salvation. Even if the church is fundamental for religious, cultural and economic dimensions lived by the Dutch immigrants, it is the Reformed faith that the church professes which forms the sacred baldachim that defines, articulates, represents and identifies what is most particular and unique in the configuration of the Dutch immigration in CarambeĂ: the deep awareness, perhaps unconscious in some, but always present, of God's sovereignty, compassion and Grace in the life of the community. To close, it is this which brings religious experiences and religiousness in Carambei to a dimension which is very close to the community of faith of the New Testament as described in the Acts of the Apostles 2:42-47 (Bible NVI, 2009, p.1256-1257). They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
Professor in the History Department at UEPG. Pastor of the Presbyterian Church of Brazil.
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