Questions for God

One of the things that we as a congregation want to do this year is some evangelization in public. Most of our outreach as a congregation is along family and friend lines. We talk to the people in our lives whom God brings us. But we know that there are people struggling with questions about God who may not have anyone to speak to. So we want to be ready for some of these questions. 

During our Wednesday evening study - each first Wednesday of the month - we will look at questions and what God gives us as answers. We are collecting some of these questions, some of which you also may have struggled with or heard. Why does God allow so much suffering in the world? (Or How can God exist if there is suffering in the world? Or Why do I have to experience this suffering in my life since I am walking with God?)

How can an intelligent person believe in God and the Bible when it is clear that the Bible is an old book written long ago by people who didn’t really know what we know now? And it is full of mistakes and contradictions. How can anyone trust such a book? 

We (people in Europe) have been there and done that. We already know that it doesn’t work. Why stick to an old way of thinking about the world and people? 

Who made God? How old is the earth? So do you believe in dinosaurs? What do you think about politics? I have some questions for God because I am angry with him. 

Last night we were invited to a neighbor’s house for a New Year’s reception with some other of her friends and acquaintances. It was a nice time to meet some new people and get to know our neighbors better. We had several of these conversations throughout the evening. It is always clear that we are Americans, which brings up why we are here. That always leads to some conversations and questions. 

We are looking forward to having these conversations as a congregation in the Spring in Maastricht. We would love your prayers for these moments. We would also like to hear what your questions for God are (or questions you have heard or discussed). 

The living Word

It is exciting to both os us to see how God works in our lives and others through His word, the Bible. When we get to know who Jesus is and begin following him in our daily lives, we are walking in the light, walking with the living Word. This is something that we just can’t keep from others. It is always wonderful to share with others and be encouraged by what we learn from the Word and what we learn through how others grow in the Word. 

We are thankful that we have various opportunities throughout the week to share this with members and seekers. On Monday evenings we are with a loving couple from church who live about an hour away from us. We began meeting with them years ago when they could not make it to the Wednesday evening study but still wanted to keep growing. They also wanted to learn about how to share what they were learning. So we have visited with them and continue to share what we know and learn from what they are learning. 

On Tuesdays Scott has a time at the building when people can come to ask questions about God. Through the years this has meant studies and conversations of all different kinds. Most recently he has been meeting with a woman studying about the old and new covenant, meeting with a mn who wants to understand his faith and daily choose to follow Jesus, and also takes time to encourage a sister in the faith who is shut in. 

Tuesday afternoons have become a time for a group of younger people who want to be encouraged and encourage one another. This is an English-speaking group and is held online. There are folks from nearby (our young Ukrainian couple who libre about 30 minutes away) and further away (two ladies from France and another even from Curaçao. Tuesday evenings we meet in person with a younger sister from the congregation who wants to grow in her faith. 

Wednesday evenings are what is our normal weekly Bible study. IN the past this was held at our house, at the building or at a different member’s home. But since Covid we began meeting online. This has meant that more members can be present. We still head over to our colleagues’ house (10 minutes away) and get online while sitting in their living room. This study (done in Dutch) is a great encouragement for all those who are able to attend. We are so thankful that so many are able to get online and encourage one another in this way. 

Thursday morning I head back over to my colleague’s house (in the summer I might even bike over, like I did last week) for a study we have with a man who wants to know more about the Bible and has plenty of questions about society, science and God’s will. I also uses this day about once a month to visit some people who nee encouragement - in prison in Antwerp and in a psychiatric hospital nearby. These are not Bible studies, but are conversations about the living Word. 

On Friday mornings Shirley gets online with the other ladies of the congregation for a study and prayer time together. As we let people know on our website (www.gvcmaastricht.nl) this is a study by and for women. It is exciting to see how the ladies take the time to help one another and encourage one another. 

We have always prayed that God can use us in the way that He sees fit while we are here (or wherever we are). These are moments that we can share so much of the beauty that we ourselves find in God’s Word. It is also so good to be able to discuss how the things we read fit into our daily lives. God’s Word is not just a study (a word we use a lot), but a discovery of how God works in our lives and what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Thank you for praying for the various opportunities we have to share this glorious news.

How does God’s word influence your live? What challenges have you experienced recently in reading and following Jesu as the living Word? How do you share what you find so beautiful? 

Sowing seeds

A lot of what anyone sharing the good news of Jesus is comes down to sowing seeds. Although I have never been a Gardner and certainly do not have a green thumb, I can understand when Jesus talks about a sower sowing seed in a field. But there are many different ways to sow. 

One of the things that is true about this picture is that it requires some perseverance and plenty of patience. I feel like I am pretty good at the first, but I have definitely had to learn the latter through the years. I, like many in this life, want things to happen quicker and to be visible. But God works with lives. And lives develop through time. My life in Christ did not just spring into being, although I had a moment of birth, for sure. But God has taught me, formed me and shaped me through the years and all of the experiences He has given. 

This is also how things are with the people we are working with, the people with whom we share this wonderful news of a new life in Jesus Christ. We do not always see immediate change. Although often some change is more visible by some than by others. That is now down to us. God gives the growth - we sow the seed. 

Some of this sowing has to do with what we say, talking about our life in Jesus and about how to meet Jesus. Many of the people I have worked with started by learning about the Bible and how to read it. Although many people, certainly here in Western Europe, will say that they know about Jesus, most have never read the Bible. Most see the Bible as a large book written in the past which tells some weird stories and also has some stuff about this Jesus. 

I have always tried to teach people that the Bible is a remarkable library. It is not a book, but a library of books, a compilation of all sorts of different literature. This helps many understand immediately that it must be read in a different way than a book would be. But I emphasize that it is a remarkable library - a collection that could not be possible if it did not come from God. 

Besides helping people see what kind of library they have at their disposal, I take time to help people learn how to read the Bible so that they can get to know who Jesus is. It is in the Bible that we truly get to meet Jesus and see what he really said and did. Unless we go to the Bible, we cannot say that we know anything about this Jesus.

This is one of the things that I have done throughout the years with some of the Catholic kids in our villages. Years ago our colleagues were asked if they would help with the local Catholic confirmation kids. Our colleagues are known in their village as the people who know the Bible. So through the years we have tried to make sure that these kids-becoming-adults (12-13 year-olds) are not only presented with the Bible, but are taught and shown how to read it. We try to take away a bit of the mystery and strangeness and teach them how to become familiar with what is there. 

In the coming month I will be able to revisit some of this teaching when these kids organize a reunion. We are interested to see where they are now and to remind them of how good God can make our lives, remind them that at a time in their lives they made a choice. We would like them to remember this choice and consider an even more momentous choice for their lives. 

We will also begin another course of “Getting to know Jesus” in the neighborhood of where we meet in Maastricht. We never know how many people will be interested or challenged by such a course. We invite people and know that God is calling those who are ready at this time to hear. Then we try to not only pass on the information, but to live the true life that Jesus gives us so that people can see that the seed actually bears fruit. 

We have no idea how long we might need to wait to see if any of this seed grows in the hearts of the people around us. We may never see the fruits in that sense. But we trust the grace and might of God in doing what He is doing. I may not have a green thumb (or green fingers as they say in Dutch), but I know that God is the one bringing growth and He is truly mighty. 

Listening for God

This past weekend I was privileged to teach at the Fall European Singles Retreat (ESR) in Gemünden, Germany. As I mentioned to someone who asked - I taught in English, not in German. The retreat is for singles from around Europe. We had people there from Germany, Romania, Belgium, Netherlands and the US. There were three people who had never attended before and had found the information at the website. The theme was “Listening for God”. 

What a challenge to think about how we listen for God, why we want to listen for God and what that looks like. In the end we also talked about how - even if we can hear God, are we listening “to” Him? This group had lots of questions and good and intense conversation time - especially at the campfire on the Saturday evening. But it is also a group that likes to laugh. 

I have always enjoyed being able to be with this group. Singles are at a different season in their life and have different questions in their walk with God. The Single’s Retreat has always been a good place to share those questions and encourage one another in faith. 

The first morning I went out for a walk as the sun was rising. I love walking in this area. The campground where the retreat is held is in the middle of the German hills. I am usually here in February for a different Bible study week, so seeing the trees with leaves was a bit different. But the beautiful quiet, the birdsong and blanket of silent mist, the peacefulness remains the same. 

God wants us to walk with Him. The most important thing that we can hear, and that he continuously tells us, is that He want to have a relationship with us. HE is making this possible. If we are listening, He continues to say this. He tells us through people (I am telling you right now), through the beauty of His nature, through songs that we hear and sing and through our conscience and minds that have been filled with His words. It is not that God is not speaking. It is that we need to listen. We can check what we hear by comparing it to His words in the Bible. 

And when we hear God - “Please come to me. Follow me. Turn around. Don’t fear, I am here. I am the mighty one. You can have true, abundant life in ME.” - we can truly listen “to” Him and do what is good and right and precious. Then we will truly be listening. Are you listening?

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”  Luke 6:46-49

Whensday: 1637 - The Statenvertaling

We of course use our Bible every day. We are extremely thankful not only that there are Bibles readily available (thanks to the invention of a printing press), but that we can read God’s word in so many languages. Just as in English, the Dutch language has many different translations. As a language changes, so the translation needs to keep step in order to be understandable by its readers. 

I remember coming to faith using an NIV English Bible. I am an English teacher by training, so reading the KJV (King James Version) later was not only possible, I enjoyed it and still do enjoy it. But I understand that many people would have a difficult time reading something from the 17th century - just as they might struggle with Shakespeare. The same is true for the Dutch translations. 

When I first came to the Netherlands, I learned my Dutch by reading a Gideon New Testament which had English on one side and Dutch on the other. This way I could figure out what I was reading, seeing and knowing it already in English. This translation was a fairly old version, as was the one I came to use the most - translated in 1951. But it was the version that has become my heart version. All of the texts I know from heart come from this version. 

But the original translation, the first official translation of the Bible from the original languages into Dutch, was completed in 1637 and so is very like the KJV. It was commissioned by the Staten Generaal - the States General of the Netherlands, which is the governing body (Senate and House of Representatives) of the Netherlands. The abbreviation used is SV. 

The NBG-1951 is the translation that I came to know the most. It is an official translation from the Dutch Bible Society (NBG), presented in 1951. In the 1970’s there was a modern language version presented called “Good News” and most recently there has been a NBV (New Bible Version). But those who loved the SV also wanted a linguistically updated version and brought the HSV or Revised Statenvertaling. 

As at all times I find it most important that people read their Bible. The words need to get into their hearts and minds. If someone has a different version (there are also two Catholic versions that many people would have if they have a Bible in house), then I am more than willing to help them read it. The most important thing is that they are reading and applying what they read in their lives. 

We also have various foreign language Bibles in our building, including one in Arabic, Chinese, Spanish and even in English. We have a regular visitor who is a Syrian refugee. She has her Bible on her phone (as so many do these days - and what a blessing that is), but we have a version for her if she needs it. 

What is your favorite translation of the Bible? When did you first start reading your Bible? 

Why?

As a parent, I am quite familiar with this question. At a certain age, all children will ask this question. And that is good. It is a question we all should continue asking throughout our lives. I also recognize this question from may time as a teacher. A good student will ask this question regularly. A good teacher, or parent, will be willing to answer the question to the best of their ability. 

Of course it is important that such a question be genuine. How often might a child start on a series of “why’s” just to make sure that bedtime is slightly delayed? The question can be repeated after every answer or explanation. It becomes a time of game. Students can do the same thing. But then we are not really looking for an answer or to grow. We are simply playing a game. 

It isn’t uncommon for us to run into people who ask “why” as a game. But more than not we have people asking some really good questions and looking for answers. Most recently the question was asked: “Why did Jesus have to die just a cruel death?” This was asked by a woman I visit with every two weeks. Since she is Catholic and knows that I am not she usually asks something like - “Do you have John the Baptist as well?” My response is most often to point to what we can read in the Bible. “If it is in the Bible, we have it.”

So also with the question she asked most recently. God’s word shows us from the beginning how loving God is to have come up with a way for us to be saved - in spite of ourselves. That is often the other question I hear: “Why didn’t God just take our sin away if He is almighty?” As a matter of fact, that is one of the questions one of our young people has asked recently as he is considering giving his life to Jesus. 

We can see throughout the Bible that God loves us and created a way for us to be with Him throughout eternity. But did it have to be so gruesome? That was a good question. Was it possible for Jesus to have died for us, innocent as He was and therefore paying righteously for what we deserved and clearing the path for us to be with God, but in a less gruesome manner? The question made for some good conversation (and I would love talking with you about it if you would like - just send me an email). 

Other questions have popped up throughout our conversations in the last weeks. We talk about Jesus, His life and what it means for us several times a week. We have at least one study on Monday, three studies on Tuesday, two on Wednesday and at least one on Thursday and Friday. “Why do we have to suffer as we are trying to follow God?” “Why am I even here on earth?” 

It is exciting to be able to share how amazing God is. It is also a good challenge regularly. Along the way we are also able to confront some of our own “why” questions that come up in our conversations with others. We are so thankful for so many who have made it possible for us to be here sharing God’s love and grace. We are thankful for those who have been an example in the past as we questioned. And thank you so much for praying for us as we try to answer questions.

Youth, camp, walking, studying

As this year continues to roll out, we are looking as a church in Maastricht at how best to serve one another, reach out to our community and be a family of God. There are all sorts of activities planned not only by the congregation here, but also others in Belgium and the Netherlands. 

This past weekend was a console weekend organized for teens from 12 years-old and up and held in Antwerp. One of our young people was able to attend, along with his father as a helper. These weekends get young people together to have good time gaming (within boundaries) and also consider some real themes in life. 

In Maastricht we are looking at when we can best plan another youth weekend for our own youth and their friends. Last year we planned a day around the armor of God. This year we hope to get the young people together again - probably in April, but maybe in September. We may even look at planning two events. 

We are also looking at getting together again for a day down at camp. This is a time of study together and fellowship. Last year we spent an encouraging day learning about the Bible before spending the rest of the afternoon in a walk through the nature that speaks so eloquently of God’s existence. We will probably plan this day in the weekend Shirley and Scott return from their trip to the US. 

One of the suggestions made by one of our members was to plan a weekly or monthly time to walk in the city (or areas around the city). This would be an activity to which members could invite friends and family and affords good time for good conversation and prayer. Many of our members live in wonderful areas for a good walk. We are blessed with living in one of the most beautiful areas of the Netherlands and Belgium. 

We have already started with a study group on Tuesday evenings for our English-speaking young people. We have several university students and young professionals in the congregation. We are currently looking at the wisdom that Paul passes on to Timothy in his letters and are blessed with a group that not only enjoys the time together but is serious about growing in faith. 

These are all activities that are planned for before the Summer. Of course Shirley and Scott will be off for two months in the US visiting family and church family, but activities continue. And in the Summer the Bible camp weeks are already planned. Scott and Shirley will help lead and teach at the Teen week in August. This year will also be the first time that a week is planned for young professionals. There may also be a special week planned for Ukrainians in the Netherlands and Belgium. 

Pray with us for these efforts. Thank you for working together with us in reaching these areas of the world with the good news of a life in Jesus Christ. 

Let us reason together

This evening Shirley and I will be at a study in the home of one of our members. On this evening we will be looking further into the book of Ezekiel and how that impacts our daily life with Christ. We also take plenty of time to share our lives together and pray for one another and the needs in the church. 

On Tuesdays, Scott has reading the gospel of Mark with a mother and daughter in order to get to know Jesus. Tuesday afternoons Scott is usually off to a 91 year-old woman who says that she “inherited” him from his previous care for her boyfriend before the boyfriend passed away last year. They talk about the differences between what she experiences in the Catholic Church and what they read together in the Bible.

On Wednesday evenings Scott and Shirley go over to colleagues Ruud and Karla’s house where the Bible study for the week progresses online with the rest of the congregation. The most recent lessons have come from the letters to the Corinthians, showing us practical lessons that we can learn from the struggles of the church in Corinth. We are thankful for the hybrid nature of this study (in-person and online) so that more members can take part, since our membership is spread out in the area. 

On Thursday morning Scott and Ruud meet with another man to read in Acts and examine what the first christians looked like. It is important to see how the Bible shows us so many things that are practical for our daily lives today. The first Christians struggled with many of the same situations as we do today. Do we look like they do in our faith? 

Every Friday Shirley is online with the ladies of the congregation. They have more recently also decided to get together in person at least once every six weeks so that they can encourage one another that way as well. In December they plan a ladies time away. For some of our ladies this is the only time to truly get away and be encouraged ij Christian faith. 

These times of study are exciting and encouraging. On Sunday mornings one of the best moments is our coffee time together when we all stand around - cup of coffee or tea in hand - and tak about spiritual things and our lives in Christ. The topics that came up in the week, the things mentioned that day in the sermon, the challenges we have faced in the week can all be shared. Then we see how the word of God is not an intellectual pursuit, but a daily, practical necessity and beauty. 

Meeting Jesus

This past weekend we hosted a youth weekend in Maastricht. Usually we have a bit more time to announce things and get a group together, but the short notice for this weekend (less than two weeks) didn’t keep too many from coming. We had a great group of young people willing to learn and looking forward to encouraging one another.

One of the things that we so want to encourage in our youth is to really get to know Jesus. That is what we consistently hear from Jesus in the gospels: Follow me. When Philip asks Jesus to show them the Father, Jesus replies, “Philip, have I been with you so long and you still don’t know me? If you have seen me you have seen the Father.” (John 14:8-9)

So we took time from Saturday afternoon until Sunday afternoon to meet Jesus and see what we could learn about him in those meetings. Along the way we also had fun with eggs, a scavenger hunt and marshmallows around a fire. We spent time developing relationships with each other while we developed our relationship with Jesus.

I am always impressed by young people who are not only able but who are also willing to listen to the Word and dig into what is being said. We looked at the 12-year-old Jesus in the temple, at Jesus on the mountain and feeding the 5000, at Jesus washing the feet of the disciples and why he could do this, at Jesus in the garden and walking over the sea. The challenge now is to read one of the gospels in the coming month to continue getting to know Jesus. Why not read along with us? Choose a gospel and take the time to get to know Jesus. We can talk about what you have found next month. 

Wiser on the Way

This evening we finished up the "Getting to know the Bible" series of lessons. In Dutch it is called "Wiser on the way". A "wiser" has two meanings: to be wiser and something that points (like the hand on a clock). So the title means that you can become wiser on the way and you can be pointed to the right direction with the Bible.

We had put a press release in the local papers and had 5 good reactions. Mr. W. showed up for lessons 1-3 last week. (We know that at least two others tried to find it, but got lost in our neighborhood - something to learn from for next time!). We have had some wonderful discussions with him each evening. He decided to stay for lesson 4, 5 and 6 this week and has asked for more information on the church and on the Bible. Thank you for your prayers and please keep him in your prayers.

One of the most encouraging things throughout this series has been Willemien, our 85-year-old sister. She has been present each time we have offered lessons 1-3. She makes sure the room is open, turns on the heat if needed (we started these last Fall) and gets coffee ready. But more importantly, she takes part. As she has said, most of the time she arrives tired (the lessons are in the evening) and leaves completely energized. This time she was telling everyone to be sure and come - and she takes the information she has learned and passes it on to people she meets and talks to. What a wonderful blessing she is to the church here!

Thank you for your prayers for this effort. We will repeat the series again in the Fall, hopefully reaching more people from here in the neighborhood.

Try again

What do you do when you’ve put a ton of effort into a project and it flops? I am still trying to figure that one out.

This month we wanted to get our course “Getting to know the Bible” going again. We first offered the course back in November. For that effort we distributed about 2000 flyers and knocked doors. We ended up with a good group for both sessions of three lessons. This time we distributed over 2500 cards inviting the neighbors, put up posters in all the local stores, knocked some doors and . . . welcomed no one to the one session of three lessons which we had planned.

We of course have been praying for these efforts, as have many of you. Sean was more upset for me than I was, I think. He kept mentioning how I had put so much effort into it, that it was disappointing that no one came. He was right. But I know that we need to keep on trying.

So we have set anther date (end of April) when we will once again offer the course. The cards we distributed mentioned that the course would start soon. This time we will also get some press releases in the local papers and knock some more doors. And we will pray, as we have from the beginning.

Sometimes it is hard to know if I should share the struggles that go with these efforts. But to be honest, I am glad that I can share this. We cannot do this alone. And, thankfully, we are not doing it alone. Thank you for your prayers.