Hope and true life

Although many in the Netherlands don’t really know why they have a holiday on this day, we are thankful for the 2nd day of Pentecost - even more so this year. In the Netherlands there are three holidays that get a 2nd day: Christmas, Easter and Pentecost. The fist two have become ambiguous in recent decades, but Pentecost has always been a bit of a strange one. 

For the churches in the Netherlands and Belgium this is a day to get together and encourage one another. Since everyone has free, it is a good day to gather. The Family Day at camp in the Fall is more for the churches in Belgium and this day more for the churches in the Netherlands, since it held in The Hague. But people from all over both country are welcome. This year we had a group of about 60 visit from Maastricht, Antwerp, Ghent, Eindhoven, Haarlem and The Hague, but various countries were also represented. 

Our theme for the day was hope and we finished the day with a visit in a nearby park which concluded with a walk to the beach to see a death, burial and resurrection. Jef had been talking for some time about his faith as he visited in Maastricht. But yesterday after services he stated quite emphatically that he needed to be saved and Jesus was the only one who could do it. He wanted to give his life to the only One who could really give him hope for eternity. 

Jef was already planning on coming to this special day, so we simply planned a little further and took some things along to make it possible for him to be born. We are so thankful for the hope that Jesus truly gives. Praise God for your new brother in Christ and pray for his daily walk and growth in faith. It was great to see so many there today - some of them also young babes in Christ, walking in faith. 

It is so good to see how God can use us in so many different ways to bring life, joy and hope to this world where hope is far away. Our hope is built on the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which gives us a living hope, tested by fire, founded on the promises of God, stretching into eternity. 

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.   1 Peter 1:3-9

Where oh Where Wednesday: The Hague

In just 10 days we will be in The Hague again for our annual gathering of Dutch-speaking churches. The Hague is also called “Den Haag” or, to make things even more challenging, “’s Granevnhage”. That last one is the official version which was first used I the 15th century and means “the count’s grove (or hedge)”. 

The Hague is the administrative center and seat of government for the Netherlands. So although Amsterdam is the official capital of the Netherlands, parliament meets in The Hague. It is here that you will find the “little tower” where the prime minister meets, here that parliament meets and makes laws, here that the highest courts of the land make judgements. 

The Hague is part of the province of South Holland (whereas Amsterdam is part of North Holland). It is the 3rd largest city in the Netherlands with a population around half a million. With its greater urban area the population comes closer to 800,000 and joins the other major areas which make up the “Randstad” - including Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht - where roughly half the population of the Netherlands lives. 

The city itself is set along the sea and has a lively variation of activities. You can find Madurodam - a mini park where most of Europe is  shown in miniature, the beach and area of Scheveningen (which also houses a high security prison for international criminals), the International Court of Justice, Europol and a judicial arm of the United Nations. There is a world famous theater, a panoramic museum on the pier of Scheveningen and plenty of modern architecture. It is in the parks of The Hague that activists gather to make their voices heard. 

And this is where, in the 1970’s the church grew due to its international character. The international businesses of Shell, Dow and more meant that the congregation had a varied membership. When Shirley and I arrived in 1981 on a campaign, it was the members of the church here that touched our hearts and called us to return. We spent days delivering flyers I the city. And it was on the steps of the building in The Hague that we had our first kiss (on May 31 1981). 

On June 9 we will enjoy meeting with the various churches from around Belgium and the Netherlands in the building in The Hague. This time we will also spend the afternoon in a park nearby, enjoying fellowship and the beauty of the city. 

COPA Benelux 2024

Each year an indoor soccer tournament is organized for the churches in Belgium and the Netherlands. It is a fun opportunity to get together in a different way and to show how much fun can be had by Christians together. It is also an opportunity to invite friends to a different kind of activity. 

In past years the congregation in Maastricht has put together a team. As a matter of fact, we were the first ones to win in the Fun league (we have never had a team in the “pro” league). But in the past years it has become a bit more difficult to field a team. Last year we were part of “Fun United”. This year I signed up individually and was assigned to the team from The Hague - Den Haag Xtra (they said I was the “extra”). 

There were 7 pro teams and 4 fun teams, which is quite an increase from the previous years. It was great to see so many taking part. Halfway through the day we stop to have time to sing together, hear a short devotional thought and pray together. Each game is officiated by the players themselves. It was exciting to see the players being honest and helping one another, even those on the other team. This is what it looks like when Christians get together to have fun. 

And in the end Den Haag Xtra were the Fun champions! I was the goalie for the
games and enjoyed being able to help the team to this victory. It was fun to encourage, to have some good conversations between games and just to have fun together. Next year we will try to put together a team from Maastricht and see if we can bring the trophy home again.