COPA Benelux

This past weekend we were united in fun. Really. Every year the COPA Benelux - an indoor soccer tournament for teams from around Belgium and the Netherlands - is organized. In Maastricht we try to form a team to play, but the last few years this has not been possible. So this year three of us from Maastricht joined three from Gent and one from Haarlem to form a team. We are FUN United.

You see, the teams are split up in Pro and Fun. The Pro teams are serious. They usually have people who know how to play, are basically fit and are serious about winning - although they are also there to have fun. Christians know how to have fun. God made fun. The other teams, made up mostly of kids (at least 10 years old), people who don’t know that much about soccer and older people make up the Fun teams. 

This year there were only 3 fun teams and 7 pro teams. But the fun teams definitely had fun. Our team did not win any games, although we made some of them fairly exciting. Still, we got third place. (This is where one would put an emoji sticking his cheeky tongue out). It was fun to play although my body definitely feels it still, two days later. We had some beautiful goals and plenty of screaming to root one another one. 

In between matches I always enjoy meeting new people and checking in with people we do not get to see very often. There were some players from Antwerp that we only see during this tournament. And it was good to check in with them. One of the other Fun teams was from Den Haag. As a matter of fact, last year I won the Fun tournament as part of their team. This year they also won in a thrilling final that only ended after penalty shootouts. 

I am always thankful for people around the country who make the effort to put something like this together. This is a place where young people can get together. It is a time when older people can connect with younger people in a different way. It is a moment when everyone sees that perseverance and fairness are part of having fun. It was great, nearing the end of the day, when we all gathered to sing praises to God and hear a pep talk. Like Luk Brazle always mentions - soccer and singing go together. We love singing to God who gives us such fun moments. 

The photo is of FUN United. You can find more photos of the day here. 

Getting stronger, staying strong

It is a new year. Sometimes we use this time to decide to do new things. Sometimes we use it to get back to things we had wanted to do. It can be a time of new beginnings. The same is true for us. We often don’t realize that our bodies are getting bit older. I am often surprised at what I look like when I walk by a mirror. So we want to stay healthy and maybe even get stronger. 

Both Shirley and I try hard to eat well. We pay attention to what we eat and try not to overdo anything. Mind you, we also don’t stress out too much if we do something special every once in a while. The holidays were times to be with family and friends and enjoy those times, not obsess about how many sweets or fats we were eating. But we do try to keep things healthy. 

Both of us also try to keep our bodies physically healthy. Shirley has been trying to get a walk in every day and she takes me along with her when I am at home during the day. We both used to0 be able to do this with the dog, but Chester has been gone almost two years now. So getting out, in wind and rain and snow and cold has been a challenge. But it feels good. 

I try to keep up on some exercises for my core. While I will probably never have a six-pack (and don’t care that I do not), I want to make sure that the sitting I do doesn’t take over my body. Sometimes this means pushing myself to do things I feel less thrilled about doing. But it always feels good afterwards. And I notice that having this basic health helps in everyday life as well. 

The same applies to our spiritual life. We have been Christians for more than 40 years. We could (and sometimes do) get a bit ’squishy’ with our Bible knowledge or application. It is easy to think you have already figured everything out or have already read enough. And yet, every time I read the Bible - and there is not a part I have not read before - I am struck by what the father of my best friend always said: I always come across something new. We all live in seasons and God’s word applies to those seasons. So some things we only realize or learn in later life. 

Recently we have shared with several of the people we are mentoring weekly how we read and apply in our lives. Reading a bit of the New Testament with a bit of the Old Testament helps to keep things in perspective and helps in understanding the Old Testament beter. Reading the gospels again and adding bits of Proverbs or Psalms keeps things well-rounded and focused on Jesus, our King. 

And just like any exercise for our body, if we only watch a YouTube video about it or read about it from a guideline, it will not help our body. An exercise is only useful when we actually put it into practice. So too with our Bible reading. It has been exciting at the beginning of this year to see so many in the congregation in Maastricht doing just this. Not only have there been plenty of good questions about the Word, there have already been some good struggles in application. And it is clear that we, and others, want to keep it up as we continue into this new year. 

What are your habits for staying spiritually healthy? 

A Robe and a Crown

It has been more than a month now since we started taking care to keep our distance in social situations. Belgium went into ‘lockdown-lite’ on March 12, but we were already looking and planning how we would meet digitally that coming Sunday. Now we are old hands at meeting together and have become a place where others in the country can also meet. We have members joining us from around Belgium and even from Prague. 

But corona (the crown) has definitely changed our work. When the borders closed, it severely hampered our ability to help our members in Maastricht (since we live in Belgium, just across the border) and meant that all of our planned activities in the Netherlands had to be cancelled. Of course most activities - including a concert at the end of May with Harding University and three other choral groups - were cancelled anyway because of the government rules. 

So, instead of meeting with people in the Netherlands, we have been spending more time encouraging members via internet and telephone. I have never been a big fan of phone calls - I tend to like email better - but we have several people who are non-digital, so telephone is the only way to really reach them. It is amazing to see (or hear) how much a voice can mean to people. Especially as this time of self-isolation grinds on. 

It strikes me that Jesus suffered for us - accepting the mocking robe and crown of thorns before dying on the cross. Peter says that we should follow his example (1 Peter 2:21). And Paul tells Timothy that we will receive a crown from the Lord if we are faithful (2 Timothy 4:8). But he also mentions that we will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). These are persecutions and suffering in connection with following Jesus. So in times of this crown that may feel at times to be so thorny, I am reminded that this is not really that hard. And we can endure, knowing that we have a future that is certain and confirmed. 

And since we have plenty of time on our hands, we are using other ways to reach out. I am writing some articles for a site that is being developed by two young evangelists in Eindhoven. The site is focused on those seeking God and presents answers to all sorts of questions. And we continue some of our Bible studies, but then digitally, of course.

For the church I have been working on getting more songs available for all members in various forms. There is a new app for the phone developed with a brother in Haarlem. I have added lyric video’s to the song website for the Dutch churches (geestelijkeliederen.nl) and we are working on putting more songs together with a virtual choir. Not a video choir, but one where we can all sing together and present the songs again to the churches for use. 

We are waiting, somewhat impatiently, to hear from the government this week if activities in the summer will be allowed to continue or not. This will impact our summer Bible camp. We pray that all will be allowed to go forward, but if it is not allowed, then we will start figuring out how to do things digitally. Nothing can stop the word of God and God has made us creative and given us all sorts of tools. We pray that we ill be able to use them well. 

Above all, we have been so very thankful for brothers and sisters who have clearly shown how important it is to join together and encourage one another. Some might have thought that members would slack off, since no one could really see if they were not attending or not. But we are seeing people wanting to gather even more - and using every opportunity to get together. It is exciting to see this spirit. 

How has God been blessing you in your faith during these times of thorny questions and blessings for the future? 

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8