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. 

Chewing on meat

How precious it is to sit and share together at the table! This past week I was blessed again to spend a few days at ABSS - Advanced Bible Study Series in Gemünden, Germany with people from all over Europe. The lessons are always challenging on various levels and there is time and opportunity for real conversation about spiritual topics. It is also a time to meet new people and where young and old gather to learn from each other. 

I usually also go hoping to see and experience some snow, but that was certainly not to be this year. Instead, I was able to play some good, energetic basketball with a good group from Marseille. In the past we have played in the snow, we have played when we only had three and we have played with anyone - even those who don’t really know anything about basketball. This time we had at least 4x4, but the challenge was to play with a ball that was almost flat. Lots of passing, very little dribbling. 

As mentioned, the lessons challenge. This year brought questions about what third-culture leadership looks like. It even reminded me that anyone who is in Christ is essentially third-culture, as is anyone who is married. Another series asked us to look at our bias and consider how we approach others with the word of God. For me it was nice to get some lessons on Judges, since I will be teaching this at our Teen Camp this summer. It is always nice to get some information and different viewpoints at a week like this. 

Shirley and I are always apart during this study week. We cannot easily find someone for Chester for those days. At the end of this week (Thursday), Shirley heads out to the Ladies Retreat in Germany, so it will be her turn then for the challenging lessons, conversations and good fellowship. We are thankful that we have these opportunities and that we are able to take advantage of them. 

How has God been challenging your heart and mind around the table with others recently? 

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Ephesians 2:14-18

Family!

As we prepare to head off for two months, we are reminded again of the things that are so important and real in our lives. The apostle Peter said to Jesus, “We have left all we had to follow you!” Jesus replied, “No one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of Godwill fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

People here are almost flabbergasted when we mention that we will be gone for two months – until we explain where we will go and who we will see. Then it is often surprise that we are welcomed in so many placesby people we don’t even know. And truly, it is wonderful to know that we have family all over the world. And while we are very much looking forward to hugging on our boys’ necks, seeing our daughters-in-lawagainand seeing our blood relatives, we are also so thankful that we will be able to see brothers and sisters in Christ whomwe have not seen for quite a while and meet new parts of the family all over the US.

But before we get to see everyone on that side of the water, we have been spending time with our family here. As I wrote earlier this year, blessings come in all sorts of packages, including painful ones. It has been beautiful to see how we as a family in Maastricht can help one another when a member loses a loved one, when a dreaded diagnosis is given, or when a daily reality of living with a spouse antagonistic to faith hits again. We are here for one another. 

We have also been spending these last couple weeks trying to take care of everything that needs to keep going while we are gone. We will jump into a week of camp three days after we arrive back in Belgium, so lessons and plans need to be in place already. We want to make the most of relationships with people we have been talking to about God’s love, so we have spent time around the table in conversations. And the grass finally needs to be mowed and the weeds on the driveway pulled. 

In March Shirley enjoyed the ladies retreat in Germany. Scott held another singing workshop, this time in Eindhoven where Scott and Shirley go every third Wednesday for singing. We enjoyed several Monday evening studies with brothers and sisters as well as several other Wednesday studies at our home. 

These are the kinds of things we also look forward to in our travels in the coming months. Scott will offer a song workshop in Muscatine and Denver, will share thoughts and views on Bible camps and missions and will, together with Shirley, talk about how God has brought us this far and how He wants to use all of us. We look forward to seeing you in the US. Please let us know if we can hook up when we are in your neck of the woods. Family is very important to us. 

Lead or get out of the way

This past week I was privileged once again to be able to attend the Advanced Bible Study Series (ABSS) in Gemünden, Germany. This is a mid-week and weekend session of Bible studies with various teachers and leaders from around Europe and the world. It is not only a great time to ‘feast’ on good spiritual food (with some good challenges), but is also a wonderful time to see old friends and make new friends from around Europe.

The lessons this year seemed to be centered around leadership. How do we become leaders – which processes do we face along the way and how can we be aware of them? What is leadership exactly? What does it look like? How do we respond to modern idolatry, taking a stand and being an example? We listened to Craig Young, Patrick Boyns, Doyle Key and Jim McGuiggan.

One of the things that stuck with me was the idea that God is a giver. He so enjoys giving to all and especially to His children. And in His giving, He is wanting to save everyone – all the world. Of course we know this as Christians. But it is so good to be reminded again.

And He so wants to reach the world with His wonderful love and grace that if we do not - if we are standing in the way not allowing ourselves to be used – then we are blocking Him, keeping Him from doing that which He will do. And He will do it (bring His grace) even if we have to be moved out of the way so that He can reach others.

I do not want to be in the way – I want to be part of this wonderful, gracious, giving God’s plans to bless the world each and every day and into eternity. And He can use even me! And you. Join me in following Jesus as he brings grace to those around us.

Here are some pictures from the part of the week I was present (I went home on Friday, but some stayed through the weekend).