Christmas Day +++ Joie de Noël +++ Christmas Joy

Psalm 98   Psaumes 98    Psalmen 98

John 1.1-14  Jean 1.1-14   Johannes 1.1-14

Isaiah 52.7-10   Hebrews 1.1-12

Esaïe 52.7-10   Hebreux 1.1-12

Jesaja 52.7-10   Hebreeën 1.1-12

Joie de Noël/Christmas Joy

Il est né le Divin Enfant

Jouez hautbois, résonnez musettes.

Il est né le Divin Enfant,

Chantons tous son avènement.

Joyeux Noël ; Happy Christmas ; Zalig Kerstfeest !

Le jour est venu ; les ténèbres sont remplies de la lumière.

Il est né pour nous, enfants, femmes, hommes afin qu’à ceux qui le reçoivent, qui croient en son nom, soit donné le pouvoir de devenir enfants de Dieu.

Mais la joie n'est pas seulement la nôtre.

Le psaume pour ce jour commence en chants de joie du peuple de Dieu.  Mais il continue.  Et toute la création est remplie de joie aussi : la mer, les fleuves, les montagnes !

Et ça ne doit pas nous surprendre.

Notre lecture de l'évangile selon Jean ce jour nous rappelle que la Parole a été faite chair pour toute l'humanité, mais l'évangéliste souligne qu’il a été par cette Parole que toutes choses ont été faites.   La lumière de cette Parole est venue dans le monde – le ‘cosmos’ pour le sauver.

Donc, notre célébration est la célébration de toute la terre (Ps 98.5), créé comme nous par la Parole de Dieu.   Nous partageons sa joie et son espoir de la restauration de toute chose en Jésus Christ, le divin enfant, la Parole de Dieu.

Chantez à l'Eternel avec la harpe ; avec la harpe chantez des cantiques !

Our Christmas joy is shared by the whole of creation, made through the power of the Word of God.  The Word made flesh has come that we might be saved and creation restored.

John Wilkinson

As the Old Sing, the Young Pipe By Jacob Jordaens, 1593-1678. From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55408 [retrieved December 20, 2019]. Original source: ht+C11tp://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Jordaens01.jpg.

Christmas Eve +++ Children of God

Matthew 19.13-15     Matthieu 19.13-15   Mattheüs 19.13-15

Psalm 45   Malachi 2.1-16  Revelation 1.1-8

Psaumes 45   Malachie 2.1-16   Revelation 1.1-8

Psalmen 45    Maleachi 2.1-16  Revelation 1.1-8

Children of God

In my home country, we celebrate the birth of baby Jesus on Christmas Eve. In the service, the Christmas gospel is read. The children each get a figurine from the nativity set, and they have to listen out throughout the story for when to bring their figurine to the front.

This way, the children are included in the service. Jesus said: Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them. For the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. We are all children of God. May we all feel welcomed into our church family this Christmas. May we look out for each other and care for each other as Mary and Joseph cared for baby Jesus.

Sara T 

Julkrubba i Sävja kyrka (Christmas manger in Sävja church)

By Ulkl - Ulf Klingström, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5308228

Day 23 of Advent +++ La foi en action +++ Faith in action

2 Pierre 1.1-15    2 Peter 1.1-15    2 Petrus 1.1-15

Psaumes 130   Malachie 1.1,6-14   Matthieu 19.1-12

Psalm 130     Malachi 1.1,6-14   Matthew 19.1-12

Psaumen 130    Maleachi 1.1,6-14   Mattheüs 19.1-12

La foi en action/Faith in action

En lisant la lettre de Pierre, je me suis senti interpellé. Il me semble que cette interpellation concerne tous ceux qui ont la foi en Jésus-Christ. A cette époque, avoir seulement la foi ne garantissait pas une place dans le royaume éternel de notre Seigneur mais la foi devait être accompagnée de bonnes actions comme le dit clairement Pierre dans sa lettre. (2 Pierre 1.5-7).

Dans cette épitre, Pierre commence en rappelant aux chrétiens ce qu'ils ont reçu en partage : la foi en Jésus-Christ.  Cette foi ne pas être inactive. Elle doit se traduire dans des actions concrètes. Quand je parle d’actions concrètes, je pense à l’affection fraternelle entre les frères et sœurs et le fait de partager l’amour de Jésus avec tout le monde. En l’absence de manière concrète de vivre notre foi, Pierre parlera alors de l’oisiveté, de la stérilité. Terme très fort et interpellant n’est-ce pas ! Il y a donc moyen de traduire notre foi en action concrète. Ici, je pourrais lancer une invitation de venir en aide aux personnes âgées de notre société. Après plus d’une décennie que je travaille avec ces personnes, je sais combien de fois elles apprécieraient le partage de l’amour du Christ, ….

En période de l’année où le froid revient au galop, je lancerais plutôt une invitation générale qui inclue toutes ces personnes qui sont dans le besoin en l’occurrence les sans-abris et les refugiés qui sont livrés à eux-mêmes dans nos villes. (Parc Maxilliens à Bruxelles).

Marie-Léonille Batiga

Holy Trinity Brussels Community Kitchen https://www.holytrinity.be/community-kitchen

Fourth Sunday of Advent +++ Be prepared

Isaiah 7.10-16   Isaïe 7.10-16   Jesaja 7.10-16
Matthew 1.18-25   Matthieu 1.18-25   Mattheüs 1.18-25
Psalm 80.1-8   Romans 1.1-7
Psaumes 80.1-8   Romains 1.1-7
Psalmen 80.1-8   Romeinen 1.1-7

Be prepared

My mother would have been 86 today. Her passing in 2008 was swift and unexpected. We were not prepared for her to die, nor was she, as she died without a will. How I wish we could have known in enough time to prepare.

The reading today from Isaiah is called the Immanuel Prophecy. Some 700 years before Christ's birth, his unique conception and circumstance were foretold. "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel".  The people had seven centuries to prepare and ponder his arrival.  And then the prophecy became a reality, as addressed in the reading from Matthew’s gospel. If you had the knowledge that something momentous was going to happen, something that would change the world forever, what would you do with that knowledge? Science fiction has many stories about this theme and the time travel that seems to be required . Well I can tell you that tomorrow could bring anything life changing.  Are you prepared?

Advent is a time of waiting and contemplation.

Laura Buckner

Immanuel -- Behold a Virgin Shall Conceive…, Church of St. Etheldreda, London Stained glass by Joseph Nuttgens, 1952. From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56229 [retrieved November 29, 2019]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/paullew/2838876113.

Day 21 of Advent +++ Safe Travels

Psalm 121   Psaumes 121    Psalmen 121

Zephaniah 3.14-20  Jude 4  Matthew 18.21-35

Sophonie 3.14-20   Jude 4   Matthieu 18.21-35

Zefanja 3.14-20   Judas 4    Mattheüs 18.21-35

Safe travels

Psalm 121 is one of the fifteen Songs of the Ascents, composed for the liturgy of the Dedication of Solomon’s Temple. They were first sung during the night celebrations of the Feast of Sukkot that preceded the Dedication, the night of the fifteenth of Ethanim, 959 BC.

Some folk say they were sung by pilgrims on the roads to Zion. And perhaps, later, they were. But their original setting was that the Levite chorus sang the fifteen songs on the fifteen steps - one psalm on each step - that led from the temple’s Lower Court to the Court of Israel. In this way, they acted out, within the temple, the pilgrimage of the Israelites to Zion. This they did, annually, for over 1,000 years, from Solomon’s time till the cessation of the temple in AD 70.

Of all the fifteen Songs of Ascents, this one speaks of the journey. The hills to which the Merarite psalmist lifts his eyes are the hills of Jerusalem as he travels from his home in the Transjordan toward the holy city. But travel was a risky business in the tenth century BC. No Thalys or smooth highways or friendly policemen. But rocky roads beset by bandits, beasts, and burning sun. A traveller needed protection. They travelled in armed groups, of course. But they sought higher protection than arms could give. And so this song was written as a blessing for the pilgrims. Six times in this little song Yehovah is called ‘keeper’ or ‘protector’. He is the ever-wakeful helper, a shield from the elements, the omnipotent Maker who defends those coming to worship in his house.

Nowadays, the same God keeps our ways. We may ask his blessing on our coming and going. When we sit behind the wheel, when the metro pulls out, or the plane takes off, we can affirm verse 8 for protection on our ways.

But those who have set their hearts on pilgrimage have a bigger journey ahead, a lifelong trudge through a hostile world to the city of God. But he who called us to his feast is faithful. He will keep our coming and going, will keep us always, until we enter the gates of his city with joy.

David Mitchell

Mountain of the Holy Cross By Thomas Moran, 1837-1926. From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57169 [retrieved December 20, 2019]. Original source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thomas_Moran,_Mountain_of_the_Holy_Cross,_1890._Watercolor,_National_Gallery_of_Art,_Washington,.jpg.

Day 20 of Advent +++ Become like a child?

Matthew 18.1-20   Matthieu 18.1-20   Mattheüs 18.1-20

Psalm 46   Zephaniah 3.1-13   2 Thessalonians 3

Psaumes 46  Sophanie 3.1-13  2 Thessaloniciens 3

Psalmen 46   Zefanja 3.1-13   2 Thessalonicenzen 3

Become like a child?

In the opening verse of Matthew 18, Jesus is asked a tough question. “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?” Jesus responds by calling a child to come and stand in front of them, and then says, “I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.” I found this response very intriguing because when I’m often told I am acting like a child it’s never a good thing. However, there are Children in today’s society that have had a huge impact in the world. For example, when I was at Holy Trinity Brussels I was very surprised about the great numbers at the School strike for the climate in which 30,000 participated. This was all started by a young Swedish girl called Greta Thunberg.

Whether you agree with her opinion on this or not, we can’t deny how much of a great example she has set for others around the world. Over the past two years we have seen a Swedish schoolgirl who has been diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome, OCD and selective mutism, act more maturely than some of the world leaders. For me Jesus suggests that when we ‘become like children’ we need to become humble towards God our Father. By doing this we will become more engaging when it comes to developing our relationship with God. Childhood is a very important stage of life that we carry throughout our lives, it’s a stage that we develop our characteristics, values, beliefs and personality. Which is why I think Jesus is suggesting that we need faith in God just as a child has faith in their parents because the pathway of the kingdom of heaven is faith. It’s faith which moves God's heart and the greats in the kingdom of heaven have great faith. 

Want wij wandelen door geloof en niet door aanschouwen.

Mark Van Eker

Editors’ note: Mark was the CEMES Intern for the Ministry Experience Scheme in Europe at Holy Trinity, Brussels, 2018-19..

Greta Thunberg, May 2019.

By Bundesministerium für Europa, Integration und Äußeres - Austrian World Summit Climate Kirtag, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=79314724

Day 19 of Advent +++ Praise!

Psalm 146  Psaumes 146   Psalmen 146

Matthew 17.22-27   Matthieu 17.22-27   Mattheüs 17.22-27

Zephaniah 1.1-2.3   2 Thessalonians 2

Sophonie 1.1-2.3    2 Thessaloniciens 2

Zefanja 1.1-2.3      2 Thessalonicenzen 2

Praise!

Praise the Lord! That's how today's psalm begins and ends. Praise the Lord! Why would the writer of this psalm be in such jubilation? Is life treating him well; has he got everything under control; or has God just answered his prayers? Why does he want to sing praises to his Lord? The answers are not given. And it is not important. This psalm is all about the Lord who deserves our praise. This song is about who He is, and when the psalm writer thinks about Him he just wants to sing and worship! He does not look at himself, but rather to God - something I, and maybe you too, ought to do more.

The psalm gives us a beautiful picture of the Lord our God who is worthy of our praise. Our 2nd reading also sheds light on Jesus' (and thus the Father's) greatness:

We enter into a conversation between Jesus and Peter concerning a Jewish tax for the upkeep of the temple (not a Roman tax!). We see that

-        our Lord is omnipresent

-        Jesus has authority over all and everything

-        Jesus provides in unexpected ways

-        Peter is not to sit back and await quietly; he has to take action to see Jesus' promise become reality and then everything happens just as Jesus had said

-        even as there is no obligation, but just so to offend no-one, Jesus pays the price acting in freedom and love

-        the sons (His children, all who have put their trust in Him (Rom 8:16,17)) are exempt, with other words, GO FREE.

We are sinners, we don't deserve to find a coin in a fish's mouth; we are under the curse of the law - unless we accept the Son of man who gave himself freely as a substitute for us on the cross and purchased for us forgiveness from all sin. That is what Jesus came for.....!! That is what we need to believe, embrace and ponder afresh this Advent time.

Out of his great love for us, He has come and prepared the way for us. He has paid the price, so His children go free. Let's celebrate and worship every day. Bring praise to His name. Our God is like no one or nothing else. Praise Him! Praise Him!

Janine Vrolijk

The Tribute Money (this drawing on tracing paper represents Jesus telling Peter he will find money for the temple tax in a fish’s mouth). By Eugène Delacroix (French, Charenton-Saint-Maurice 1798–1863 Paris), 1843. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Gift from the Karen B. Cohen Collection of Eugène Delacroix, in memory of Frank Anderson Trapp, 2013. www.metmuseum.org.

Day 18 of Advent +++ God is Enough

Matthew 17.14-21   Matthieu 17.14-21   Mattheüs  17.14-21

Psalm 75     Isaiah 39   2 Thessalonians 1

Psaumes 75   Esaïe 39  2 Thessaloniciens 1

Psalmen 75   Jesaja 39   2 Thessalonicenzen 1

God is enough

Enough.

Enough is a word that I find myself thinking about often these days. Keeping up with everyone and everything that demands a piece of me - work, my daughters, my partner, friends, other obligations, things that restore me, keeping up with basic hygiene and nutrition - leaves me feeling like there isn’t enough to go around. I can begin to live out of the fear that I will eventually dry up - that I am too little jam spread across too much toast. 

At this point in the year, this feeling usually elicits groans of empathy from those around me. Regardless of our life situations, December is a whirlwind of meeting deadlines and arranging services and figuring out how to balance the demands of always-on culture during the holidays. I’m left asking: am I enough? 

I empathise, then, with the disciples in today’s Gospel reading. When they fail to heal a boy experiencing seizures, they have a similar question - Lord, why weren’t we able to heal him? Why weren’t we enough? 

Jesus answer was almost devastating in its simplicity - they didn’t have the faith. Faith that God would do what God promised. Faith that God would come close, would do great things through the disciples, would use their hands to do divine work. 

Advent is a time of preparing to receive Jesus into our lack as a divine gift. A time to learn to get out of our own way, to admit that we aren’t enough, but that God is enough for us. That God is faithful. That God is working in us.

This season, we might frequently lose track of the faith that God is enough to cover our lack. So, may God come close to us and remind us that though we are not enough on our own, that Jesus is. May we claim God’s faithfulness, God’s nearness, and God’s desire to do incredible work through us exactly as we are.

Natalie Jones

Enough

By Lauren Wright Pittman. From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=56555 [retrieved December 17, 2019]. Original source: http://www.lewpstudio.com - copyright by Lauren Wright Pittman.

Day 17 of Advent +++ Rester en contact permanent avec Dieu en toutes circonstances. +++ To be constantly in touch with God in all circumstances

1 Thessaloniciens 5.12-28 1 Thessalonians 5.12-28  1 Thessalonicenzen 5.12-28

Psalm 70   Isaiah 38.9-20   Matthew 17.1-13

Psaumes 70 Esaïe 38.9-20  Matthieu 17.1- 13

Psalmen 70   Jesaja 38.9-20  Mattheüs 17.1-13

Rester en contact permanent avec Dieu en toutes circonstances.

To be constantly in touch with God in all circumstances

Les exhortations de Paul dans ce chapitre sont pour moi un cadeau pour les chrétiens de son époque et la nôtre. Ces exhortations nous apprennent quel doit être notre comportement envers les uns et les autres. « …consolez ceux qui sont abattus, supportez les faibles, soyez patients envers tous. Prenez garde que personne ne rende à autrui le mal pour le mal, mais poursuivez toujours le bien, entre vous, et à l'égard de tous. » (V. 14-15). Ces règles en autres rendent la vie agréable dans la communauté voire dans la société. Je ne manquerais pas de trouver dans ces exhortations une invitation à la non-violence, à l’amour du prochain et au vivre ensemble dans la paix.

Si dans la première partie des exhortations, Paul traite les relations humaines dans la deuxième partie il nous invite à une connexion permanente avec Dieu. Rester en contact permanent, c’est « Prier sans cesse et rendre grâce en toutes circonstances » (v 17-18). Le plus souvent nous prions quand nous sommes dans le besoin ou quand nous traversons des moments difficiles. Paul nous encourage à être en dialogue avec Dieu en toutes circonstances (heureuses ou mauvaises). Rester en contact permanent avec Dieu, ce n’est pas seulement aller à l’église tous les dimanches, c’est aussi lire sa parole (la bible) pour nourrir notre foi, c’est se remémorer les moments forts de notre histoire chrétienne comme en cette période de l’Avant et de Noël, c’est être au service des autres notamment les plus démunies.

In the first part of this passage Paul's exhortations deals with human relations. He invites people to take care of one another; in particular to help those in need and the vulnerable. In the second part the exhortations address the relationship between God and his people. Paul's invitation is to be constantly in touch with God. “…pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances…” (v 17-18). Yes, in all circumstances and all the time, not only during the important period of our Christian history, as now in Advent and Christmas period. 

Jean-Bosco Turahirwa

Prayer Sculpture, ~ 2014, Kipun (Joyful) Methodist Church,  Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea (ROK). From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57058 [retrieved December 16, 2019]. Original source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/pbogs/36527854604/ - Bo Gordy-Stith.

16th Day if Advent +++ In the good times, in the bad times

1 Thessalonians 5.1-11  1Thessaloniciens 5.1-11   1Thessalonicenzen 5.1-11   

Psalm 40  Isaiah 38.1-8, 21-22   Matthew 16.13-28

Psaumes 40   Esaïe 38.1-8, 21-22   Matthieu 16.13-28

Psalmen 40   Jesaja 38.1-8, 21-22   Mattheüs 16.13-28

In the good times, in the bad times

“How are you? I’m good, thanks.”

An automatic answer to a question which often comes out as fast as I say “Hi”, maybe even in the same breath. Perhaps this sounds familiar…

1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing”.

Paul wrote this letter to the church of Thessalonica. And the passage I chose is an encouragement to a suffering community.

As a church family I believe that we should always be encouraging one another and aim to build each other up more and more.

But how can we do that if we deny each other the opportunity to do so by always saying we’re okay when clearly, we sometimes could do with some encouragement, prayer or just a listening ear… I am very guilty of doing this myself, it’s not always okay! We must be willing to open ourselves and be honest when someone shows genuine interest in us.  This reminds me of a bible verse a friend of mine recently shared with me. Romans 12:15 “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep”.

This faith walk can be challenging but so rewarding. It has its ups and downs, so let’s walk it together, letting one another in during the good and the bad times.

Let’s give each other more opportunities to encourage one another and build each other up and when we ask the question “how are you” let us take time to listen to the answer and be prepared for more than a quick “I’m good, thanks”.

Davita Vrolijk

Zhisheng Park and Path of Learning Encouragement By Pppighil - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25115450

Third Sunday of Advent +++ The Virgin Mary

Third Sunday of Advent

Canticle: Magnificat (see Luke 1.46-56)   Luc 1.46-56  Lukas 1.46-56

Isaiah 35.1-10   James 5.7-10       Matthew 11.2-11

Esaïe 35.1-10    Jacques 5.7-10     Matthieu 11.2-11

Jesaja 35.1-10   Jakobus 5.7-10    Mattheüs 11.2-11

The Virgin Mary

One of the first highly influential women in the Bible - a very young peasant girl, who was engaged to be married. On the surface of it, she was just a normal woman, doing her domestic duties, helping her husband, a modest carpenter and possibly doing some exceptional weaving, as seen in the handwoven covering of Jesus at the crucifixion.

But Mary was one heck of a woman – a true role model for us women out in the world.  She was plucky, bold and forthright.

Mary was visited by an angel and gave birth to a child without having conceived naturally. 

I wonder if these days, we talk to angels without knowing it too?

Luke 1. 38. Wow!! We don’t even know if she blinked!!!! We see here a woman who had the spiritual energy to trust in God without question.  Don’t you just love that?

The truly magnificent song of Mary.  Have a look in your Bible and imagine her saying or singing it.

We then see her again, giving birth to the Messiah, in a stable since there was no room in the inn.  I wonder how many of us can identify with being in the wrong place sometimes too??? Knocking at doors that…….don’t open to us, or don’t make us welcome either??? Or….. starting out with really humble beginnings and not knowing the end??? Or being rejected like Christ, right from the start, and indeed, right through his life.

Wasn’t Mary just a bit surprised that a future King would be born in such humility, with the company of animals?? Look at our kings nowadays and all the fuss made of them and all the media hype and consumerism.

She also had some visitors.  First, a group of shepherds arrive. Next, came the three wise men.  According to my Bible, it had taken them two years to arrive.  They must have really wanted to be there.  How many women have visitors like that???

Isn’t it interesting that they talk about “opening their treasures”, and then they presented gifts to him?  Is there a difference then between, opening their parcels of gold, frankincense and myrrh, and opening their treasures?? What other treasures could they have revealed to Mary??? They were three wise men, right?

Luke 2.19. You have to admit that Mary had pretty diverse visitors, angels, shepherds and astrologers.  What I found particularly beautiful is that in comparison to the rather expensive and rare gifts that her son had been offered (gold, frankincense and myrrh), here was a woman who kept these thoughts in her heart. 

Perhaps someone has noticed that…………..she kept quiet about her thoughts and the gifts too.  Silence is often gold(en).

Hazel Collier

Mary's Song By Lauren Wright Pittman, 2016. From Art in the Christian Tradition, a project of the Vanderbilt Divinity Library, Nashville, TN. http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=57074 [retrieved December 14, 2019]. Original source: http://www.lewpstudio.com - copyright by Lauren Wright Pittman.