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Newsletter-2016-12-1.Pdf Syrian Bibles p18 Chaplaincy article p 4 Bible Study p 6 Advent Appeal p22 Anglicanism p 8 Ecumenical p19 Charitable givings p28 Heroes of the p26 invitation Faith: St.Columba Daily Readings p30 Taize invitation p24 2 Newsletter Editor Assistant Editor Judy Miller Juliette Gentenaar [email protected] If you have contributions for the next Newsletter we need to receive them by the middle (15th) of the previous month. The contents of this newsletter are copyright. If you wish to reproduce any part of it elsewhere, please contact the editor. The Bishop of Gibraltar: Robert Innes Tel: +44 20 7898 1160 Holy Trinity Utrecht Chaplain (Utrecht & Zwolle) Van Hogendorpstraat 26, David Phillips 3581 KE Utrecht Tel: 06 124 104 31 www.holytrinityutrecht.nl [email protected] All Saints’ Amersfoort Chaplain (Amersfoort & Zwolle) Mozartweg 54, 3816 LT Amersfoort Grant Crowe www.allsaintsamersfoort.nl Tel: 06 299 723 03 [email protected] Anglican Church Zwolle Koestraat 2-4, 8011 NK, Zwolle www.anglicanchurchzwolle.nl Grace Church Groningen Chaplain (Groningen) Witte de Withstraat 2, Sam van Leer 9726 EC Groningen Tel: 050 785 0703 www.gracechurchgroningen.com Administrative Assistant: Hanna Cremer Eindhoven Tel: 06 28 75 91 09 [email protected] Wardens: Rosemarie Strengholt & Peter Boswijk [email protected] Treasurer: Sandra Sue [email protected] If you would like to make a contribution to support the work of our churches: Holy Trinity Utrecht & All Saints’ Amersfoort General Giving: NL84 INGB 0000 1329 50 – tnv Holy Trinity Church Utrecht Charitable Giving: NL92 TRIO 0197 7238 61 – tnv Holy Trinity Anglican Church, Utrecht Anglican Church Zwolle General Giving: NL02 INGB 0007 2290 06 - tnv English Church Zwolle Grace Church Groningen Contact: Dirk Nederven: [email protected] 3 28 Nov Ecumenical new church year celebration, 7 PM p.19 5 Dec Bible Study Haaften, 8 PM p. 6 6 Dec Bible Study Parsonage, 8 PM (door open 7:45) p. 6 13 Dec Bible Study Parsonage, 8 PM (door open 7:45) p. 6 14 Dec Bible Study Houten, 10 AM p. 6 20 Dec Bible Study Parsonage, 8 PM (door open 7:45) p. 6 28 Dec Bible Study Houten, 10 AM p. 6 Paula & Nathan’s wedding: Two members of our congregation at Holy Trinity Church, Paula van der Maas and Nathan Bunt, are, Deo volente, getting married on the 9th of December. We wish them the best of luck with the last preparations for the big day and would ask that you please keep them in your prayers. Christian Classics study group: will be starting again in on January 3rd. See page 13 for more information. Confirmation: Our next Confirmation in the Chaplaincy will happen, God willing, on Saturday 25th March AD 2017 when Bishop Robert Innes will visit us in Amersfoort and Utrecht. If you are interested in confirmation for yourself or for your son or daughter, please contact one of our chaplains, David Phillips (06 124 104 31) or Grant Crowe (06 299 723 03), who would be most pleased to speak with you. Pilgrimage to Taize: All young adults (15-29) of the Anglican congregations in Utrecht and Amersfoort are invited for a trip to Taizé next summer. We want to travel by coach to Taizé, where we are encouraged to search for communion with God through community prayer, songs, silence, personal reflection and sharing. We will stay in Taizé as guests of the community, so we can join the weekly program. See page 24 to find out more! 4 This month’s chaplaincy article is by the Rev Grant Crowe, Amersfoort & Zwolle chaplain Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied: 68 ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. 69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David 70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago), 71 salvation from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us –72 to show mercy to our ancestors and to remember his holy He praises the Lord for the fulfilment and covenant,73 the oath he swore to our culmination of the Old Testament which is father Abraham: 74 to rescue us from the occurring. As Anglican Bishop NT Wright hand of our enemies, and to enable us to reminded us in November’s session on serve him without fear 75 in holiness and ‘Anglicanism and the New Testament’: the righteousness before him all our New Testament as a whole declares itself days.’(Luke 1:67-74). to be how the Old Testament reaches its These are the opening words of the goal and climax where the plans of God biblical song called the Benedictus – were going – a single story focused on called that due to the first word of its Latin Jesus Christ. The season of Advent translation. The entire text – up to v79 – therefore has a strong theme of adoration has two halves. The first half – as quoted and praise – even though Anglican above – looks back to the promises of tradition is that we omit the Gloria in our God now being fulfilled. The second half Sunday worship! – for the fulfilment of the focuses on the prophetic role of his eight promises so far (that the Messiah has day old son. We focus on this first come), and as those promises have been section. fulfilled, we look forward to the glorious return of our Lord. Advent has praise The section can be summed up in the woven into its fabric and being. name of Zechariah’s Son – John means ‘Yahweh is gracious’ – in this canticle And two significant biblical characters are Zechariah celebrates the grace of God. mentioned – Abraham and David. Both God is praised – because “he has come.” representing two major periods of Israel’s 5 history – the time of the patriarchs us to praise for promises being fulfilled (Abraham) and the time of the kingdom and the promises to be fulfilled. As we (David). Both were given significant read and hear Luke’s Gospel, we are promises – promises of grace (‘a inspired, challenged, (maybe even definition of grace being: ‘we get what we rebuked gently?), by the four songs of don’t deserve’, while mercy: ‘we don’t get praise, how Zechariah and Mary (joined what we do deserve’). Abraham: promise by Simeon and Anna months later), join of land, promise his descendants to with the angels praising God for what he become as numerous as sand on the has done, what he is doing and what he seashore, and promise that “through your will do. In the past Celtic Christian Church offspring all nations of the earth will be they held a full 40 days for Advent, of blessed.”(Genesis 22:v17-18). The Lord preparation, looking forward to the is fulfilling his ‘oath to Abraham’ – keeping incarnation and looking forward to the his promises – and Peter declares to new heaven and earth, matching the 40 listening crowds, (in one of his early days of fasting and prayer observed sermons after Pentecost): “24 ‘Indeed, before Easter. It is possible Advent can beginning with Samuel, all the prophets rush by – with everything that goes on who have spoken have foretold these with Sinte Klaas, preparations for days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets Christmas, Carol services, perhaps going and of the covenant God made with your to see family, maybe returning to a home fathers. He said to Abraham, “Through country and so Advent can get a bit lost. your offspring all peoples on earth will be Life is hectic. We do enjoy many blessed.” 26 When God raised up his wonderful services. We hear lovely choir servant, he sent him first to you to bless anthems. We look forward to a time of the you by turning each of you from your year – Christmas – which has many fond wicked ways.’”And to David, the promise memories for many of us. in 2 Samuel 7 that one of his But a suggestion…When our Season of descendants, from ‘the house of David’, Advent begins – as our chaplains wear would inherit the throne of the kingdom purple, as the Advent candles are lit, as forever. 2000 years since the promises to we hear the anthems – let’s pause again, Abraham. 1000 years since those remembering that example of an elderly promises to David. Zechariah says, man – who had so much to celebrate with “‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, the birth, in his old age, of his first son - because he has come!” who praised the Lord that ‘he had come’. So, Advent – with traditionally the four Let us at that moment give thanks and Sundays focusing upon the promises to praise, Advent showing us how God kept the patriarchs (first Sunday), the his promises and he will and would keep promises through the prophets (Second his promises to come. Sunday), how John prepares the way Bible text from Holy Bible, New International Version® (Third Sunday), and Mary bearing the Anglicized, NIV® Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 Promise fulfilled (Fourth Sunday) – draws Image from www.LumoProject.com and www.freebibleimages.com 6 Advent is a time of expecting. In December, we continue studying the In Holland in the first days of the month bible and we will do it more intensely than December little children (and adults) are usual. We will make new discoveries expecting presents from St Nicolaas on about ‘expecting Christ.’ You have be- the evening of his ‘birthday.’ come curious? You are more than wel- come to join the Bible study and discover The next morning St Nicolaas has been with fellow Christians what ‘expecting forgotten.
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