10 April
Dear Friends,
Greetings to you once more, one week after Easter Sunday.
This Sunday our reading takes us first to Easter Day, when Jesus rose and appeared to his disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem and blessed them with peace, and then to a week later when he appeared to them again in the same place and again greeted them with his peace. On the first occasion one of Jesus' disciples, Thomas, was not there and could not believe the other disciples' reports that they had seen the Lord. On the second occasion Thomas was present and encountered the risen Lord for himself. We are told that the disciples were locked in that upper room out of fear - yet the closed door of that locked-down state could not keep Jesus out and suddenly he was in their midst, and they were recipients of his peace 'which passes all human understanding.' Surely there is a message there for us who also find ourselves, like the disciples, confined to a kind of lockdown. Closed doors are no barrier to Jesus. May you experience his presence and his peace.
For this Sunday's service I am delighted that the preacher is Rev Dr Doug Gay, Principal of Trinity College, Glasgow, where out former Treasurer Thorsten Koenig is currently training to become a Church of Scotland minister. Doug is no stranger to our pulpit and we look forward to his Word to us.
Keep well and all best wishes to you,
Lance
THIS WEEK:
Sunday, 10.30 hrs:
Pre-recorded service. You can access this at 10.30 am directly via this link: https://www.erc.amsterdam/calendar/worship-service-11-april-2021.
Our reading for this Sunday, the second Sunday of Easter, is John 20:19-31, Jesus' appearances to the disciples in a room in Jerusalem.
Sunday, 21.00 hrs:
Compline (short evening prayers): join at https://zoom.us/j/91386497205?pwd=YUN5dnRLOWlybHDSV250aHdJcnhiQT09
Tuesday, 08.45 hrs:
Psalm Reciting (this week Psalm 144-150). We will not meet at the church for this, but you might like to participate from your own home at 8.45 or some other time.
Thursday, 21.00hrs:
Compline (short evening prayer): join at https://zoom.us/j/91386497205?pwd=YUN5dnRLOWlybHDSV250aHdJcnhiQT09
Just one other matter: anyone volunteer to pick up food at Ekoplaza branches and take it to a refugee shelter once per month? Details from Joe Alibasah: joehennes@yahoo.com .
Prayer:
In this time there may be people who feel especially in need of prayer either for themselves or for someone else. In 'normal' times there was a small group of people in the congregation who used to take it in turns on Sundays to be available after the service to pray for anyone in need - so, if you would like prayer or have a particular prayer request please contact Margaret Richards on margaretanne_richards@hotmail.com and she and the others will pray accordingly.
A word about finance….
Please note that in this period when we are not meeting together there is a way of giving to the church on the website, https://www.erc.amsterdam.