20 March
Dear Friends,
It has been election week and the results are now in and I gather that it is good news for those who tend towards the right and less good news for those who lean more to the left - and bad news for the Green Party. You will all have your own thoughts about the results but it does seem to me that being in government and having political power at the moment is very difficult indeed, due to the sheer scale and complexity of the problems facing the world. COVID, of course, has presented huge challenges but so many other problems we wrestle with - justice, equality, peace, social cohesion - are intractable and neither the right, the left, the centre, or any coalition can easily sort them. In such a context the verse in the New Testament that tells us to pray 'for kings and all who are in high positions' (1 Timothy 2:2) becomes urgent. We must pray for our government and leaders - they surely need it. I remember some years ago Tony Blair was asked if he and George W Bush, both devout Christians, ever prayed together. Blair answered that they did not and I thought that was such a shame. Wouldn't it have been great if Blair could have replied: 'Of course we do! You don't expect us to sort out this world without prayer, do you?' We will be praying for the new government of the Netherlands as it is formed and for world leaders on Sunday.
Below is our programme for the week.
Keep well and all best wishes to you,
Lance
THIS WEEK:
Sunday, 10.30 hrs
Live- streamed service . You can access this at 10.25 via this link: https://youtu.be/ftO1Ikv0Kjg or via erc.amsterdam.
Our reading for this Sunday, for the fifth Sunday in Lent, is John 12:20-33.
Sunday, 21.00 hrs
Compline (short evening prayers): join on Zoom.
Tuesday, 08.45 hrs:
Psalm Reciting (this week Psalm 119). 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.
Wednesday, 19.30 hrs:
Bible Study, looking at Mark 11:1-11. All welcome. Please join on Zoom.
Thursday, 21.00hrs.
Compline (short evening prayer): join on Zoom.
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.
God bless you all and keep us united as a church family – and safe and well.
Lance