Dear Friends,

The sunshine has sent me back to the Vondelpark to walk and sit and people/dog/duck-watch from my favoured bench - directly opposite the stork’s nest. It is curious how you become invested in small features of your landscape, even in a temporary capacity.

It seems to me that the female is sitting on eggs, though it seems a late hatching, and the male comes and goes, gives her a wee break, as she stands and stretches her wings, literally, and delivers food. Do you have Deliveroo here in the Netherlands?

It was a joy to host the youngsters of the 20/30’s group on Sunday past. What a lively and interesting group of young people! To say nothing of talented and generous, arriving with a beautiful….

Dear Friends,

The sunshine has sent me back to the Vondelpark to walk and sit and people/dog/duck-watch from my favoured bench - directly opposite the stork’s nest. It is curious how you become invested in small features of your landscape, even in a temporary capacity.

It seems to me that the female is sitting on eggs, though it seems a late hatching, and the male comes and goes, gives her a wee break, as she stands and stretches her wings, literally, and delivers food. Do you have Deliveroo here in the Netherlands?

It was a joy to host the youngsters of the 20/30’s group on Sunday past. What a lively and interesting group of young people! To say nothing of talented and generous, arriving with a beautiful….

Dear Friends,

We are drawing near to the close of the ecclesiastical Eastertide, though of course the benefits and joys of Easter do not come to an end. Ascension and Pentecost Sunday follow on from this Sunday, the sixth of Easter, and in a way complete the cycle. Thereafter we fall back into what is rather unimaginatively called “ Ordinary time”…..

Dear Friends,

I hope your week is going well, the weather has certainly been better. (You’ll know that we Brits always speak about the weather!)

My week kicked off with the long-awaited visit to the Rijksmuseum to view the beautiful Vermeer paintings. Despite the difficulties encountered in getting close enough and having long enough to view the paintings, it was well worth it, and I am the first to acknowledge as one who was keen to secure my precious ticket, that I am part of that particular problem. (the crowds)….

Dear Friends,

It was good to be with you on Sunday past, and I thank you for the welcome.

Especially gratifying was the discovery of the folk who had close connections with the places (Orkney and Malawi) and with whom the themes (walking, and The Camino in particular) that I mentioned in my sermon, resonated.

As well as regular members of the congregation I was also pleased to…

Dear Friends,

It may seem presumptuous to address you this way when we have not even laid eyes on each other, and yet I hope and trust that we may proceed on the basis that that is what we shall become. I arrived in Amsterdam late Tuesday afternoon, to be met and welcomed by Russell and then, on reaching the Manse, by Margaret and also by Sies. I am very grateful that our time overlapped as I have benefited hugely from their kindness and transfer of information. As writers often say, any misunderstanding or any failing to have grasped what may be required of me is entirely….

Dear friends

With the church full to overflowing, the wonderful variety of music from the choir, the Hallelujah chorus as the offering was brought forward, the brass quintet, and Richard giving it everything he had on both organs, Easter Sunday was a special and triumphant occasion.

What a joy to be part of such an international congregation, one small part of the worldwide church, celebrating an empty tomb and a risen Lord.

And what a contrast to the first Easter, when ….

Dear friends,

From the Palm Sunday entry down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem to the tables of the money changers in the temple being overturned, from the last supper in an upper room to the Garden of Gethsemane where several of them slept while he prayed, from Judas’ betraying kiss to him being paraded before Caiaphas, from Peter denying knowing him or being part of his group to his being taken before Pilate, from the soldiers mocking him to and forcing a crown of thorns on his head, the last days and hours of Jesus’ life could hardly have been more dramatic

And of course, it ends at Calvary, where crucified between two thieves, an abandoned figure commits his spirit to God and….

Dear friends,

We call it Holy Week, the final dramatic week of Jesus' life on earth, and it begins with the Palm Sunday procession down the Mount of Olives and into Jerusalem.

Some years ago I stood on the Mount of Olives, and looking across the Kedron Valley towards the old city wall, wondered what the day would have been like.

How big were the crowds who welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem?

And what did they make of the man who…

Dear friends,

With an adult baptism, two people joining the church, four new elders being ordained, and the Annual General Meeting at the close of the service, Sunday promises to be a full and interesting day in the life of our congregation.

Although baptism is always a special occasion, there is always something very moving for the congregation when the sacrament involves an adult.

It is also very encouraging when…..