Death and After

Death and After

People have always wondered what happens after death. But the honest Christian answer is: we don’t know. Death is a mystery to us. This Sunday, November 26, we will therefore look at the Old Testament. There we find the story about Joseph’s death in Genesis 50, 22-26: a brief, down-to-earth story that tells us what we need to know about life, death and beyond.

Discover more in our service coming Sunday, 26 November at 12:15pm.

 

Sunday School – Change of location!

Due to a special occasion, the Sunday School this Sunday will take place in the chapel of the Old Church (Heilige Geestkerkhof 25, 2611 HP, Delft).

We kindly ask, that you would bring your children to the Old Church at 12.05pm. Then you will have time to go to the Service and we will begin with the class by 12:15pm. We will have the full length of the Sunday School service in the Old Church, so please be sure to give any updated contact information and a phone number where we can reach you in case needed during Sunday School.

After the Service in the Génestet Church is over, please come right after to pick up your children again from the Old Church.

Evil in God’s plan?

Evil in God’s plan?

How can you combine the existence of a God who is almighty and merciful with the reality of evil in this world? It’s an old question and not just a theoretical problem. When people who love God come across sin and suffering – and they often do! – how can they continue to trust God and to hope for the new world that He promised?

We face this question when we read the last chapter of the book of Genesis (50). Joseph meets his brothers after the death of their father Jacob. The brothers are afraid. ‘Now Joseph will take revenge on us for all evil we have done to him.’ But Joseph’s answer is the opposite of what they expect: ‘You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good: the saving of many lives.’

Joseph says that God is able to use evil in His plan, although He doesn’t want it. How is that possible? What, if you face evil (problems, set backs, mistakes and suffering)? Can this have a meaning in your life?

Discover more about how God deals with evil and how we should deal with it! You are most welcome to the ICF Delft church service on Sunday, November 19, at 12:15pm.

We are looking forward to seeing you there! Pastor Niek Tramper

Blessing for Children

What makes us happy?
The word ‘blessing’ has a very positive connotation in day-to-day language. A surprising success, a happy encounter or a very positive evaluation… we may call it all a blessing. We experience it as a gift, an unexpected fruit that makes us happy and gives us new energy.
How can we be a blessing for others? What is the secret of blessing our study friends, our colleagues, our neighbours, our children or our parents?

Jacob’s blessing of his grandchildren
In the Bible passage that we are going to read coming Sunday (Genesis 48) we come across Joseph’s father Jacob blessing his two grandchildren, Ephraim and Manasseh, just before his death. Their families will grow in number. They will be fruitful in life and take their share in the Promised Land. But then there is a surprise. In laying hands on the heads of the children as a sign of blessing, the old man crosses his arms. The second becomes the first and the first becomes the second.

The paradox of grace
It demonstrates at least that we cannot claim blessings. It shows the ‘paradox of grace’: the blessing is for the little ones in particular, not the ones who think to be entitled for it. Blessing is closely connected with the free, unconditional gift of God. If you may know the blessing of his forgiveness, the undeserved gift of his love, you want to pass it on! Not only to the ones who are dear to you, but also to those who seem to be opponents or even enemies.

Join us for our service and find out more!
Coming Sunday, 22 October in the Génestet church, Oude Delft 102, 12 hrs 15.

Sojourner

Sojourner

Many of us are sojourners: people who live in a country that is not their home country. Of course it makes a difference if you are here as an international student, an expat or a refugee. But the same question may bother us all: where actually am I at home?

Being at home depends on many factors, like: feeling accepted and affirmed, perspective, relationships and realization of life goals. We feel at home when we have satisfying roles in life for example as a student or researcher, as an employee, friend, family member, son, father or civilian. We feel at home when we experience a solid base for our identity. So the question on what we can base our identity (life security and life vision) is an extremely important one. It may help to allow yourself a form of self-assessment. Why do I do what I do? Why am I in the place where I am?

Where at home?

In ICF-Delft church services we continue the series on the life of Joseph. Coming Sunday (15 October) we see two very different personalities with very different life perspectives that meet one another: Josephs (very) old father Jacob and the Pharaoh (king) of Egypt. Jacob says to the king: ‘I always have been a sojourner. There is no place on earth where I am at home.’ (Genesis 47 verse 9). So, what could affirm his identity, his security and hope, being a stranger in a foreign country?

Where are you at home? A lot of aspects play an important role in feeling at home: study, work, career, achievements, relationships, family, nationality, etc. But what if you loose some of them? Does it undermine your identity? The Gospel (Good News) of God is that He wants to give us an identity, hope and security that transcend everything. The Gospel tells us to loose our old one and receive a new and lasting one, in finding our home in the eternal Kingdom of God. How is that possible? See and hear more about this in the service! (Génestet Church, Oude Delft 102, 12:15pm).

Family issues in God’s plan

In the ICF-Delft church service coming Sunday we meet a family with a lot of issues: gossiping, favoritism, jealousy, hate, revenge and even murder. What happens in this family could easily be the script of an exciting soap series on TV. It concerns the family of patriarch Jacob, the grandson of Abraham, as it is written in the first book of the Bible, Genesis.

Facing reality

You may ask yourself: why is this in the Bible? At least it helps us realize that relational problems are widespread in families and communities. When we face that reality we shouldn’t run away from it. We cannot escape difficulties in dealing with family-members, friends and colleagues. Joseph’s story might cure us from unhealthy idealism. We are part of a broken world and partake in the complexity of relationships. Idealism never has saved a world.

No quick solutions.

Maybe you recognize this kind of relational and family problems. Do you still search a way out? Probably you still struggle with these issues. Coming Sunday we don’t deal with quick solutions or easy answers. We need God’s wisdom and help to find the way. Bad relationships completely contradict the goodness and holiness of God. But, if He is able to use challenging relational issues in his plan of salvation, there is real hope for restored relationships!

Healing what is broken.

This Sunday we start a series of sermons about the life of Joseph (Genesis 37 and on). In the story of Joseph, Jacob’s favourite son, we face all kinds of family issues. But we also discover the hidden hand of a living God. He prepares a boy of 17 to become a leading minister and saviour of the nation. His extraordinary and often humiliating life story becomes part of God’s story of salvation in a wonderful way. It is already a picture of Jesus’ humiliating way. Through Him God brought redemption to a broken and lost world. And through Him God is able to heal broken relationships. Hear more in the service in ICF-Delft on Sunday 3 September in the Génestet Church, Oude Delft 102.

See you Sunday!

pastor Niek Tramper