The mountainous country with an extensive plateau covering central Anatolia, Turkey has caused Europe enough headaches in 2020 and 2021. Though a multiparty republic with one legislative house; its head of state the president is governing the country like a dictator and trying to make it a totalitarian Islamic state. Its land area is greater… Read More Turkey 2021 update
The northernmost of the three Baltic states, compared with other European countries, Estonia has a large percentage of foreign-born residents and their children. Only about two-thirds of the population are ethnic Estonians. The vast majority of Russians, the most significant minority of the Baltic states, are also scattered throughout other post-Soviet states such as Belarus,… Read More Estonia 2021 update
Lying between the North and Baltic seas, Denmark occupies the Jutland peninsula and an archipelago to its east, and loves to go its own way, also in the way of handling the corona crisis. It has been good to be in close contact with the community in Denmark via text/WhatsApp, video calls and Zoom. In… Read More Denmark and Sweden 2021 update
Bordered by Poland to the north and northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest it was no wonder that the coronavirus also got into the Czech Republic. Whilst the country fared well during the initial outbreak in the Spring, things were a lot worse in the… Read More Czech Republic 2021 update
It was a beautiful late summer day so we packed some sandwiches and drove to a nearby village. We were aiming to walk along the track of a disused railway line in the area. We discovered the line of the track as embankments and ‘cuttings’ which could easily be seen across the countryside. However, as… Read More A Walk in the country
Are we feeling hemmed in, locked up, restricted and perhaps a little ‘stir crazy’? Spare a thought for Noah and his family. They entered the ark on the seventeenth day of the second month of the 600th year of Noah’s life (Genesis 7:11) and God shut them in. They did not leave the ark until… Read More For some comfort in corona times
For weeks now our ecclesiae have been closed for actual gatherings. All of our face-to-face meetings are still cancelled for the time being, though we will take every opportunity to keep in touch and have remote services, via Hangouts, Google Meets and Houseparty. It is not clear how long these social distancing measures will be… Read More Coronavirus and Closure of the Christadelphian meeting rooms
On our own we do try to follow up the task given by Jesus Christ to all his followers. Living in isolation recognising the isolation of so many in ancient times we can put hope form their work and their strong will to continue to do the work of God. Though isolated from brethren and… Read More Being in isolation #8 Those isolating themselves and those being isolated by others
In the preceding articles we looked at the reasons why it is not so goo to have one person to be in isolation. We also argued that the person or persons living in isolation should know and feel they are not on their own. In a way it might be the task for those who… Read More Being in isolation #7 Mission work
Jesus also warned his followers it would not be easy. We as followers of the Nazarene rabbi should know that our life will not be as everything in the garden would be lovely. It’s not all roses there. Christ told us not to be of the world but to stand strong in that world which… Read More Being in isolation #6 to Hear Call from God and breaking isolation
A demographic isolation is what comes not only to the Belgian Christadelphians but to many of this faith group because there are just not enough Christadelphians all over the world. That is a fact we do have to live with. The small numbers of areas in which Christadelphians are located with congregations and the movement… Read More Being in isolation #5 Isolated Biblical figures and Confessional isolation
We are all weak human beings, damaged by the given string of DNA from our ancestors in the line of Adam and Eve. By their own choice they came to have knowledge of Good and Evil. We too are caught by that knowledge but also by our willingness to know more and to have more.… Read More Being in isolation #4 Man’s greediness, slackness, internet, friends and social contacts
From the opening part of my reading for the Newbury ecclesia I looked at the word isolation and the detachment or feeling that we may not being personally involved in the religious group or society not because we would not have emotional interest in it or have indifference to other people of that movement or… Read More Being in isolation #3 Gathering and Sharing
Being in isolation When talking about a person being in isolation we do have to look for the meaning behind “being in isolation” first. Is it about someone or something to isolate or is it about an isolable condition or a tendency towards isolation or isolationism. To isolate or to place in detached situation, like… Read More Being in isolation #2 Looking at the word “Isolation”
Intro Last year, for the Newbury ecclesia, I gave a bible class about our Belgian situation of isolation. From the beginning of our existence we could not count on many members and can we not say we had many contacts and exchanges with worldwide members and other ecclesiae. We every year where happy to receive… Read More Being in isolation #1 Baptists making an important choice
In-between our series about “making church” we had a look yesterday on an exhortation from some weeks ago. We looked at that wise man, who was blessed by God to have lots of wisdom and power. Solomon told us that Though one may be overwhelmed, two can deal with it. Two are better than one.… Read More Not staying alone in your search for truth
Belgian Ecclesia Brussel - Leuven 