Saturday, February 03, 2007
Visit to Holland 27-29 January 2007
Kees and Lidia van Kraalingen outside their home in Barendrecht
Kees and Lidia have become dear friends through the Carey Family Conference. Kees has already visited us in Florianópolis while on a Unilever business trip to Brazil. As a couple they are constant in support and prayerful interest. Now it was our turn to visit. We had less than three full days, but how rewarding they were! Total refreshment!
Saturday afternoon in Delft
The New Church
We found the interiors of the Delft churches intensely moving. We feel we have known them for years, through the Dutch masters, but it is another thing to see the application of the reformation to these ancient buildings. Medieval cathedrals are linear affairs, to awe the people, and keep them far from God. They are simply not designed to place simply pews in a horseshoe around the pulpit, font and table. But that is what these good brothers did. Everything is visible in the furniture: the Word controls and defines the sacraments; the people gather around the Word; there is no "sanctuary", nor special pews for special people. From king to kitchen maid, all must hear the voice of the living God - and leave the building to walk in communion with Him throughout the week.
The experience of visiting Delft led to my first sermon on the return to Brazil: Heb 10:19-23, with reference to John 4:19-24. Slides of Delft, and of the Dutch paintings of the 17th century illustrated the application. Under the rule of the real gospel, little dogs and children can play in what used to be the "sanctuary." But on the other hand, for the first time in art, daily life (be it of the rich making music, a kitchen maid pouring milk, or an astronomer with his globe) is seen as sacred and worthy of record. Under the gospel Word we trust in Christ, draw near to God, and live every minute to please him! Nothing remains outside - the (John 4) debate about sacred and secular is no more, for all is holy!
How we need to recover such reformation spirituality in Brazil! Having heard a neo-pentecostal pastor describing how each part of the church building, moving towards the "altar", is more holy and has more of God's presence, it is tempting to despair. But what God did in 16th century, catholic Europe, he can do again in 21st century, "evangelical" Latin America. Of course, the irony is in the word, "evangelical."
The Milkmaid - Vermeer van Delft c1658
The Old Church
Sunday Morning Papendrecht Independent Baptist Church
Kees and Lidia's church was a real joy to visit. Serious and sober, yet non-traditional and certainly not sombre, around 350 gather each Lord's Day in a large secondary schol. In locale and numbers it reminded us a lot of our dear friends at Bedford.
Here one can sense the rich heritage in the Dutch reformed tradition, wedded to to a willingness to break out of what is in general an appalling strait-jacket. We loved it. Andrew preached, with great liberty, from Psalm 24. Kees interpreted. The sad news is that there are very few such churches in the Netherlands. May God raise up more!
Sunday Afternoon Walk - Cold, Wind, Cloud, Sun and Windmills
Bridge near Rotterdam
The Dutch make and eat cheese
Monday: Amsterdam
Kees and Lidia van Kraalingen outside their home in Barendrecht
Kees and Lidia have become dear friends through the Carey Family Conference. Kees has already visited us in Florianópolis while on a Unilever business trip to Brazil. As a couple they are constant in support and prayerful interest. Now it was our turn to visit. We had less than three full days, but how rewarding they were! Total refreshment!
Saturday afternoon in Delft
The New Church
We found the interiors of the Delft churches intensely moving. We feel we have known them for years, through the Dutch masters, but it is another thing to see the application of the reformation to these ancient buildings. Medieval cathedrals are linear affairs, to awe the people, and keep them far from God. They are simply not designed to place simply pews in a horseshoe around the pulpit, font and table. But that is what these good brothers did. Everything is visible in the furniture: the Word controls and defines the sacraments; the people gather around the Word; there is no "sanctuary", nor special pews for special people. From king to kitchen maid, all must hear the voice of the living God - and leave the building to walk in communion with Him throughout the week.
The experience of visiting Delft led to my first sermon on the return to Brazil: Heb 10:19-23, with reference to John 4:19-24. Slides of Delft, and of the Dutch paintings of the 17th century illustrated the application. Under the rule of the real gospel, little dogs and children can play in what used to be the "sanctuary." But on the other hand, for the first time in art, daily life (be it of the rich making music, a kitchen maid pouring milk, or an astronomer with his globe) is seen as sacred and worthy of record. Under the gospel Word we trust in Christ, draw near to God, and live every minute to please him! Nothing remains outside - the (John 4) debate about sacred and secular is no more, for all is holy!
How we need to recover such reformation spirituality in Brazil! Having heard a neo-pentecostal pastor describing how each part of the church building, moving towards the "altar", is more holy and has more of God's presence, it is tempting to despair. But what God did in 16th century, catholic Europe, he can do again in 21st century, "evangelical" Latin America. Of course, the irony is in the word, "evangelical."
The Milkmaid - Vermeer van Delft c1658
The Old Church
Sunday Morning Papendrecht Independent Baptist Church
Kees and Lidia's church was a real joy to visit. Serious and sober, yet non-traditional and certainly not sombre, around 350 gather each Lord's Day in a large secondary schol. In locale and numbers it reminded us a lot of our dear friends at Bedford.
Here one can sense the rich heritage in the Dutch reformed tradition, wedded to to a willingness to break out of what is in general an appalling strait-jacket. We loved it. Andrew preached, with great liberty, from Psalm 24. Kees interpreted. The sad news is that there are very few such churches in the Netherlands. May God raise up more!
Sunday Afternoon Walk - Cold, Wind, Cloud, Sun and Windmills
Bridge near Rotterdam
The Dutch make and eat cheese
Monday: Amsterdam
# posted by Andrew and Cora @ 7:18:00 am 
