Pretty Maria

Okay, I am biassed - being her proud father - but I think that everybody will agree with this: Pascalle is a pretty Maria! Click pic to enlarge. Check also this picture Maria & Joseph. More pictures from this year's Christmas celebrations in our church here. All pics © Marcello Geerts

Christmas Service in our Church ON-LINE

This year our church - Meerkerk in Hoofddorp - organized eight Christmas celebrations and approx. 6,000 people attended! Even if you can't understand Dutch, you will probably appreciate listening to the Christmas songs. Just to let you know that the family of God is celebrating the birth of our Lord all over the world. Christmas blessings from the Netherlands to all of you!

WATCH THIS DUTCH CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION ONLINE

Note: there is a full screen option on the menu bar of the player.

Wednesday 24 December - 40 years ago...

Apollo 8, the first manned mission to the Moon, entered lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1968. That evening, the astronauts; Commander Frank Borman, Command Module Pilot Jim Lovell, and Lunar Module Pilot William Anders did a live television broadcast from lunar orbit, in which they showed pictures of the Earth and Moon seen from Apollo 8. Lovell said, "The vast loneliness is awe-inspiring and it makes you realize just what you have back there on Earth." They ended the broadcast with the crew taking turns reading from the book of Genesis.

I would like to add JOHN 1 to this reading and I wish you all a Happy & Blessed Christmas!

Walking to church

I decided to walk to church this morning. That is not so difficult, because it takes about twenty minutes for me to go there by foot. Or thirty minutes if I stop to take some pics :-) Our church used to be a farm. From this side (pic above) you can see our pastor's house (right), the youth church X-pact (large barn in the centre) with the wooden buildings for our 'Meerkids' (left). On the other side of these buildings - not visible in this pic but visible in Google map's satelite pic in bird's eyes view (click to enlarge) - there are two large barns, once build to store potatoes, but nowadays used to bring in an other harvest... On the right hand side you can see the parking lot. Our church is located in Haarlemmermeer - a polder that used to be a large lake. We live 4,5 meters below sea level.
This is our church website and now you can also watch a video from our Christmas celebrations (5600+ vistors in 7 services this year!). The sermon by Rev. Wigle Tamboer is in Dutch, of course, but you might enjoy listening to the opening song.

Christmas 2007

From the very first day, we were there, taking it all in—we heard it with our own ears, saw it with our own eyes, verified it with our own hands. The Word of Life appeared right before our eyes; we saw it happen! And now we're telling you in most sober prose that what we witnessed was, incredibly, this: The infinite Life of God himself took shape before us.
We saw it, we heard it, and now we're telling you so you can experience it along with us, this experience of communion with the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. Our motive for writing is simply this: We want you to enjoy this, too. Your joy will double our joy!
This, in essence, is the message we heard from Christ and are passing on to you: God is light, pure light; there's not a trace of darkness in him. (1 John 1:1-5 from The Message)

Receiving the Gift

When all we had left was fear and despair
Your light broke through our darkness

But only if we turn to you
We will reflect your glory
And be warmed

By you

When all we had left was utter loneliness
Your hand reached out to us in love

But only if we accept your gift
We can enjoy your presence
And be reunited
With you

When all we had left was total emptiness

You decided to become one like us

But only if we believe it
We can receive it
And be blessed

In you

.
Picture: moon and mars sharing the sky last night... source

What did I say?

Cars queuing up for one of the three Christmas services in our church tonight. Tomorrow we will have four more services... Compare the same road two days ago in my video recording. By the way, the small road where I am walking in the video is only intended for pedestrians and bicycles, the bigger road is for cars but normally this is a two way street. Because of the amount of traffic it is a one way street during Christmas. One Way Jesus and no turning back - that's the implicit message that we want to share with all these visitors, of course.

Christmas blessings from the Netherlands!

Please have a look at my first video blog posting - recorded with my cell phone on an empty road near our church! Have a look at it and let me know what you think. You need to have the Quick Time video application installed on your computer if you want to watch this clip.

Christmas Holiday 2006 in Dwingeloo