Fjords, glaciers, bears, and other features of the Nordic landscape are anything but silent. They are part of a choir that gives unceasing praise to the Architect of the cosmological cathedral we inhabit. They are preachers who will not be silenced.
But what is the aim of the creation’s pedagogy and to what end do fjords and forests preach? Psalm 19 asserts that the content of the created order’s teaching is the glory of God.
The secular and social dogma of the West is materialism. In this philosophy matter is the sole explanatory cause of all things, and so there is little love for the divine or tolerance for the transcendent. But if we are good, consistent materialists, why are we mourning with those who are suffering? What is cruel and unjust about violence if all things are merely matter and devoid of transcendently infused meaning?
Since the dawn of God’s story, his symphonic mastery over every note has not waned, but the pitch of its perfection resonates with echoes of brilliance. What is mysterious to us is manifest to him; where we are confounded, he is informed; where our love is slack with sin, he is perennially steadfast with holiness.
These truths are what feed our understanding of the questions previously addressed in my earlier posts, ‘Where is God in COVID-19?’ and ‘Why would he allow such an awful thing to occur?’ These truths are also what allow us to move on with confidence to another question, ‘What is the Christian’s response to COVID-19?’
Jesus may be sovereign and always with us, but if he allows and ordains catastrophes – both those we experience personally and collectively – can we trust him? Does he actually act in our best interest? If Jesus genuinely cared for us, wouldn’t that mean he should be a preventative force of COVID-19 rather than the causal agent behind it?
Since the outbreak of this virus, the world seems to have been catapulted into a narrative that seems more akin to thrilling fiction than our sobering reality. We’ve never seen anything quite like what we are witnessing – the cessation of normal life in almost all nations across the globe. Governments, either by appeal or force, enact quarantines in a bid to stem the tide of a virus, that unless slowed or stopped, has the likely potential to kill and hospitalize millions of people. Unlike the typical westerner who subscribes to a materialist worldview, or in some cases may retain some sense of an impersonal spiritual realm, the Christian is under obligation to think deeply about the COVID-19 outbreak.
FIBC's 'Practices of the Christian Faith' returns this month, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 26 at Café Cadeau (dinner is served at 7pm, discussion / course to follow).
In this interactive, 9-part course on being a C.H.R.I.S.T.I.A.N. you'll learn the basic disciplines and practices of the Christian life. It is free and open to all, but we ask that you RSVP to let us know if you will join (write to Bruno at bkbainy@hotmail.com).
FIBC's 'Foundations of Faith: 9 Conversations About Christianity' returns this month, beginning Tuesday, Sept. 20 at Café Cadeau (dinner is served at 7pm, FOF discussion / course to follow).
The interactive, 9-part Foundations course is free and open to all, but we ask that you RSVP to let us know if you will join (write to Jeroen at jjbunck@gmail.com).
Join us this Sunday, June 12 for the annual FIBC Summer Picnic Potluck, immediately following the worship service (which begins, as always, at Kristuskirken at 13:00). The picnic is an opportunity to celebrate the lovely summer weather, along with some shared food and causal fellowship in the park with our church family.
This year's picnic will take place in the park just behind the church, so it is much closer than in previous years. There is a playground for the kids and lots of green space to spread out in. Remember to bring picnic blankets and some tasty treats to eat / drink and which you can share with others. We will provide coffee, you bring the treats and yourselves!
If you have any questions, please write to our church fellowship coordinator Cyndi (cyndi@yak.net). See you on Sunday!
This Saturday, all of the congregations who share the Kristuskirken church building (including FIBC, ReGen, The Spanish Congregation, etc.) will be coming together to participate in a work day to do cleaning, maintenance, and organization at the church. Bottom line: these work days are few and far between and WE CAN'T DO IT WITHOUT YOUR HELP!
Details: Kristuskirken Work Day, Saturday, April 16 from 09:00 - 14:00 (coffee and cake at 09:00, then we work)!
* Kids and Youth are welcome to help as well (no childcare will be provided).
** Remember to wear work clothes and durable shoes.
*** You don't have to stay until 14:00, especially if you are planning on joining the House Blessing event at Pastor Erik's house later in the day on Saturday.
**** Students needed CAS or other volunteer credits, this is a great opportunity for you.
On March 20, the FIBC choir once again came together to perform a beautiful, powerful series of songs, this time celebrating 'The Wonderful Cross' of Christ for the Easter season.
If you were at the worship service on March 20, then you know how special the choir performance was. But if you've never participated in one of FIBC's choirs, then below are some thoughts from a few of this year's participants that give insight into what an extraordinary experience it is to worship through the choir:
"[This Easter] was the second time I joined the FIBC choir. Two main things were surprising for me: the rehearsals were not boring and exhaustive at all - we had a lot of fun and shared communion together. Secondly, through participating in the choir, I was able to go beyond the sheet music and worship God in truth, both during the rehearsals and the service itself. It was amazing to sing about Jesus resurrection, and the forgiveness of sins and hope we have through Him." -Bruno, Brazil
"Singing in the choir not only gives the opportunity to express the wonders of God in music, but it also bonds the singers together as a team, in fellowship and love. If you have never tried to sing in the choir, I would strongly recommend it: blessings guaranteed." -Frieda, Indonesia
"There's a gazillion reasons why I love joining the FIBC choir for the Easter and Christmas concerts. But these stand out: (1) It's a great way to fellowship with others from the church and we always help each other through difficult passages, (2) You get to see a different side of Pastor Erik. He is always happy, smiling, he jokes, has an amazing voice and can pitch himself at any voice type effortlessly; it's like watching a professional juggler, and (3) lastly, for this particular Easter, as I sang praises of The Wonderful Cross, it made me realise that no matter how crap life may seem sometimes, I am already victorious through His death and resurrection and when I worship, I dedicate my best back to Christ who gave me all." -Kay, Singapore
Thanks so much to all who participated in this year's Easter choir and who attended the performance on March 20. To learn more about how you can get involved in upcoming FIBC choir events, email worship@fibc.dk today!
Special thanks to Rochelle Coote for the lovely photos posted in this blog post.
Well, the string of gorgeous sunshine-filled FIBC Days may have been broken this year, but that didn't do anything to dampen the spirit of this year's event. International potluck foods, meat off the grill, testimonies, and games made for a wonderful and memorable day. As you will see in the photos below, it takes a lot more than temperamental weather to ruin an FIBC event.
Thanks to all who participated in FIBC Day, can't wait for next year!
A great big thank you to Rochelle Coote for the extraordinary photos.
