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this page: Martin Think while you work Nelleke Sunday Services Easter morning Sermon on the Mount The 'Discourses' in Matthew |
Busy, busy, busy... Really? We tend to do (far) too much, but recently we managed to keep it within healthy boundaries. Just over fifty, you see... |
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Martin First published 11/04/2008
Updated 13/09/2009 My job is being a parish minister. In The Netherlands I ministered in two consecutive PKN parishes for almost a decade, Goes and Groede-Schoondijke-Waterlandkerkje, but in 2004 we came to Scotland to work with The Iona Community in their Isle of Iona centres on a 3-year contract. After a year of 'familiarisation' with the Church of Scotland in Carnwadric, I have become the parish minister of Kilcalmonell, linked with Killean and Kilchenzie. No website yet, but that will come. Back to top |
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while you work First published 11/04/2008
Updated 06/03/2010 If I cannot help thinking when I am at work, I like to write something down. Here are a few products of my pen (sorry, keyboard). All is free of rights, on one condition: + if you would want
to use parts of it somewhere, please contact
me first.
Those whose native language is English might want to follow this link first before they engage with numbers 2-4 or 6... 1. The Liturgical Calendar (77 KB) -- the church's calendar is different, i.e. circular, and all depends on Easter and Christmas. 2. De zeereis van Sint Brandaan (465 KB) -- the dissertation I produced to earn my masters degree in theology ('doctorandus' in Dutch). 3. De spiritualiteit van het alledaagse (722 KB) -- report from my first study leave (1999), focusing on spirituality as part of daily life. 4. Predikant en PC (6.7 MB) -- report from my second study leave (2004) in which I explored the impact of chips on ministry. 5. The Mission of the Church (158 KB) -- an essay I wrote recently as part of the Church of Scotland's admission process. 6. Op de fiets naar Iona, een pelgrimsreis (64 KB) -- an article I wrote for an upcoming issue of the Dutch theological magazine TussenRuimte (no. 3, September 2008). 7. Almighty or nearest of all? (490 KB) -- an exploration of the Hebrew word 'shaddai' and its translation. Comes with a separate overview (830 KB) of 14 different translations. Note: You can do without, but a basic understanding of Hebrew, Greek and exegesis does help. Article updated March 2010. Again, you can right-click the
links and choose something like 'Save
link as...' from the popup menu to save the PDF-document directly
without opening it first.
If you feel so moved you can send me a comment. Back to top |
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Nelleke First published 11/04/2008
Updated 01/03/2009 Over the past three years I have worked as a Shop Manager, but previously, before I became a mum, I was an Admin Assistant and a Geriatric Nurse. I have quite a lot of experience in working with volunteers, both in the WereldWinkel (Dutch Fairtrade shops like the One World Shop in Glasgow and Edinburgh) and on Iona, and also in implementing EPOS software (Newway and Merlin). Since 24 May I am one of the two Shop Managers in The Hospice Charity Shop on Maryhill Road, Glasgow, which is one of 12 similar shops which support the good work in The Prince and Princess of Wales Hopice. And since 17 January I have already ended working in the Maryhill Hospice Shop, because we have moved to Kintyre. It has been a very good time with colleagues and volunteers. I am already missing everyone! Back to top |
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Sunday
Services First published 18/02/2009
Updated 07/03/2010 Worship only happens if you are there. Even if you have the full script of it, or a wonderful video recording, you still miss what actually happened, because that depends on the people, the place, the time, and the Spirit moving between them (or not). For me it happens in Clachan and in Cleit parish churches, on the West coast of Kintyre. But sometimes it can be useful to read things over afterwards. That is why - with hesitations - I will post my Sunday services here after they have taken place. On paper you can find the order of service, the readings and the sermon. Starting June 2009 I will occasionally add the prayers, provided I have written them myself, although I feel they actually belong to the service itself. Mind that I sometimes add or skip parts of the sermon as it is written down. We usually sing from the Church of Scotland's own hymn book: Church Hymnary. Fourth Edition (Norwich: Canterbury Press, 2005).
Occasionally other services, such as weddings, will be added too, if those involved agree. Short explanation 1. In January and February 2009 the focus was on the first stories in Genesis:
- From the beginning: Creator & Partners - Adam and Eve: humans at the centre of creation - the Garden of Eden: being gods and doing wrong - Cain and Abel: first kill, but no revenge - Noah: could we start again, please? 2. Through Lent 2009 the Revised Common Lectionary provided the lead, and from Easter till Pentecost the Dutch 'Oecumenisch leesrooster' did (mainly because RCL virtually skips the Old Testament in its choice of readings -- a capital sin...). 3. After Pentecost 2009 a series of five services are focusing on the Sermon on the Mount. See below for more information. 4. Through July/August we continued reading the teachings of Jesus as Matthew has recorded them in the five so-called 'discourses', of which the Sermon on the Mount is the first. The last of which, Matthew 24-25, we will read in autumn to the end of the liturgical year. See below for more information. UPDATE: people comment and sometimes that is very helpful. One recent comment made me decide to stop writing the whole sermon down and instead speaking from short notes. Today (Sun 25/10/2009) it was premiere, and I think it went well. However, this ends the download of sermons -- at least until I find some cunning trick to get spoken word printed out easily. Advantage: you could come to church to hear the sermon, and actually enjoy meeting other people too. Occasionally I will have sermons written out and published here. To download a service as a PDF file (± 250KB), right-click on the date to the left and select 'Save as' (or something similar). To view it you will need some PDF reader. If you are on Windows and you don't have one installed already, why not try Foxit Reader, a free, simple and fast one? Back to top |
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Easter morning First published 12/04/2009
Updated 29/07/2009 On this Easter morning we had an early service on the beach behind the church at A'Chleit. Very simple and brief, just like the ones last year and the year before (but then I was not even aware of Cleit's existence...). We stood in a circle, said our prayers, read from the Gospel according to Mark and sang the Gloria. The cross was covered with daffodils, a fire was burning and the sun was bright upon a quiet ocean. During the service eight or ten dolphins swam down the shore, jumping for us, while three seals lazily paddled in the opposite direction. 'Now if you think that is a coincidence, I wish you a boring life...' Later today I took some pictures. Back to top |
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Translation (350 KB) Structure (250 KB) |
Sermon on the Mount First published 27/05/2009
Updated 16/11/2009 On the five Sundays following Pentecost the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is the leading theme. That is something already I wanted to do for a long time. A dedicated group of readers is contributing in a great way. Here you can download some resources as PDF files: a colometric translation and a structural analysis of the text. I am, and continue to be, indebted to Maarten den Dulk, Frans Breukelman, Pinchas Lapide, Pieter Oussoren, K.H. Miskotte, Hein Stufkens a.o. And additionally to the makers of BibleWorks (it really works!). The sermons -- as far as they have been written out fully -- will be made available at the usual place. NOTE: Thanks to Rev. Chris Kors' careful reading I have adapted the interpunction of the 'But I say to you' phrases. Indeed, a stroke of a pen, but certainly important! Also keep in mind that I tend to add minor corrections to the translation as it can be downloaded here. Back to top |
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Translation Sermon on the Mount (480 KB) Translation Missionary Discourse (270 KB) Translation Parables of the Kingdom (290 KB) Translation Instructions to the Church (400 KB) Translation Eschatological Discourse (330 KB) Translation All Five Discourses (730 KB) |
The 'Discourses' in Matthew First published 19/07/2009
Updated 17/11/2009 A structural feature of the Gospel according to Matthew is the series of five so-called 'discourses', lessons Jesus teaches to his direct followers, the twelve disciples, and all the many around them who come to listen, to find healing, to be taught Torah. Rather than a healer or a miracle man, Jesus is pictured here as a teacher, joining in with Israel's tradition of prophecy. Apart from the Sermon on the Mount these five discourses include Matthew 10:5-11:1 ('Missionary Discourse'), 13:1-53 ('Parables of the Kingdom'), 18:1-19:2 ('Instructions to the Church') and 24:3-26:2 ('Eschatological Discourse'). At first sight it seems that these five discourses reflect a symmetric structure. Then the first would correspond with the last and the second with the fourth, which would make the third, the Parables of the Kingdom, the very heart of Jesus' teaching, according to Matthew. It looks like the prophetic vision presented in the Sermon on the Mount is confronted with the harshness of actual history, the 'end of time', in the Eschatological Discourse. Correspondingly the missionary vision Jesus deploys in the Missionary Discourse seems to be mirrored by the so-called Instructions to the Church. But throughout all Jesus' teaching it really is about the Kingdom having come here and now. This is how I see the structure of Matthew now. Once I've gone through all the texts, I intend to write something down and make that available on this page. Meanwhile I have completed the translation. It has been a bit of an adventure (those who have done this kind of work, will understand what I mean). I'm not unhappy with the final result, but would certainly appreciate any constructive comments! Particularly comments on the structure of the 2nd-5th discourse. |
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| Structure of Matthew 25:31-46 (160 KB) |
As a simple example of how colometry can be
useful for exegesis I have added a structural analysis of Matthew
25:31-46. What does it do? First, it makes a whole chunk of words
transparent. It also explains the role of the repetition in the text:
showing the opposite choices people can make. Also one can easily
spot that the wordings used to describe the blessings for those who
choose righteously are more elaborate. The last verse has a
chiasmus-like structure in order to make the promise of everlasting
life the concluding words of this final Matthew discourse. Back to top |
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