St. Andrew's Church, Brussels

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België
Brussels
St. Andrew's Church, Brussels

St. Andrew’s Church of Scotland is a Presbyterian church in Brussels, Belgium offering reformed worship in English.

11/06/2026

Thought for Thursday 11th June
Romans 5:1a
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith…”
This profound chapter of scripture contains important but sometimes difficult truths about our faith. “Therefore” suggests that Paul is building on what he has just written: Abraham was considered righteous because of his faith. But does this mean that it’s our faith, not Jesus’, which saves us?
Reflection: Whose faith justifies us? Ours, or Jesus’? (Answer comes tomorrow!)

10/06/2026

Thought for Wednesday 10th June
John 14:17b
“But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
Slipped in, as it were, at the end of this passage is a tricky little phrase turning on two prepositions - “with” and “in.” The Holy Spirit comes alongside as advocate, “with” them. Then, Jesus promises that later the Holy Spirit will fill them and be “in” them.
Reflection: D L Moody was once asked why he continually prayed to God to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He answered: "Because I leak."

09/06/2026

Thought for Tuesday 9th June
John 14:17a
“...the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.”
It’s interesting for us - in these days of “fake news”, conspiracy theories and billionaires buying news outlets - that the Holy Spirit is the one who brings us the truth, which is not accepted by “the world”. Perhaps the word should have a capital letter - Truth - to indicate its depth, strength and importance.
Reflection: “He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.” (John 1:11)

08/06/2026

Thought for Monday 8th
John 14:16
“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever.”
The word “advocate” is still argued about. Originally a legal term, a “paraclete” was literally someone who “comes alongside” at times of need. Some people prefer the word “comforter”, but that sounds too much like a child’s “snuggie” or just a shoulder to cry on.
Reflection: Jesus is leaving them, but promises to always be with them, through the work of the advocate - the Holy Spirit.

07/06/2026

Online service at 11am today on Facebook and our website:
http://www.churchofscotland.be/
Thought for Sunday 7th June
“If you love me, keep my commands.”
Alternatively, “If you love me, you will keep my commands.” The great Danish scholar, Rudolph Bultmann, wrote: “An act of love is genuine only … when I do not think of myself and when the left hand does not know what the right hand is doing…”
Reflection: He goes on: “This is not possible until God’s love confronts me… until it reveals itself to me… liberating me and saving me from myself…”

06/06/2026

Thought for Saturday 6th June
John 14:10c
“...it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.”
We sometimes call this passage “John’s Pentecost” because of Jesus’ gift of the Holy Spirit to the disciples. It reminds us also of the doctrine of the Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit - and of our own need for God’s presence within us, to enable us to live truly Christian lives.
Reflection: “I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Gal 2:20)

05/06/2026

Thought for Friday 5th June
John 14:8-9a
“Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.” Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? ”
Jesus seemed annoyed, even exasperated by the question. “What do you mean? Do you still not see the Father through me?” They hadn’t realised that the Father was there in all that Jesus was and did.
Reflection: I’m reminded of the man who saw his life like footprints in the sand. In the hardest times, there was only one set. Had God left him then? No, it was then that God carried him.

04/06/2026

Thought for Thursday 4th June
Revelation 1:8
“‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’”
One last look at this passage reminds us of the eternity of God - Alpha and Omega being the first and letters in the Greek alphabet. Once again the Lord, through John, seeks to shore up the flagging faith of the persecuted believers. Their earthly future was uncertain; their eternal destiny was not.
Reflection: Through the crises in which we live and with the anxieties that concern us, we are invited to take a very different and timeless perspective. “All shall be well and all manner of things shall be well.” (Julian of Norwich)

03/06/2026

Thought for Wednesday 3rd June
Revelation 1:6a
“...and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father…”
Following on from the message yesterday that Jesus’ death replaces the Temple sacrifices once and for all, now John suggests that we are all “priests” and the “kingdom” - which Jesus repeatedly declared - has somehow replaced the nation of Israel, which had by this time been dispersed around the world.
Reflection: This is one reason we speak about the church as a “priesthood of all believers”. We all have access to God - not just a privileged or chosen few.

02/06/2026

Thought for Tuesday 2nd June
Revelation 1:5b
“To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood…”
The early Christians quickly understood that Jesus’ death was somehow a perfect version of the sacrifices offered for centuries in the Temple. (By John’s time, that Temple was demolished.) No more sacrifices were necessary; Jesus’ shed blood brings full forgiveness.
Reflection: Note that John speaks about us being “freed” from our sins. In what way do you think sin holds us captive or addicted?

Adres

Chaussee De Vleurgat 181
Brussels
1050

Openingstijden

09:00 - 17:00

Telefoon

+3226490219

Website

http://www.churchofscotland.be/

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