Scots International Church Rotterdam

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Scots International Church Rotterdam

We are an English language Protestant Church in the Presbyterian tradition.

Based in the heart of the city, we aim to serve the needs of the people of many nationalities and different denominational backgrounds living in Rotterdam and the surrounding area. The congregation was originally formed in 1643 from the large Scottish community of merchants, seamen and soldiers then living in Rotterdam hence the name. The church has maintained its connection with the Church of Scotland, but the congregation is truly international in its make-up.

03/06/2026

Thought for the day
Wednesday 3 June
Psalm 8:5
‘You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honour.’

In all the vastness that the psalmist observes in the night sky, he responds with awe: ‘You have made them a little lower than the heavenly beings.’ What an honoured and privileged position humanity has been given. The important word here is ‘made’. Our dignity and status are not something we have earned or possess by right. They are gifts from the God who created us and crowned us with glory and honour.

Reflection
Consider this … ‘Out of nothing, he made us to be his royal children.’ (Stan Mast)

Graham Austin

02/06/2026

Thought for the day
Tuesday 2 June
Psalm 8:3-4
‘3 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, 4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?’

When this psalm was written there would have been no light pollution, and so the night sky would have appeared vast and awe-inspiring. It would be easy to feel small and insignificant beneath such a display. How much more so when we remember that the one who created the universe is greater still. Can God see a speck of dust? David's wonder is that he can. The Creator of the heavens is mindful of us and cares for us.

Reflection
Luke 12:7 ‘… the very hairs of your head are all numbered. …’

Graham Austin

01/06/2026

Thought for the day
Monday 1 June
Psalm 8:1
‘Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory in the heavens.’

Psalm 8 is a psalm of praise from beginning to end. Before David reflects on humanity's place in creation, he begins with God. His glory fills the heavens and his name is majestic in all the earth. Yet the God whose glory is beyond us is also ‘our Lord’, the God who knows us and cares for us.

Reflection
As we begin a new week, let us start where the psalm begins: with praise.

Graham Austin

31/05/2026

Thought for the day
Sunday 31 May
1 Corinthians 12:12-13
‘Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13 For we were all baptised by one Spirit so as to form one body – whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free – and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.’

On this Trinity Sunday we are reminded that God is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: three persons in perfect unity. Paul reminds us that though the church is made up of many different people, together we are one body in Christ through the one Spirit. Remembering that we are the body of Christ should encourage us to value one another more deeply. Together we belong to him and share in his life.

Reflection
The SICR is privileged to include people from many nations. Let us give thanks for that diversity and unity in Christ.

Graham Austin

30/05/2026

Thought for the day
Saturday 30 May
1 Corinthians 12:8-11 (edited)
‘To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, … a message of knowledge … to another faith …. to another gifts of healing … All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.’

Paul expands here on what the gifts of the Spirit include. Once again there is an emphasis on both the unity and the diversity of these gifts, along with a repeated reminder that they come from the one Spirit. These gifts are given thoughtfully and purposefully by the Spirit, who works through the diversity of the church for its unity.

Reflection
How has the Spirit gifted you for service in your church?

Graham Austin

29/05/2026

Thought for the day
Friday 29 May
1 Corinthians 12:7
‘Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.’

Not just to a few, nor only to an elite group, but to each believer the Spirit gives gifts in different ways. What matters here is that these gifts are not given to feed personal pride or ego, but to serve one another for the ‘common good.’

Reflection
Is it a false humility to say, ‘I have nothing to offer the church?’

Graham Austin

28/05/2026

Thought for the day
Thursday 28 May
1 Corinthians 12:4-6
‘There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.’

Paul is writing to a congregation marked by divisions: who was more important, who followed the best teacher, and who possessed the ‘greatest’ gifts. He redirects their attention to the unity the gifts are meant to create. As one commentator writes, ‘Paul brings out his point that there can be no divisions among Christians on the grounds of the “gifts”.’

Reflection
The Spirit’s gifts are given not to divide the Church, but to build it up in unity.

Graham Austin

27/05/2026

Thought for the day
Wednesday 27 May
1 Corinthians 12:2-3
‘3 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to dumb idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, ‘Jesus be cursed,’ and no one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit.

Paul begins to address the subject of spiritual gifts by reminding the Corinthians that their former experiences of spirituality are not to be confused with the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit’s role is always to glorify Jesus and lead people into relationship with him. Whatever spiritual experience a person claims to have, it can only truly be called Spirit-filled if it leads to the confession: ‘Jesus is Lord.’

Reflection
As we come to worship, may our focus remain on Jesus.

Graham Austin

26/05/2026

Thought for the day
Tuesday 26 May
1 Corinthians 12:1
‘Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed.’

Following Pentecost Sunday, we turn to Paul’s words to the Corinthian church about the work of the Holy Spirit. He is responding to their questions, and his words, ‘I do not want you to be uninformed,’ show the importance of what follows. The Corinthians may have understood spiritual experiences through the lens of their pagan backgrounds, where dramatic manifestations were often taken as signs of spiritual power. Paul now begins to guide them towards a clearer understanding of the Spirit’s work.

Reflection
Where in our Christian lives do we most need wisdom and understanding?

Graham Austin

25/05/2026

Thought for the day
Monday 25 May
Genesis 1:1&2
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”

Like the opening words of John’s Gospel, Genesis 1 is beautiful, poetic, and profound. It invites us to reflect deeply on God as Creator. At the beginning of creation, the earth is described as formless and empty, yet the Spirit of God is present, bringing order and life out of chaos. Following Pentecost Sunday, we are reminded that the same Spirit is still at work, bringing renewal, life, and hope.

Reflection
Reflect today on the order within creation: the rising and setting of the sun, the changing seasons, the movement of planets and moons, and even the rhythms of birth, life, ageing, and death.

Graham Austin

Adres

Schiedamsevest 121
Rotterdam
3012 BH

Website

http://www.scotsintchurch.com/

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