Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,

A big ‘Thank you’, to all of you who made the effort last Sunday, to attend our Joint Eucharist with the Old Catholics in their Cathedral on Petřín Hill. It is a lovely venue but a little difficult to get to, especially when there is a long queue for the funicular railway from Ưjezd, as there was last Sunday morning. It will be our turn to host the Old Catholics at St. Clement’s in 2014 & we will need to ensure that we are as warm & welcoming next year, as they were to us last Sunday!

Thank you also, to everyone who came yesterday evening to St. Clement’s, to celebrate a much-neglected Christian festival – Ascension Day. As I remarked last night, it was also a great joy for the first time in 2013, to hold a service without needing to use the somewhat limited Church heating. Larry, who kindly played the organ last night, also remarked that it is the first time he’s played this year without feeling cold!

However, as those of you present last night will be aware, whilst I was at the ICS Chaplains Conference last week, I picked up a throat infection which has also affected my hearing. Trying to hear what someone is saying to me in a Church building with an echo like St. Clement’s, is currently an impossibility. I’m hopeful that my hearing will have improved by Sunday, but I also ask for your understanding if I appear to have ignored you, or ask you to repeat what you’ve said, three times :-(

Now looking ahead……..

Sunday 12th May at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Seventh Sunday of Easter/Sunday after Ascension Day.

On this one Sunday between Ascension Day & the Feast of Pentecost, we continue to celebrate the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ, but also wait in anticipation for the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. As we will pray in the words of the Collect this coming Sunday, ‘Leave us not comfortless, but send your Holy Spirit to strengthen us’. Our Bible readings will be Acts 16. 16-34, which describes what happened to Paul & Silas when they were in Philippi: Psalm 97, which declares that, ‘The Lord is king, most high over all the earth’; and John 17. 20-26, the last part of what is often known as Jesus’ ‘High Priestly prayer’ in which he prays that his followers ‘will be one’, just as he and the Father ‘are one’. There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and Coffee Hour following our worship.

A word of warning. The Prague Marathon takes place on Sunday morning & will inevitably cause disruption to public transport which travels above ground – i.e. trams & buses. Do check the DPP website regarding your journey to Church & maybe give yourself a little more time to get there.

Then in the evening, as it will be the second Sunday of the month, I shall be travelling down to Brno for our regular monthly service there.

18.00 – Holy Communion with hymns in the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, Nové sady 32a, Brno.

Tuesday 14th May 18.30-20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18.

Our Tuesday evening study & fellowship sessions continue, looking at the significance of the death & resurrection of Jesus. Having previously looked at the sermons of the first apostles as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, we’ll look at the teaching of St. Paul on the same subject as recorded in his various epistles. As during Lent, we will end by saying Evening Prayer together.

Sunday 19th May at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Feast of Pentecost.

The Feast of Pentecost is the third most important Christian Festival after Easter & Christmas. But it is so often rather neglected. As many of you will remember, last year we had a great Pentecost celebration and I hope we can do the same again this year. As last year, please can you:

Come to Church wearing something RED as red is the correct liturgical colour for Pentecost.

If you speak another language other than English and can say in that language(s) ‘The Lord is here, his Spirit is with us’, please let me know ASAP, either by reply to this email or by speaking with me on Sunday. Last year, we managed 11 different languages. I’d like to exceed that number in 2013! ‘Y mae’r Arglwydd yma, Y mae ei Ysbryd gyda ni’, was my contribution last year. What will be yours this year?

Other news, events, and dates for your diary

I’ve been asked to advertise a free concert being given by the visiting Cornerstone University Chorale, from the USA, on Thursday 16th May at 7.00pm. Full details are 

Chorale Poster 2013

There is also a poster on the noticeboard at the back of Church.

I’ve also been contacted by a new organisation, which is offering day trips out of Prague for English-speakers, exploring the rich spiritual heritage of the Czech Republic. Details of the first two trips are:

25 May / In the Footsteps of Czech Reformation and John Hus

1 June / Kralice Bible still alive after 400 years

Our next Shared Lunch will be following worship on Sunday 26th May. Then on Sunday 23rd June, we will be having a Bring-&-share Picnic in the Park after worship that morning, in the wonderfully well equipped park & children’s play area on Lannova, between St. Clement’s Church & the Vltava River.

Finally for this week

Please don’t forget that we are still collecting tinned food to help the Salvation Army with there work with the homeless in Prague. The red wheelie bin is at the back of Church & it would be good to hear on Sunday morning, a few more ‘clonks’ as tins are deposited in it :-)

Best wishes

Ricky