Dear People & Friends of St. Clements,

As I’m sure many of you are aware, especially if you have already needed to write the date numerically, today is 11.11.11. But as well being interesting numerically, it is also the anniversary of the signing of the armistice that brought World War One to an end – signed at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918. It is marked in the USA as Veterans Day & in the UK as Armistice Day. Since 1945 in the UK, the commemoration of those who lost their lives in both World Wars & in other conflicts, has normally taken place on the nearest Sunday & is known as Remembrance Sunday.

Whilst we do not hold a specific Remembrance Sunday Service at St. Clement’s, I know that Alasdair Duncan who is leading our intercessions this Sunday for the first time, will be including prayers that reflect the solemnity of this weekend. Remembrance poppies will also be once more available this Sunday at the back Church. I very much like the words of the Collect set for this coming Sunday

Almighty Father,
whose will is to restore all things
in your beloved Son, the King of all:
govern the hearts and minds of those in authority,
and bring the families of the nations,
divided and torn apart by the ravages of sin,
to be subject to his just and gentle rule;
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen

You might like to use it in your own personal prayers today & in the next few days.

The coming week…..

Sunday 13th November at 11.00am – Sung Eucharist for the Second Sunday before Advent.

There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and the service will be followed by Coffee Hour in the hall on the third floor of Klimentská 18.

Monday 14th November 2011 – 19:00-21.00

Location: American Center, Tržiště 13, Praha 1 – Malá Strana

Entry: Free

We have gained permission from the film maker to screen the documentary ‘For the Bible Tells Me So‘ for free and have found a great venue, the American Center in Malá Strana, to do so.

This is a film by Daniel Karslake picturing the stories of five American Christian families that have a gay or lesbian child.

The Bible was, and is, often misused to condemn a variety of things, but is homosexuality really condemned by the Bible or is the Bible used by some groups to fuel prejudice and misinterpretations? The suicide rate amongst teenagers who are gay or lesbian is far higher than the national average. What are the reasons for this and are the Churches, partly guilty of contributing to it? And, perhaps most importantly, what can we, as a Christian community, do to be more inclusive?

By interviewing parents and children, as well as theologians from different denominations, including not only Christian, but also Jewish scholars, the film explores the background of this situation and provides information that seeks to reconcile scripture and homosexuality. Participants include Bishop Gene Robinson, Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu, Rev. Peter John Gomes (professor at Harvard University’s Divinity School) and Richard Gephardt (Democratic Party candidate for the US presidency 2004).

The announcement on the American Center Website can be found here and is also on this website and our Facebook page. Please invite your friends and acquaintances to this event and spread the word about it!

Because of the showing this film on Monday evening, there will not be anything on the following Tuesday evening, 15th November. However, I plan to continue our regular Tuesday evening study & fellowship meetings on the following four Tuesday evenings – 22nd & 29th November & 6th & 13th December before taking a break for Christmas. I do now have one of those four evenings ‘sorted’, but as I wrote in last week’s message, I would welcome suggestions of any topics or ideas you would like us to tackle on the other three Tuesday evenings.

A reminder……

…….of our St. Clement’s Christmas Cards. The cards come in packs of 10 with one design per pack: there are 2 designs available. The cards are in English and the inside contains text to the effect that the cards are sold to support St. Clement’s and includes our web address. They are exceptionally good value at only 200 CZK for a pack of 10. They will once more be available for sale after the service this Sunday & on following Sundays.

Steve & Camilla Entwistle, who have so successfully organised the printing & production of these cards, would particularly like people to take packs of cards to sell on to others. If you can do this, then please do so by signing the list at the back of Church to say how many packs you’ve taken.

Looking ahead…….

In next week’s ‘Weekly Message‘, I plan to set out the full details of our worship and other events planned to take place between now & the year end. Watch this space!!!

Wishing you the ‘peace that passes understanding’

Ricky