Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,
I want to start this week’s ‘Weekly Message’, by thanking everyone who came last Sunday morning, to help us celebrate the Feast of Pentecost. Especial thanks to those who helped us have ‘The Lord is here. His Spirit is with us’, spoken in a variety of different tongues. I believe we eventually managed eighteen different languages! My sermon from last Sunday, along with that from the previous Sunday, are both now available to listen to on our Church website. Just go here and click on the one you want to hear.
Following Pentecost Sunday, the Church’s year enters what is known as Ordinary Time, which lasts until All Saints’ Day, 1st November. Often this is known as the ‘green season‘ because green is the liturgical colour that is used during this period. But just to be confusing, the Sunday following Pentecost is always kept as Trinity Sunday, when we use white & gold :-) After that, we then start counting ‘Sundays after Trinity’. This year, there will be twenty-two Sundays after Trinity, because of Easter being so early.
Following that little explanation of liturgical colours and the Christian Year, a reminder of our worship this coming Sunday.
Sunday 22nd May at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for Trinity Sunday
As well as saying Psalm 8 responsively, we will have a reading from Romans 5. 1-5, where God the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, all get referred to by St Paul, in connection with one another. Our Gospel reading will be John 16. 12-15, where Jesus promises the gift of the Holy Spirit and declares that, ‘All that the Father has is mine’. Trinity Sunday is also a wonderful opportunity to sing some of the numerous excellent Trinitarian hymns in our hymn book! There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and following worship, Cool Drinks & Light Refreshments will be served at the back of the Church.
I shall then be heading to Praha hlavní nádraží, to catch the train to Dresden, for the monthly English-language Anglican Service of Evening Prayer in the Frauenkirche. Normally this is held on the third Sunday of the month, but in both May & June for different reasons, it has been moved to the fourth Sunday instead. Therefore after this Sunday, I shall next be heading to Dresden on Sunday 26th June.
And a repeat of what I wrote in last week’s ‘Weekly Message’.
A new Webmaster
As part of preparing for less than a year’s time, when Sybille & I will no longer be in Prague, the Church Council is looking for someone to takeover the role of webmaster for our Church website. It runs on a WordPress blog and is all in English, despite being a .cz top-level domain. Sybille will happily help with the handover & is willing to answer any questions a prospective new webmaster might have! Interested? Then please drop me an email, or speak with either Sybille or me on Sunday.
That appeal for a volunteer has, so far, been greeted with deathly silence :-( The website is the main way in which new arrivals in Prague find us. I expect this applies to many of you in receipt of this email. It is also how most visitors to Prague find us. Research has shown that having an out-of-date website, for example showing last month’s services but not forthcoming ones, is the quickest way to put someone off coming to Church. It is a vital tool for the continued well-being of St. Clement’s. If you value St. Clement’s, think seriously as to whether YOU might take on this task!
Until Sunday
Best wishes
Ricky
