Dear People & Friends of St. Clements,
This will be a rather brief message this week & mainly a reminder of various things which I’ve written about previously. Next week, I plan to write at greater length with an outline of some of the events planned for the coming months, once a number of things have been finalised by your Church Council who are meeting this coming Sunday after Coffee Hour.
Firstly – worship this coming Sunday
Sunday 22nd January – Third Sunday of Epiphany – 11.00 am Sung Eucharist
As we continue through the Epiphany season, this Sunday we think about how Jesus was ‘made manifest’ or ‘shown forth’ with his first miracle or ‘sign’ as St. John calls it – by turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. The account can be found in John 2. 1-11 which is our Gospel reading. There should 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 23rd January at 6.00pm
As part the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, there will be an Ecumenical Service in Kostel sv. Vojtěcha v Praze 6 – Dejvicích. The Church is part of the Catholic Theological Faculty and is located in a street called Kolejní. It is within walking distance of Dejvická Metro Station at the end of the Green Line. The nearest tram stop is Thákurova – Tram 20 or 26.
The service will be led by the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Prague, Dominik Duka & the preacher will be Joel Ruml, Moderator of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren who is also Chair of the Czech Ecumenical Council. Bishop Geoffrey very much encourages the building of good ecumenical relations with the Churches of the countries where our English-speaking Anglican Chaplaincies are located & I feel it is important for St. Clement’s to be represented at this service.
Sybille & I are planning to go, along with Rev Dr Karen Moritz & it would be lovely to have some other St. Clement’s members to go with us. Karen did say to me that I ought to emphasise that the service will be in Czech. I’d taken that as read! Please let me know if you are interested in attending so we can all arrange to meet either at the tram or metro stop & walk together to the Church.
Because of this service on Monday, there will not be the usual evening meeting in Klimentská 18 on Tuesday 24th. We will resume on Tuesday 31st January.
An important reminder from our Church Treasurer Gordon Truefit
If you made financial donations to support St. Clement’s during 2011 by standing order, bank transfers or via dated, numbered envelopes and you are a Czech taxpayer, you are entitled to set your donation against the tax that you have paid as part of your annual tax return. To do this, you need a signed, stamped Tax Letter setting out how much you gave during the year. If you would like one of these, please email Gordon at truegordon1(at)volny(dot)cz and he will happily provide you with one.
A reminder about what we are collecting to give practical support to the work of the Armáda spásy / Salvation Army with the homeless in Prague
For the Clothing Bin we need hats, gloves, scarves, socks, shoes/boots and underwear for both men & women. On the outside of the bin there is, in both pictures and words, a clear indication of the items required & not required.
For the Food Bin we need tinned goods. Basically, any food item in a tin but NOT sauces, pasta, or other dried goods in packets or plastic bottles. Again, in pictures & words on the outside of the bin, there is a clear indication of what is & isn’t required.
The clothing bin is getting quite full. The food bin less so. Please bring your contributions with you to worship this coming Sunday if at all possible.
I said I’d keep it brief! Hoping to see many of you on Sunday at 11.00 am.
Best wishes
Ricky
