Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,
Spring has really now arrived in Prague & I’m writing this wearing my short-sleeved St. Clement’s polo shirt, for the second day running, as the weather is so pleasant & warm. As usual, here is my weekly reminder of what is happening at St. Clement’s as well as highlighting things that need your attention.
Sunday 23rd March 2014 at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Third Sunday of Lent
Our Gospel reading once more comes from the Gospel of John rather than the Gospel of Matthew. This coming Sunday we hear the story of the woman of Samaria who met Jesus at the well and the interesting conversation that followed, as recorded in John 4. 5-42. The supporting readings are Psalm 95, often known as Venite, from the opening word in Latin, and Romans 5. 1-11. There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and Coffee Hour will follow the service.
Because the Gospel reading is so long, and your Lenten penance will be to have to stand for quite some time to listen to it :-) , I’ve had to make the Weekly Bulletin twice it’s normal size in order to fit in all the Biblical text. I’ve therefore taken advantage of the additional space to also put in the words of two hymns which are not in our book. You’ll have to be there on Sunday to discover what they are and sing them, but one of them is an American hymn to an American tune as a small contribution to overcoming the transatlantic hymn and tune divide!
Tuesday 25th March 18.30-20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18
Our Lent Course ‘Discerning Your Spiritual Gifts’ continues. We’ve had two very lively, well-attended and enjoyable sessions so far, led by Rev’d Dr Karen Moritz. Even if you’ve missed them, you are still welcome to join us this coming Tuesday. As we normally do on Tuesday evenings, we shall end our session by saying Evening Prayer together. A reminder that if the ground floor door of Klimentská 18 is locked, press the bell marked Kancelář & we’ll buzz you in!
Sunday 30th March 2014 at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Fourth Sunday of Lent
Advance warning that this is the one Sunday of the year that I dislike the most as the clocks go forward by one hour during the previous night!
Annual Church Meeting – Sunday 13th April 2014
A reminder that our Annual Church Meeting (ACM) will now take place on Sunday 13th April following worship. Please make sure this is in your diaries and plan to be there! As many of you will already be aware, the finances of the Chaplaincy are in a fairly critical state and we need to input of as many Church members as possible as we seek a positive way forward.
At the ACM, two Churchwardens, two Archdeaconry Synod reps, together with up to nine ordinary Church Council members, will be elected. In order to vote or to stand for election, your need to be a member of our Church Electoral Roll (CER). The current CER is displayed on the noticeboard at the back of the Church. If your name appears there, you need to do nothing!
If you are not on the CER but would like to be, then application forms are available in a folder pinned to the noticeboard at the back of Church. To apply, you need to be baptized and a member of the Church of England or any of the other Anglican or Old Catholic Churches in full communion with the Church of England & be normally resident in the Czech Republic. Or, you need to be baptized and be a member in good standing of a Church which subscribes to the doctrine of the Holy Trinity, and to have ‘habitually attended public worship’ with us for at least the last six months, and be normally resident in the Czech Republic.
Application forms need to be completed and returned by no later than 29th March 2014. Please feel free to speak to me or drop me an email, if anything in the previous two paragraphs is unclear.
Please also start giving serious consideration as to who you want to serve as office holders and Church Council members in the coming year. A form for nominations is on the noticeboard at the back of Church and it was good to already have two names written on it last Sunday. Nominations need a proposer, seconder & the consent of the nominee and all three need to be members of the Church Electoral Roll. In particular, we need someone elected as a Church Council member, who would be willing to become Church Treasurer, as Gordon wishes to step down from that role having held it with distinction for the past three years. As I’ve previously said, I would much prefer to have volunteers rather than pressed men or women ;-)
That’s enough from me this week. If you are in Prague – enjoy the Spring sunshine!
Best wishes
Ricky
