Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,

I want to start my ‘Weekly Message’ this week, with some more details of the Mini-Pilgrimage this coming Saturday, that Gordon announced last Sunday in Church.

Outside the Box:   A Mini-Pilgrimage from Srbsco to Svaty Jan pod Skalou.

Saturday 23rd May – 7.8Km.- 3 hours walk, 6 hrs.  including  train/bus, 7 hours with Lunch.

ITINERARY:

12.19* Train Os 8830 from Prague hl.n. arrives Srbsko Station – 13.03. Fare: 58Kc. see note*.
Then walking 300m; to, and across, the bridge, then Left into K Privozu, to……
13.10  Lunch at Restaurace U Berounky.
NB (Non-Lunchers’: train Os 8834, 13.19 from Prague hl.n arrives Srbsko 14.03.)

14.10 Start on Sokolska St.>N on the ‘NS Karlstejn’ (NS means a hiking trail with info boards), along the river Barounka, for about 2km, to V Kosle village trail signpost.
Turn right, but still on’NS Karlstejn trail’, so still heading >N, up a slightly rising valley for another 2km, to the Trail signpost in the village of Hostim.
We now take the ‘green trail’ >NE for a further 2Km over gradually rising ground, crossing the red trail about half way, until we come to the remains of an old narrow gauge railway which we turn and follow >SW, passing all the old workings and quarries of a once thriving mining industry – and which now has a Giant Child`s Playground – to the wooded tops of the sheer cliffs overlooking Sv. Jan pod Skalou.  The view is awesome!
We then back up a couple of hundred meters, but now following the Red trail, and make our way down the steep path to the village.  We should have time for a leisurely  to look around the monastery and church with it`s healing spring, and kill any left over with a drink and the loo before the bus takes us back to Prague.

18.18 Bus 384 from Sv.Jan pod Skalou. Arrives Prague – Zličín , 18:54  Fare: 24Kc (DPP Zone 2/3)

*Train fare can be almost halved with a group ticket for 5 or more;  it`s a bit complicated, but if you can confirm to Gordon, gordontruefitt(at)yahoo(dot)co(dot)uk or call/text 606 190 604, that you`re coming,  before Friday, he should be able to do it.

Sunday 24th May – Sung Eucharist for Pentecost
As we have in the last three years, I invite you to come to Church on Pentecost Sunday, wearing something RED, the liturgical colour of the day. And again, I want to hear the words, ‘The Lord is here. His Spirit is with us.‘ in as many languages as possible. If you can say those words in any language other than English, please let me know by email ASAP. So far, I’ve had a small number of volunteers but I need plenty more!

As well as the account of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first disciples, as recorded in Acts 2. 1-21, we shall also hear Romans 8. 22-27 where Paul explains how the Holy Spirit can help us in our praying. The Gospel reading will be John 15. 26-27 & 16. 4b-15, where Jesus speaks of sending the Advocate or Counsellor – the Spirit of truth. There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and following worship, Coffee Hour in the hall on the third floor of Klimentská 18.

Tuesday 26th May – 18.30-20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18.
As promised in my Weekly Message last week, I will lead a study of Psalm 135. The words of the Psalms can both comfort us and challenge us and I hope that will be our experience as we look at Psalm 135. As we usually do, the last twenty minutes of our time will be spent saying Evening Prayer together. If the outside door of Klimentská 18 is locked, please press the bell marked Kancelář & we’ll buzz you in!

Two other reminders for this week.

Used postage stamps – as many of you know, we collect used postage stamps to support the work of the Intercontinental Church Society (ICS) who in turn, support us. All used postage stamps are wanted with the sole exception of British ones that bear only the Queen’s head. Leave the stamp on the envelope and cut or tear off the corner of the envelope where the stamp(s) is/are located, leaving about a 5mm border around the stamp. Then bring the used stamps to Church & place them in the collecting envelope pinned to our noticeboard at the back of the Church. If you can bring any used stamps this coming Sunday or Sunday 31st May, that would be ideal as I am going to the UK during the first week of June & will take all the used stamps we have collected, directly to ICS HQ.

Red wheelie bins at the back of the Church – before going to the UK at the beginning of June, I intend to arrange to have the contents of both wheelie bins collected by František from the Salvation Army. The one for clothing is all but full, but the one for tinned food, to help feed the homeless in Prague, still has room for more tins. So please may we hear some loud ‘clunks’ on Sunday from additional tins being deposited in the wheelie bin!

That’s enough for this week.

Best wishes

Ricky