Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,
Thank you to everyone who came to worship last Sunday and to all who contributed to our worship, especially to Jack Noonan for his sermon. If you missed it or just want to listen to &/or read Jack’s sermon again, it is available here on our website. Just click this link
This week’s ‘Weekly Message’ will be quite brief as I plan on sending out another one early next week, after your Church Council has met this coming Sunday and before I, along with Jack Noonan & Gordon Truefit, head to Athens for the annual meeting of the Eastern Archdeaconry Synod. Therefore, just three things…….
Sunday 23rd September at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity
Our celebrant and preacher this coming Sunday will be Bishop Dušan Hejbal of the Old Catholic Church in the Czech Republic. As is set out on the Weekly Bulletin each Sunday, St Clement’s is both part of the Church of England’s Diocese in Europe and the English-speaking Parish of the Old Catholic Church in the Czech Republic. Hence I have three bishops – Bishop Geoffrey & his Suffragan Bishop David from the Anglicans & Bishop Dušan from the Old Catholics!
For those who don’t know, (and with apologies to those who already do), the Churches of the Anglican Communion have been in full communion with the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht since the Bonn Agreement of 1931. The Bonn Agreement is one of the earliest ecumenical agreements and is remarkably short & simple and probably all the better for being so! It consists of just three sentences of which the last states, ‘Inter-communion does not require from either communion the acceptance of all doctrinal opinion, sacramental devotion, or liturgical practice characteristic of the other, but implies that each believes the other to hold all the essentials of the Christian Faith’.
There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and Cool Refreshments will be served at the back of Church following the service with the opportunity to meet with Bishop Dušan. My thanks to Daniel who is in charge of cool refreshments this Sunday whilst Caroline is away. If anyone would like to provide some additional finger food or bottle(s) of wine to mark the Bishop’s visit, that would be most welcome! It might also give sustenance to your Church Council who will be meeting immediately afterwards.
Tuesday 25th September 18.30-20.00 – Midweek Study & Fellowship
Our regular Midweek Study & Fellowship meetings continue in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18. The second of four Tuesday evenings, of a series of Bible Studies looking at St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians. This coming Tuesday we will be looking at chapter two which includes a wonderful piece of Christology. If at all possible, bring a Bible with you though I will also have printed copies of the text with me. Please plan to be there!
Advance information about Harvest Festival – Sunday 7th October 2012
As both David Hellam & I have been saying these last few Sunday mornings, we are planning a more informal family-friendly service to celebrate Harvest Festival on Sunday 7th October. David writes….
Harvest Festival at St. Clement’s will involve our children participating in a number of ways.
1) Don’t forget to bring tinned food to support the work of the Salvation Army here in the Czech Republic
2) Our children have been working on some artistic displays
3) The children will play an integral part in sharing the message of the Harvest Festival.
4) We will have a surprising difference for the intercessions, suggested and made by the children
5) After the service, the children will be selling home made cookies and cakes, with the proceeds going to charity
This would also be an excellent service to invite any new English-speaking arrivals in Prague. Please plan to be there and think about who you could invite to come with you.
More early next week – until Sunday
Best wishes
Ricky
