Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,
I got back to the Chaplaincy Flat yesterday evening, after a most enjoyable two weeks of walking across the western half of Switzerland, accompanying my wife Sybille on her walking pilgrimage from Prague to Santiago de Compostela. We met up on the evening of Thursday 7th August in Merligen, a small town on the eastern shore of the Thunersee in central Switzerland. Over the following thirteen days, we walked together to Genève/Genf/Geneva, from where I took the train to Langenthal where my car was securely parked. I stayed in Langenthal overnight with friends, & then yesterday, drove back to Prague.
Whilst I was driving back to Prague, Sybille crossed the border from Switzerland into France and is now walking through the département of Haute-Savoie. She has asked me to pass on her thanks for the prayers & messages of support she has received from members of the congregation. She looks forward to seeing you all again, probably sometime in early November.
May I also take this opportunity to thank Rev’d Dr Karen Moritz and Jack Noonan, for preaching & leading Sunday worship whilst I was away and our Churchwarden & Treasurer Gordon Truefitt, who I know has been working hard behind the scenes, trying to help secure the Chaplaincy’s financial future.
And now, three things to look forward to!
Sunday 24th August at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Tenth Sunday after Trinity
This coming Sunday, we look forward to being joined by the Choir of St. Thomas on the Bourne, Farnham, UK. The choir, together with their supporters, will number around forty people, thus doubling the size of our normal congregation for this time of year. So do plan to join us, and help us make a very ‘joyful noise unto the Lord!’ As I wrote previously, if you would like to hear some of the choir’s singing in advance of Sunday, there is a You Tube video with excerpts from various past choir tours which you can listen to & watch here
The Bible readings set for Sunday give me a wealth of material on which to preach! As well as Psalm 138, we will also have Romans 12. 1-8, where Paul commends us to ‘present our bodies as a living sacrifice’. The Gospel reading is Matthew 16. 13-20 which records Peter’s great declaration of faith on the road to Caesarea Philippi. As usual during the summer months, Cool Drinks & Light Refreshments will be served at the back of Church following worship.
Tuesday evening meetings for Study & Fellowship……
……..will resume on Tuesday 9th September – 18.30-20.00 in our usual location, the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18. As previously, rather than me choosing what Bible book or topic we are to study, I would welcome suggestions from either regular or new participants. As I always say, I much prefer to ‘scratch where people are itching!’ So if you have a burning issue you would like us to tackle or part of the Bible that you would like to explore more deeply, please drop me an email with your ideas or speak with me this coming Sunday.
The 2014 Eastern Archdeaconry Synod Meeting…….
………is being hosted by us in Prague, between Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th September. We shall be joined by our new Anglican Diocesan Bishop Rt. Rev’d Dr Robert Innes, our Archdeacon Ven Patrick Curran, together with clerical and lays representatives from the various Chaplaincies that make up our vast Archdeaconry. I will be looking for some practical help from people over the days of the Synod – more exact details after the Church Council meeting on Sunday 31st August. Then on Sunday 28th September, as well as our regular Sung Eucharist at 11.00, at which Bishop Robert will preside and preach, in the afternoon there will be an outing to see the remarkable Church at Slavětín in which members of the congregation will be welcome to participate, along with our synod guests. More details in a future Weekly Message but do keep the date free.
Looking forward to being back with you on Sunday morning!
Best wishes
Ricky
