Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,
I promised at the beginning of my ‘Weekly Message’ last Friday, to write and publish a blog post about my long day trip to Brussels on Wednesday 18th January. Yesterday, I finally managed to do so and you can find it here.
There is also now a news article about our meeting on the Diocese in Europe website here. In the second photograph, you can actually see the back of my balding head on the right-hand side of the table :-)
Then, today’s edition of the ‘Church Times’ carried a leading news article in which I am actually quoted!
But now to this coming Sunday.
Sunday 29th January at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Fourth Sunday of Epiphany
On this last Sunday of the Epiphany season, we reflect on how Jesus was ‘made manifest’ or ‘shown forth’, when he performed his first miracle, or ‘sign’ as St John calls it, when he turned water into wine at a wedding in Cana, as recorded in John 2. 1-11 which will be our Gospel reading. We shall also hear more about the ‘foolishness of the cross‘ from St Paul in 1 Corinthians 1. 18-31, together with a story from the life of the prophet Elijah as recorded in 1 Kings 17. 8-16. There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and following worship, hopefully Coffee Hour in the hall on the third floor of Klimentská 18. I say hopefully, because we still need someone to run it! There are more than adequate supplies of snacks & nibbles, all it needs is someone to go out after receiving communion to make the coffee & boil water for tea. If you can do this on Sunday, please contact me ASAP.
Tuesday 31st January 18.30-20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18
Our Tuesday night meetings for study & fellowship will continue on Tuesday looking at various Psalms. This coming Tuesday, we’ll tackle Psalms 95 & 96. As usual, we will spend the last part of our time together saying Evening Prayer. If the ground floor door of Klimentská 18 is locked, press the bell marked Sborový Kancelář & we’ll buzz you in!
A Lent course
This year, Lent begins on Wednesday 1st March – Ash Wednesday. In recent years, we have run a Lent course on the following five Tuesdays of Lent. For two different reasons, I’m wondering whether to move to Wednesday evenings. Would that be better for people? Or do people who like Tuesdays, find Wednesdays difficult or impossible? Feedback please! As this will be my last Lent in Prague, I would like to use Lent to get the congregation thinking about what the Church should be as you face an interregnum and the task of recruiting a new Chaplain. More information in due course.
Refugee needs in Prague
2 chests of drawers. 1 largish mirror. 2 bedroom rugs for boys. 1 rug for living room area. 1 large trash bin with lid. Suitcases (no wheels or handles missing please). Towels, Pots & Pans (in good condition). Toiletries: soap,shampoo,toilet paper,feminine hygiene items – anything! If you are able to help with any of these items, please contact: email – preferably before this weekend to save voluntary charity workers giving up their weekend to scavenge.
Sermon last Sunday
My sermon from last Sunday is available to listen to once again on our Church website. Just click here.
And finally for this week…….
……as today is Holocaust Memorial Day, and in 2017, refugees and migrants being blamed for problems in both the USA and the UK, may I leave you with the challenging words of the German Protestant Pastor name.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
Best wishes
Ricky
