Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,
I want to start my ‘Weekly’ this week, by thanking everyone who contributed to our worship on Pentecost Sunday and helped to make it such a wonderful celebration of the coming of the Holy Spirit. Well done to everybody who came dressed in red, the liturgical colour of the season, especially the Whittingham family in their colour coordinated outfits and Andrew Kasembe who wore red shoes to match his red jumper!
In terms of the liturgical calendar, the Feast of Pentecost marks the end of the Easter Season, and so last Monday, we entered what is known as ‘Ordinary Time’, when green is the liturgical colour. But just to be confusing, the Sunday after Pentecost is always celebrated as Trinity Sunday when white/gold is used! Therefore…..
Sunday 31st May at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for Trinity Sunday
The lectionary gives us three wonderful Biblical passages to read and to listen to on Sunday. Our Old Testament reading is Isaiah 6. 1-8 which describes Isaiah’s vision in the temple and his response to God’s call – ‘Here am I; send me!’ Our New Testament reading, from Romans 8. 12-17, contains some good Pauline theology with all three persons of the Trinity being referred to in close succession. The Gospel reading is John 3. 1-17, describing the encounter & conversation between Nicodemus and Jesus, including those famous words, ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but have eternal life’. There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and following worship, Cool Drinks & Light Refreshments served at the back of the Church.
After post-service refreshments, I shall be off down the D1 to Brno for our regular monthly service of Holy Communion starting at 17.00, in ‘The Upper Room’, corner of Jezuitská and Mozartova, Brno.
Please note that from Monday 1st June, I will be taking a week of my annual leave. I will be flying to the UK and will be returning to Prague in the evening of Monday 8th June. It will be a bit of a ‘Busman’s Holiday’ as on Saturday 6th June, I shall be officiating at the wedding of Adam, the long-standing best friend of my son, Phillip. You can guess who is the best man :-) The wedding will be in the Oxfordshire village of Fringford, one of my previous parishes. Then on Sunday morning, I will be the celebrant & preacher in the neighbouring village of Stratton Audley, another of my former parishes, as the Benefice of Shelswell of which I was Rector until moving to Prague in 2008, is once more in interregnum as my successor as Rector, moved on last October.
However, in my absence, things will still be happening at St. Clement’s, almost as normal!
Tuesday 2nd June – 18.30-20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18.
In my absence, TerriAnne Novak has kindly agreed to lead our Study Evening, looking at another Psalm. I am most grateful to TerriAnne, and to everyone who came last Tuesday evening when we looked at Psalm 135, who all said they would like to keep meeting on Tuesday evenings through June. As usual, the last 15-20 minutes will be spent saying Evening Prayer together. If the outside door of Klimentská 18 is locked, please press the bell marked Kancelář & you’ll be buzzed in!
Sunday 7th June at 11.00 – Morning Prayer for the First Sunday after Trinity
The leader and preacher at the service will be our Licensed Reader, Jack Noonan. The Biblical readings will be Psalm 130, together with Genesis 3. 8-15, and Mark 3. 20-35. There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and following worship, Cool Drinks & Light Refreshments served at the back of the Church.
Tuesday 9th June – 18.30-20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18.
I will be back & will lead a study of Psalm 33 followed by saying Evening Prayer together.
A repeat (with slight amendments) of two reminders from last 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 that would be ideal as I can then take them to the UK during the first week of June & will deliver them directly to ICS HQ.
Red wheelie bins at the back of the Church – Once I return from the UK, 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 more loud ‘clunks’ on Sunday from additional tins being deposited in the wheelie bin!
Please note that there will be NO Weekly Message next week as I will be on holiday. But this message contains everything you need to know until I return ;-)
Best wishes
Ricky
