Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,
Today is the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple, commonly also known as Candlemas, celebrating the events described in Luke 2. 22-40. The lectionary does provide that we could have celebrated this Feast last Sunday, but I chose instead to stick with the readings set for the Fourth Sunday of Epiphany. But today does mark the end of the Epiphany season and the beginning of a period of what is known as Ordinary Time. Because Easter Day in 2017 is relatively late, falling on Sunday 16th April, it does mean that this period of Ordinary Time from tomorrow until the beginning of Lent on 1st March – Ash Wednesday, is longer than it commonly is, lasting for almost four weeks & including four Sundays.
On the first three of these forthcoming Sundays of Ordinary Time, when green is the liturgical colour, we will hear successive sections of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount as our Gospel readings. So to this coming Sunday.
Sunday 5th February at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Fourth Sunday before Lent
In our Gospel reading, Matthew 5. 13-20, Jesus calls on his hearers to be ‘the salt of the earth’ and ‘the light of the world’. The supporting readings will be 1 Corinthians 2. 1-16, where even St Paul speaks of being ‘in fear and much trembling’ when first preaching the Gospel in Corinth, which I have to say I find quite reassuring ;-) , and Isaiah 58. 1-12 where the prophet speaks powerfully of our duty to care for those who are hungry or oppressed. There will be parallel Children’s Ministry and following worship, Coffee Hour in the hall on the third floor of Klimentská 18.
Then, as it is the first Sunday of the month, I shall be heading to Brno, probably by train, for:
Sunday 5th February at 17.00 – Holy Communion for the Fourth Sunday before Lent
in ‘The Upper Room’, corner of Jezuitská and Mozartova, Brno.
Tuesday 7th February 18.30-20.00 in the small meeting room on the first floor of Klimentská 18
As, because of the appalling weather last Tuesday evening, nobody came, this Tuesday we’ll tackle Psalms 95 & 96 as I previously planned :-) . 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!
Supporting the work of the Salvation Army with the homeless in Prague
Earlier this week, I met at the Church with Captain of the Salvation Army, and he collected all the contents of both of the red wheelie bins at the back of the Church. He asked me to pass on his thanks for all your donations of both warm winter clothing and tinned food. Therefore both wheelie bins are completely empty, ready to receive fresh donations!
A reminder that we need clothing for both men & women, and not just jackets & sweaters – underwear, socks, hats & scarves are equally needed. And tinned food – any form of food, but in a tin! No packets or bottles please! Some well-meaning person put a packet of biscuits in amongst the tinned food. Result – broken biscuits & crumbs all over the inside of name’s van, as we unloaded the tins! A mess we could have done without!
And finally for this week…….
……..my sermon from last Sunday is now available to listen to online here:
Until Sunday
Best wishes
Ricky
