Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,
I want to start my Weekly Message this week by saying a very big ‘Thank you’ to everyone who made last Sunday such a memorable occasion. To Jack Noonan and Rev’d Dr Karen Moritz for leading me in the renewal of my ordination vows and contributing in several other ways to our worship. To Larry & Celieta Leifeste for their wonderful musical contributions. And to Churchwardens Stephen Weeks and Gordon Truefitt, especially Stephen for his effusive and quite embarrassing tribute at the end of the service. Thank you too, to everyone who contributed food and drink for our Summer Picnic in the park. There was more than enough to share, a very good attendance and the weather cooperated as well!
My sermon from last Sunday is now available to listen to on our Church website here. David Hellam has also kindly given me a recording of the whole the service. Unfortunately, it’s too large for me to upload in the normal way but, once we find a way around that technical difficulty, it will also be available to listen to.
Now looking ahead to this weekend – a most significant one in the life of the Czech Republic as the 600th anniversary of the martyrdom of Jan Hus is being commemorated in a series of events across Prague. Leaflets in English, giving details of the programme of events, are available at the back of Church & much of the same information can also be found here .
In our worship on Sunday, we too will be remembering Jan Hus, together with SS Cyril & Methodius, Apostles to the Slavs, whose day it is on Sunday.
Sunday 5th July at 11.00 – Sung Eucharist for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity
Our readings will be those set for the Fifth Sunday after Trinity, but are equally most appropriate for giving thanks for & learning from the example of the lives of SS Cyril and Methodius, together with Jan Hus. The Old Testament reading is Ezekiel 2. 1-5 where the prophet hears God’s call and commission to go and preach to the people of Israel who God calls ‘a rebellious house’. The New Testament reading is a further part of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians where he speaks of receiving ‘a thorn in the flesh’ – 2 Corinthians 12. 2-10. The Gospel reading follows on directly from last Sunday’s Gospel – Mark 6. 1-13, which includes Jesus sending out the disciples ‘two by two’, to preach and to heal.
As we are now in July, there will NOT be parallel Children’s Ministry – it will resume on the first Sunday in September. But there will be Cool Drinks & Light Refreshments served at the back of Church following worship. As it is the first Sunday of the month, I shall then be off to Brno for our regular monthly service starting at 17.00 Holy Communion with hymns, in ‘The Upper Room’, corner of Jezuitská and Mozartova, Brno.
A reminder….
……that the contents of Salvation Army wheelie bins at the back of the Church, where we collect tinned food and warm winter clothing for both men & women were collected by František from the Salvation Army last Friday afternoon. Therefore both bins are almost empty & ready to be refilled. Whilst clothing is less of an issue at this time of year, tinned food is always needed. Let’s hear a few clunks from tins being deposited this coming Sunday. A reminder that it is only tinned food – NOT packets or bottles. We found a few things which could best be described as ‘interesting’, when we emptied the ‘tins bin’ last Friday!
Finally for this week…..
On Sunday morning, we will have a visitor – Lea Williams, joining us for worship, who will be staying with me and Sybille at the Chaplaincy Flat until Monday 13th July. He will then be flying off to Moscow, to spend three more weeks with my colleague Rev’d Clive Fairclough, the Anglican Chaplain in the Russian capital. Lea is training for ordained ministry in the Church of England at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, just outside Oxford, and as part of his training, is undertaking a four week summer placement in the Eastern Archdeaconry of the Diocese in Europe. He will be our preacher on Sunday 12th July.
Lea is married to Petra who is a Czech young lady, originally from Olomouc. I conducted their wedding exactly six years ago on 3rd July 2009 which you can read about here .
Please do make Lea welcome during his time with us.
Best wishes
Ricky
