Dear People & Friends of St. Clements,
Last Wednesday evening, a small group of us shared in an informal Eucharist around the table in the Communio Centre, to celebrate the Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. We listened to the Gospel Reading that tells of Mary & Joseph’s visit to the Jerusalem temple to offer their first-born son back to God, and of the prophetic words of two elderly but spiritually aware people, Simeon & Anna.
The Feast of Presentation marks the end of the Christmas & Epiphany season. As I’ve previously written, we now enter a period of what is known as ‘Ordinary Time’ which continues until Lent begins on Ash Wednesday which this year, falls on Wednesday 9th March. In this period there are five Sundays, therefore…….
This Sunday 6th February at 11am – Sung Eucharist for the Fifth Sunday before Lent
Our Gospel Reading this Sunday is part of what we usually refer to as the Sermon on the Mount. It is Matthew 5. 13-20 and speaks about followers of Jesus being called to be both salt & light. Our Epistle Reading continues our journey through St. Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians being the first sixteen verses of chapter two. Please try and read both passages before coming to worship on Sunday.
There will be Children’s Ministry (formerly known as Sunday School) which will led this week by Sean Miller. And following the service there will be Coffee Hour in the hall on the third floor of Klimentská 18.
Wednesday 9th February at the Communio Centre, Karolíny Svĕtlé 21 (diagonally across from the Rotunda of the Holy Cross), Prague 1
5pm – 7pm – I will be available for Coffee & Chat for anyone who wants to drop by & talk.
7pm – Evening Prayer followed by Bible Study & discussion aiming to finish no later than about 8.15pm.
Please note the change to slightly later times which seem to be more suitable to most people. If anyone wants to drop by to chat earlier, just drop me an email and we can make suitable arrangements.
A number of other things to draw your attention to.
A week on Sunday – that is Sunday 13th February, we plan to have Shared Lunch in the hall on the third floor of Klimentská 18 following our Sung Eucharist. But I need one or two people who are willing to organise it. By that I mean, be the people who open the hall & help lay on the hot and cold drinks. Please either speak with me or drop me an email if you are willing to do this.
I also need someone willing to organise Coffee Hour on Sunday 20th February as the ever-faithful Caroline Studdert is away that weekend. Again, please speak with me or drop me an email if you are willing to help.
Lost property – The verger of our host congregation at St. Clement’s, has passed a leather drawstring purse to me which she found under one of the pews when cleaning the Church. She has checked with the Czech congregation & it does not seem to belong to one of their members so she assumes that it must belong to someone from our congregation. It only has a few coins in it but it is a very nice purse. If you believe it is yours, please drop me a line. I shall have it with me on this coming Sunday morning.
As previously advised, the Annual Church Meeting will be held on Sunday 27th March 2011. In order to stand for election or vote at the Annual Church Meeting, you need to be on the Church Electoral Roll. Recently, the Church Council went through the current roll and removed the names of people on it who we believe to have left the area of the Chaplaincy which is deemed to be the whole of the Czech Republic. This revised list is now pinned to the noticeboard at the back of Church. Please look at it & if by any unlikely chance, you think we have removed your name when we shouldn’t have done so, please let me know.
In order to join the Church Electoral Roll, you need to be baptised and a member of the Church of England or one of the other Anglican Churches around the world that together form the Anglican Communion. If you are baptised but not a member of a Church in the Anglican Communion, you can still apply to join the Church Electoral Roll if you have ‘habitually attended public worship’ for at least six months before making your application.
Forms to apply to join the Church Electoral Roll are in a plastic folder on the noticeboard at the back of Church. When completed, please return your form to me or to one of the Churchwardens. If you have any query about your eligibility, please speak with me.
Please note two important things
All applications to join the Church Electoral Roll must be received more than 15 days before the date of the Annual Church Meeting. Realistically that means by Sunday 6th March as we must display the complete Church Electoral Roll on the noticeboard for 15 days before the Annual Church Meeting.
Filling out a Newcomers Form from one of our Welcome Booklets, does NOT put you on the Church Electoral Roll. It just puts you on my email circulation list! You need to apply separately using the appropriate form.
I look forward to seeing many of you on Sunday at 11am.
Best wishes
Ricky
