Dear People & Friends of St. Clement’s,
I hope that all of you who were present, enjoyed our Advent Sunday worship last Sunday morning as much as I did. Aided by the visiting Australian Waratah Girl’s Choir and their supporters, we had a congregation in excess of one hundred. I did wonder whether we might have done some serious damage to the Church roof with our singing of the post-communion hymn, ‘Lo he comes with clouds descending’ :-)
In my sermon, which you can now listen to by clicking on this link, I made the same challenge as I made three years ago. That is, to read a chapter a day of the Gospel of Luke during Advent. If you started doing so last Sunday, then you will finish reading the last chapter on Christmas Day. I’ve already read the first six chapters – have you?
Looking ahead, we have three different services this coming weekend.
Saturday 8th December at 16.00 – Family Christmas Carols
An opportunity to sing familiar English Christmas Carols, together with a couple of Carols in Czech. This ecumenical event is an ideal one for families with younger children and will last no more than an hour. Refreshments will be served in Klimentská 18, following the service & there will be a retiring collection in aid of UNICEF.
Sunday 9th December at 11.00 – Family Eucharist for the Second Sunday in Advent.
The service will mark the completion of what our children have been preparing during Children’s Ministry these past weeks and our preacher will be David Hellam. Various edible goodies made by the children and others will be for sale following the service in aid of the charity ‘Send a Cow’. Coffee Hour will follow our worship.
Sunday 9th December at 18.00 – A Service of Lessons & Carols in Brno
After worship in Prague in the morning, I will be travelling down to Brno for our regular monthly Sunday evening service at the Czechoslovak Hussite Church, Nové sady 32a, Brno. This will mark the first anniversary of holding services in Brno as we started with a Carol Service there in December 2011. I still have space in my car for up to three more people to accompany me as so far, only Gordon Truefitt has responded to my previous appeal for volunteers to do so. If you are interested, please get in touch with me ASAP.
Looking a little further ahead
On the following Sunday 16th December, as well as our regular Sung Eucharist at 11.00am there will also be our traditional annual Service of Lessons & Carols at 18.00. This service is a wonderful opportunity to invite friends & family to come to Church with you. Start thinking now who you could invite to come. After the service, we plan to serve mulled wine & mince pies, together with other simple refreshments including non-alcoholic drinks. But we do need some volunteers to do this – both to prepare the mulled wine & bring the mince pies/other nibbles/non-alcoholic drinks & to serve them. If you would be willing to help, please email me or speak to me this coming Sunday.
Some other quick reminders
We are still collecting tinned food and warm winter adult clothing, to support the work of the Salvation Army with the homeless in Prague. Both wheelie bins for our collection will be at the back of Church again each Sunday during Advent.
Remember to save your used postage stamps and place them in the collecting envelope on the noticeboard at the back of Church to support the work of the Intercontinental Church Society who in turn, support us.
And a new edition of The European Anglican magazine arrived this week & will be available free at the back of Church on Sunday.
Best wishes
Ricky
