24 January
Greetings to you at the end of this Week of Prayer for Christian Unity! Most years we mark this week with a service or some kind of gathering with the Lutheran, Mennonite and Roman Catholic churches on The Spui and Singel. This year, of course, we cannot do that but I draw your attention again to the prayer, below, that all 4 churches used in their worship last Sunday and will use again this Sunday.
Also, I met this week on Zoom with Pieter van Wijlick, the priest from the chapel across the yard from us in the Begijnhof. We always meet together during this week and pray together and it was good to do this again this year thanks to Zoom and to pray for one another and one another’s congregations. Pieter is hoping to join us for Compline on Sunday evening. I am very grateful for the excellent relationship we have with the Chapel and, of course, especially for our shared monthly Taizé services which sadly we have not been able to do now for almost a year. I look forward to them recommencing.
Thank God for the diversity of God’s people, for different traditions and denominations: God’s truth is far too big and rich to be the possession of any one branch of Christ’s Church and we have much to learn from one another.
Here again is the prayer we are sharing. It is based on the theme for The Week of Prayer this year. Abiding in Christ:
Holy and gracious God,
perfect trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
we praise you, source of all unity and diversity.
And we praise you, eternal God, who in Jesus Christ
has come to abide with us, uniting heaven and earth
in one great communion of love.
We give thanks for the unity and fellowship
shared by the churches of the Spui and Singel.
We pray that we may continue to abide with one another,
united in our worship, fellowship and mission.
Bless all who associate with our congregations,
especially in these difficult times of separation and isolation.
Keep us well; keep us strong, keep us faithful.
We pray for the peace and wellbeing of our city,
asking you to endow those entrusted with power and authority
with wisdom and righteousness.
And so may our city reflect that eternal city
where Christ abides, sovereign Lord over all.
In his name we pray. Amen.
God bless and keep you safe and well.
Lance
Sunday, 10.30 hrs, live- streamed service
You can access the live-stream at 10.30 via this link, https://youtu.be/S2zM3c-SOP4 . Our reading for this Sunday, the third after Epiphany, is Jonah 3:1-10.
Sunday, 21.00 hrs
Short evening prayers, Compline
Tuesday, 08.45 hrs
Psalm Reciting (this week Psalms 65-70). We will not meet at the church for this, but you might like to participate from your from our home at 8.45 or some other time.
Thursday, 21.00 hrs
Short evening prayers, Compline
Prayer:
In this time there may be people who feel especially in need of prayer either for themselves or for someone else. There is a small group of people in the congregation who take it in turns on Sundays to be available after the service to pray for anyone in need - so, if you would like prayer or have a a particular prayer request please contact Margaret Richards on margaretanne_richards@hotmail.com and she and the others will pray accordingly.
A word about finance….
Please note that in this period when we are not meeting together there is a way of giving to the church on the website.
God bless you all and keep us united as a church family – and safe and well.
Lance