Thursday 12 May 2022

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

I hope you are in good heart and that you are able to enjoy this beautiful sunny weather.

It will be good to see many of you on Sunday, 15th May. If you can't join us in person you will be able to find the text of the service online here: Service Resources at St Ursula's Church, Berne. There will also be an audio recording of the sermon taken during the service and put on the website afterwards here: https://www.stursula.ch/Sermons/index.

After Church Discussion
After the service on 15th May, there will be an opportunity to reflect on the readings and the sermon and what they have to say to us today as individuals and as a church. Everyone is welcome.

Online Study of the Creed
Our next online study session is on Tuesday 17th May. We will be reflecting on the Resurrection of Jesus, which is a very apt theme for this Easter season.

Coffee
We are glad to be offering coffee again after our Sunday services. Many thanks to those who have volunteered to join the team to set up and clear up. We would still welcome more volunteers. If you would like to help, please sign your name for a particular Sunday on the sheet in the hall, or let the office know.

Pentecost
We will celebrate Pentecost on Sunday 5th June. This will be a big celebration so please do come along. After the service, Dr Manoj Kurian from the World Council of Churches will give a presentation on the joys and struggles of the world wide church. During the presentation (about 30 minutes), there will be some supervised activities for the children outside church . We will then have an international lunch (hopefully outside). You are encouraged (if possible) to bring a dish from your own country, to dress in national dress, and to share a cultural activity (a song or dance etc) if you would like to!
This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our cultural diversity, yet our oneness in Christ.

If you have not been to church for some time, why not come and join us at Pentecost?

Adorée Weibel
I am very sorry to tell you that Adorée died peacefully yesterday. I know this will be a big shock to many of you. She had been ill for some time but declined very rapidly at the end. Adorée was a central figure in our church community who gave herself wholeheartedly to the life of our church in so many different ways. We commend her to the Lord she trusted and served so faithfully for many years. Please do pray for her son Stefan and her daughter Nicole and their families. The family hope to have a memorial service at St Ursula's in due course, probably in the summer. Here is a photo of Adorée taken at the Christmas Bazaar.

I leave you with a poem which celebrates the resurrection as the Risen Christ meets Mary Magdalene in her grief.

Easter Dawn
He blesses every love that weeps and grieves
And now he blesses hers who stood and wept
And would not be consoled, or leave her love's
Last touching place, but watched as low light crept
Up from the east. A sound behind her stirs
A scatter of bright birdsong through the air.
She turns, but cannot focus through her tears,
Or recognize the Gardener standing there.
She hardly hears his gentle question, 'Why,
Why are you weeping?', or sees the play of light
That brightens as she chokes out her reply,
'They took my love away, my day is night.'
And then she hears her name, she hears Love say
The Word that turns her night, and ours, to Day.
(Malcolm Guite)

With love in Christ,
Helen