Thursday 2 June 2022

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

This coming Sunday, 5th June, we celebrate Pentecost, when we remember the coming of the Holy Spirit on the first disciples. This is a major festival in the church year and we are holding a special event to celebrate it. The details are below. Please do come along.

Eucharist, 10am: During the service, there will be Junior Church and creche
Presentation after church. 11.30: Dr Manoj Kurian will tell stories and show slides illustrating the joys and struggles of Christians round the world. (During the presentation, there will be activities provided for children).
International Lunch, from 12noon: We are invited to bring food from the different countries represented in our church. If anyone would like to wear their national dress that would be great. We also invite you to bring a photo, work of art, picture or object from your country. These will be displayed on a table.

This occasion will be 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?

Online Service Resources
If you are unable to attend the service in person, you will be able to find the text of the readings, collect, and the first line of the hymns here.
There will also be an audio recording of the sermon taken during the service and put on the website afterwards here.

Wine at Communion
We will resume giving out the wine at communion from Pentecost, Sunday 5th June. However, there will be no pressure on anyone to receive the wine. I know that many people will want to continue to be cautious. Please also note that, under Anglican guidelines, intinction ('dipping' the wafer into the wine) is not permitted. This is because research has shown this is the most likely way of spreading infection as fingers often go into the wine!

Queen's Platinum Jubilee
On 6th February this year, Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated 70 years as Queen of the United Kingdom. She has been remarkable in her faithful service which has been sustained by her strong Christian faith. Her Platinum Jubilee will be marked in various ways in the UK and beyond this weekend, 2nd - 5th June.
At the end of this letter I attach several prayers which you may wish you use to give thanks for the Queen's faithful service and pray for her. We will also pray for the Queen in church on Sunday.

You may also like to read some tributes to the Queen by various church leaders.

St Andrew's Church, Zurich, are holding a concert in celebration of the Queen's Jubilee on Saturday 4th June, 4pm. This will include the coronation anthems by Handel and Parry sung by their choir, followed by a reception in their church garden. Everyone is welcome and entrance is free.

Baptism of Benni Steinberg, 12th June
Please pray for Benni as he is baptised on 12th June and pray also for his parents, Bettina and Gerrit, his godparents, friends and family. Let us pray too that we will do our part as a Christian community in nurturing Benni in the faith as he grows up.

Talk about Care for Refugees, 12th June
After church on 12th June we will welcome Carsten Schmidt and Selina Leu to talk to us and share their experiences. They are involved in organising and resourcing volunteer groups working with refugees. We hope they will be able to help us consider steps we can take as a church to support refugees.

Hymn to the Holy Spirit
As we prepare for Pentecost, you might like to use this well-known hymn as a prayer.

Come down, O Love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardour glowing;
O Comforter draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn,
till earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
and let thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

Let holy charity
mine outward vesture be,
and lowliness become mine inner clothing
true lowliness of heart,
which takes the humbler part,
and o'er its own shortcoming weeps with loathing.

And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long,
shall far outpass the power of human telling;
for none can guess its grace,
till he become the place
wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.

(Bianco da Siena, translated R.F. Littledale)

With love in Christ,
Helen