Apologies for the late arrival of this week’s news. We’ve been having a few problems with the website. If you are reading this … then the webmaster will be singing along to this …
CHAPLAIN’S MUSINGS 14th January 2019
#thoughtforthisweek
One of my favourite Bible verses comes from its very last chapter. There is a river of life metaphor and on that river we see ‘the tree of life’ and that tree like a lot of trees bears fruit, but in my favourite verse we have ‘… and the leaves are for the healing of the Nations’
After our service yesterday I was drawn into a number of conversations and there is a fair bit of anxiety around elections happening around the globe in countries which across our international congregation we once did or still do, call home. I did a little research (if you can call Goggle and Wikepedia ‘research’) and there are presidential or general elections on every continent this year. Given this, I would like from next week or so add another hash tag #forthehealingofthenations to invite us to pray for a particular country for a week or two or even a month. This is a ‘body of Christ’ thing. If we all pray then the prayers of those who come from that place are strengthened, their faith encouraged, and we stand alongside one another in our hopes and fears.
On the last Sunday of the month we will as usual have our Council meeting before the service. Not having met in December the agenda is full already but these are Your representatives – if there are things that matter to you, concern you…… speak to one of the members. Certainly pray for them – they work very hard every one of them, on your behalf – pray for that meeting. Bless you.
#forourprayers
We pray for the family and friends of Eva, whose funeral took place last week.
Dearest Eva,
from all of us at St Catherine’s, thank you for all you did in Ulm and all that you shared with us in Stuttgart
farewell and may you rest in peace and rise in glory
we pray for Brigitte’s Walter and her mother both of them post operation for healing
We pray for Ada as she prepares for her baptism this sunday and for her parents and godparents
We have been asked to pray for the International Christian School of Stuttgart as they seek a new site (they may come and visit us)
#januarymemoryverse
comes from one of our Isaiah readings this month
“do not fear for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine”
Isaiah 43.1b
#justsoyouknow
I have now come across three people who have certificates in some form of pastoral or sacramental or ministerial training – please let me know if there are others among you… a skills audit is always useful in any church
We have had a letter from the Royal British Legion:
Thank you for such a wonderful collection for the poppy appeal again this year. I so wish I could travel to your church to see the fantastic effort you always put in for our military personnel!
Please pass on thanks on behalf of the Poppy Appeal to everyone who has given so generously. It is always much appreciated by the veterans and dependents who receive assistance.
With many many thanks, Susan
#foryourdiaries
upcoming services:
Baptism of Ada this coming Sunday – all children invited to bring their baptism candles
looking well ahead:
the Annual Meeting will be on Sunday 7.04.19 after the service – please pray whether joining the Council is something God may be calling you to (in whatever capacity)
#comingsandgoings
we pray for the two families who have returned to India and their new lives that await them there and we give thanks to God for their friendship while they worshiped here with us
