Month: December 2010

The Prayer Calendar for the Diocese in Europe has been compiled to help us to pray together for one another and for our common concerns. Each chaplaincy, with the communities it serves, is remembered in prayer once a year. The diary can be downloaded from the Diocese in Europe website.

On Sunday 26 December BBC Radio 4 will broadcast a special service from St Clement's, our Diocese in Europe sister church in Prague.

St Stephen, whose feast is celebrated on the day after Christmas Day, gets a mention in the old Christmas carol, “Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the Feast of Stephen”. St Clement's is not far from Wenceslas Square.

To hear the service tune in to BBC Radio 4 at 9:10 ECT or listen to it on the BBC iPlayer.

In his Christmas sermon, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, focuses on how the birth of Jesus is but one stage of the fulfilment of God's unchanging promise of support in the struggle for human redemption, how 'the story of Jesus is the story of a God who keeps promises'.

The full text of the sermon can be read on the Archbishop's website.

The Queen's Christmas message opens with a reference to the importance of the King James Bible which is celebrating 400 years in 2011. The Queen's message is available on YouTube.

Bishop David's Eurobishop Blog entry for Christmas poses that question, and gives some enlightenment.
Read here.

Click here for the Bishop Geoffrey's Christmas Letter.

Listners to BBC Radio 4's Today Programme will be aware that there is a regular slot at 8:45 ECT called Thought for Today.

Some excitement has been generated in the fact that this year's Thought for Today on Christmas Eve was recorded by Pope Bendict a couple of days ago. To access the means to read or listen to his message click here.

Service times over Christmas are:

Friday 24th December – Christmas Eve

18.00 First Mass of Christmas (please note earlier time!)

Saturday 25th December – Christmas Day

10.30 Christmas Eucharist

Sunday 26th December 1st after Christmas

10.30 The Parish Eucharist

For printed information click here.

The January-March 2011 edition of Becket News has been pulled together extra early this year thanks as ever to the dedication of the editor.

Pick up your hardcopy after one of the services over Christmas, or take a look at the online version here.

Thursday 9th December at 19:00 in the Hauptkirche St. Petri Mönckebergstaße Hamburg Churches Together (ACK) invite us to join the annual Advent Singing Festival that brings together people and music of many nationalities in Hamburg. Do join if you you can.

We give thanks for the work of ACK and its leader Pastorin Martina Severin-Kaiser.

The Advent course continues Wednesday 8th December 19:00 and concludes 16th December.

This year the editor wants to publish Becket News before Christmas!

Please send in your articles as soon as possible, and not later than 15th December. Thanks.

The Carol Service with the not-to-be-missed Junior Church Nativity Play (still recruiting extra sheep – grown ups may apply) will be held Sunday 19th December at 10:30 am.

For this there is Choir Practice on Tuesdays 7th and 14th December.