Author: Dorothee Möller

Maundy Thursday – Virtual Service

Posted on by Dorothee Möller

A Message from Father Pete.

Unfortunately, we can’t meet together in the church today.  Please use this Youtube link to join us at 07:00 pm today (9 April, 2020).  YOU CAN USE THE LINK AT ANY TIME, but knowing that all the Christians at St.Thomas’ are worshipping at the same time adds a powerful dynamic to the notion of “community.”

As you recall, it is on this day that we commemorate Jesus washing the feet of his apostles It was also the day he left us Holy Communion, that special encounter with the Divine. Therefore, I would like to suggest a way to make the Maundy Thursday online liturgy more alive and “hands on,” especially if you have children. Involving children’s senses helps them to more easily understand, feel, and retain what is being taught. And guess what: sensory is also good for adults!

Here’s what to do!

FOR THE WASHING OF THE FEET

1) Before Thursday, get a large bowl big enough into which your foot will fit.
2) Get a pitcher into which you will put some warm water prior to the service.
3) Get a towel.
4) Designate someone in your household who will WASH feet, and someone whose feet will BE washed. Or you can wash each other’s feet!

FOR THE LAST SUPPER REMEMBRANCE

1) Get a piece of bread and place it on a dish.
2) Get a cup or glass for each person who will be present.
3) Get some wine or grape juice (in a pinch, any juice will do)

Since we cannot share in the Eucharist (Holy Communion) that day, we will instead have an “agape” meal, where I will explain what happened at the Last Supper. The elements you will have before you and that you will eat and drink will be a reminder of fellowship and happiness that comes from knowing, loving and serving Jesus.

Fr. Pete Wright, Chaplain

Junior Church: All about Palm Sunday

Posted on by Dorothee Möller

Of course, not only our “regular” service currently cannot take place in person, but our Junior Church group also can’t meet for their weekly get-together.

To fill this gap at least a bit, our Junior Church Leader Miriam recorded this video where she explains what happened on Palm Sunday – with the help of her friend Billy, the kiwi!

Miriam and Billy tell us all about Palm Sunday

Also, Wendy, another one of our Junior Church leaders, recommends this YouTube video – another fun way to learn about Palm Sunday:

Enjoy and happy Palm Sunday to you at home! 🙂

Palm Sunday – Virtual Service

Posted on by Dorothee Möller

A message from Father Pete:

Unfortunately, we can’t meet together in the church today.  Please use this Youtube link to join us at 10:30 today (5 April, 2020).  YOU CAN USE THE LINK AT ANY TIME, but knowing that all the Christians at St.Thomas’ are worshipping at the same time adds a powerful dynamic to the notion of “community.”

Many people from St. Thomas’ have participated in preparing this liturgy.  For their hard work, we thank them.  The Lord has blessed us to have them and all of you in our congregation.

Have a few minutes to spare whilst online? Start the Safeguarding Course today.

Posted on by Dorothee Möller

The social distancing recommendations to reduce the risk of
contracting Covid-19 have meant that most of us don´t have our
regular work, social, fitness or church commitments. However most
of us do have access to a computer, and a few minutes to learn about
safeguarding at church.


The C0 safeguarding course is available online, takes about an hour
and is a meaningful and important way to support our church and
our vulnerable people – without having to leave home.


Go to:
https://safeguardingtraining.cofeportal.org/

Log in and go to the C0 course.

Any questions, contact Madeleine Herring, Co-Safeguarding Officer on madeleineherring (at) t-online.de

#stayconnected: Yotin teaches us a Taizé song

Posted on by Dorothee Möller

One of the things we all miss the most about not being able to meet at church is certainly the music, especially the singing together.

And while we currently cannot do that as a congregation, you can still do so at home. To help you with that, our choirmaster Yotin is going to teach you a simple song from the Taizé song book today.

Just click on the video below and start singing! 🙂

Yotin teaches us Taizé

Shared prayer for Sunday 29 March

Posted on by Dorothee Möller

Nicki Schiller shared the following prayer with us for this Sunday, The Fifth Sunday of Lent:

Heavenly Father, we thank you that although we cannot come together today in Your house because of the restrictions brought about  by the corona virus, we can still come close to You and to each other in our prayers.  Please send us Your Holy Spirit, Lord, as we pray to you from our hearts.

We thank you for modern communications technology which makes it possible for us to contact our friends, our families, our neighbours and our church members although we cannot visit them in person. Do not let us forget those who are old, lonely, sick or sad in these difficult days and who may be in need of a phone call , a mail or a letter. When this time of trial is past, let us continue to reach out to those who need us.

Lord, the early spring with its birdsong, the flowers , blue sky and the sunshine still make us happy despite our worries. May this quiet time when so many of us must stay at home give us more time to appreciate your world and think about how to treat your creation with care and respect instead of thoughtlessly helping to destroy it.  Could it be that we human beings are more of a threat to our planet than the corona virus is to us?.

We bring before You all the countries of the world where the virus is already active.  Have mercy on  your suffering children Lord, give strength to all those who care for them. We thank you for the thousands who have recovered and hope that the shared suffering of this present time will make many people see more clearly the importance of peace, justice and friendship between all nations.

Father, give hope to those who are helpless and desperate at this time, to those who are stranded far from home, to the refugees on the Greek islands whose homes have been destroyed, to those here in Hamburg who cannot  stay at home because they have no roof over their head. Comfort them with the assurance that we are all at home in You, Father, and send them the practical help they need.

You have sent us locums to minister to us  while we search for a new chaplain and we are grateful for the wonderful work they did. Now that the present pandemic has made it impossible for another locum to come, we are not alone. We believe Your Son, Jesus Christ, is with us when we pray together and that this is true, not only till the end of the corona crisis, but till the end of time.

Father God, we bring before you ourselves, our families our friends and neighbours and ask you to protect us all from evil. May we grow in love for You and each other  so that this Lent will be a time when we learn to live lives more pleasing to you and celebrate Easter together rejoicing in Christ’s victory over sin and death.