News

We wish all those taking part in the 33rd Deutscher Evangelisher Kirchentag in Dresden a safe trip, and a rewarding experience

Sunday 22nd May is Hamburg Marathon Day. If you plan to come to church, you are strongly recommended to come by public transport.

The runners will be running along the Elbchausee, and up the Reeperbahn. See the
Hamburg Marathon website for the route and HVV for changes to bus route.

Our thanks to Revd Gottfried Grünewald for leading the service last Sunday. The sermon explaining the difference between a pastor and chaplain has left a thought trail!

This Sunday we welcome Revd Dr John Arnold, who will be with us until 5th June.

Dr Arnold is a former Dean of Durham, a very distinguished priest, and has been President of the Council of European Churches. His wife Annaliese is German, and they both speak fluent German.

We extend a very warm welcome.

Bishop David has posted on his blog an urgent message from the Chaplain of Christ Church Amsterdam, the Revd Mark Collinson concerning the plight of a Ugandan national about to be deported back to Uganda. Your prayers are asked for. Further information can also be found
here.

Each year the Council for the Anglican and Episcopal Churches in Germany CAECG
offers an opportunity for anyone connected with the Anglican and Episcopal Churches in Germany to participate in a Christian Education Weekend.

This year it will take place at St. Catherine’s Church in Stuttgart and will be led by Rev. Dr. Robin Stockitt from the Anglican Church in Freiburg.

The theme will be looking at the question of ‘Honour and Shame’ in selected biblical texts and finding connections with our own culture today.

Please refer to the CAECG website and
flyer information for further details. Dates are 1-2 July.

For social media fans there is now a St Thomas Becket community on

FACEBOOK!.

Saturday 14th May sees the Wanderers off for a 'Wattwanderung' from Cuxhaven to the island of Neuwerk.

Travel instructions: 9.45 meet at Hamburg Main Station Travel Centre.

10.07 depart on Metronom Train to Cuxhaven, arriving 11.50.

Walk to harbour and along the coast westwards.

13.00 picnic lunch near Duhne

14.30 tide should be low enough to walk away from shore.

17.30 approx. walk onshore to Sahlenburg. Coffee and cakes.

Bus to Cuxhaven. 18.10 or 19.10 train from Cuxhaven to Hamburg, arriving at either 20.00 or 21.00.

Walking all the way to Neuwerk and back in one day may be rather
ambitious, but there is the option of walking there and returning on a
horse-drawn coach!

Your Wanderer-in-chief advises 'Do bring amphibious footwear and wear shorts! If we don't walk as far as the shells and stones, it is possible to go barefoot, but ideally wear shoes that can be either washed or thrown away afterwards, e.g. old jogging shoes or tie-on plastic shoes, which don't slip off in 20cm of sludge. Bathroom flip-flops are useless.

Group train tickets will be purchased as usual, so please let Stuart know by Friday 13 May if you intend to come.

Congratulations to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Church of England on a splendid wedding which apparently 2 billion people are said to have watched.

In case you wish to ponder more on the articulate and warmn address by the Bishop of London, the The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dr Richard Chartres, it is up on the
Diocese of London website.

We wish the married couple a long and happy marriage.

Both dresses were beautiful!

Please click here for the list of services for May and June.

During the Vacancy Period the church is being served by locum chaplains. Currently our locum is Canon Paul Rose. The next locum will be The Very Revd Dr John Arnold from May 22nd – 5th June. The locum chaplains provide the full ministry as chaplain and are available for pastoral matters.

Interviews for the position of Chaplain are due to take place 10th May – please pray for Renu and Stuart who are representing the Chaplaincy Council in this important decision. There has been a pleasing response to the advertisement with apparently many good candidates. This website has had just under 150 referrals from the job vacancy section of the Church of England website, that of the Church Times and Diocese in Europe. We seem to have given a good account of ourselves, thanks to the hard work of many people – not least the churchwardens who have had to shoulder a huge burden. Keep up the good work.

On Friday HRH Prince William and Ms Kate Middleton will do what many millions do – get married the Anglican way – except their wedding is just a bit more public than most.

The media frenzy is in full swing, but perhaps this short
webcast reflection by the Archbishop of Canterbury helps to put it all in context.

Prayer for the Royal Wedding from Church of England website

God of all grace,

friend and companion,

look in favour on William and Catherine

and all who are made one in marriage.

In your love deepen their love

and strengthen their wills

to keep the promises they will make,

that they may continue

in life-long faithfulness to each other;

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.