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As you have probably noticed from these newsletters, the life of the Chaplaincy is busy this autumn. Confirmation preparation continues soon before the Bishop’s visit, the Season of Creation has just started and in October we will be hosting the Deanery Synod of the Nordic & Baltic Nations.
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On this Sunday (5th Sept), in addition to our morning service, there is a Choral Evensong in Töölö Church at 6 p.m. Please do join us in this service to hear the word of God, to enjoy beautiful music and to be carried by the prayers of the church.
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The Old Testament reading appointed for today’s morning prayer made many very sharp observations of our world, suitable for the Season for Creation. I will stop writing here and let Agur, son of Jakeh continue for me...
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Thus says the man: I am weary, O God,
I am weary, O God. How can I prevail?
Surely I am too stupid to be human;
I do not have human understanding.
I have not learned wisdom,
nor have I knowledge of the holy ones.
Who has ascended to heaven and come down?
Who has gathered the wind in the hollow of the hand?
Who has wrapped up the waters in a garment?
Who has established all the ends of the earth?
What is the person’s name?
And what is the name of the person’s child?
Surely you know!
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Every word of God proves true;
he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.
Do not add to his words,
or else he will rebuke you, and you will be found a liar.
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Two things I ask of you;
do not deny them to me before I die:
Remove far from me falsehood and lying;
give me neither poverty nor riches;
feed me with the food that I need,
or I shall be full, and deny you,
and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’
or I shall be poor, and steal,
and profane the name of my God.
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Four things on earth are small,
yet they are exceedingly wise:
the ants are a people without strength,
yet they provide their food in the summer;
the badgers are a people without power,
yet they make their homes in the rocks;
the locusts have no king,
yet all of them march in rank;
the lizard can be grasped in the hand,
yet it is found in kings’ palaces.
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Three things are stately in their stride;
four are stately in their gait:
the lion, which is mightiest among wild animals
and does not turn back before any;
the strutting rooster, the he-goat,
and a king striding before his people.
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SERVICES
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Most of our Services can be viewed live on Facebook, or you can click this link to
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SUNDAY 5th SEPTEMBER- 14th SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
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10am Sung Eucharist followed by refreshments in the crypt
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Choral Evensong at 18.00, Töölön kirkko
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(picture credit: The Canaanite woman, Sebastiano Ricci)
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We need greeters, readers, intercessors and technical assistants each week for our Sunday Services. Please email office@anglican.fi with the date(s) you can volunteer and preferred role. If you are willing to join a new WhatsApp Group of volunteers then please email Sarah with your phone number.
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Annual Chaplaincy Meeting
Thank you to all who stayed after the service last week for our Annual Chaplaincy Meeting. The minutes of the meeting will be available soon. In the meantime please join us in congratulating all our elected Church Wardens, Council members and Deanery Synod Representatives. We welcome Ameena and Humaira who join us from Father Parvez' Anglican congregation in Kauklahti.
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Join us for the Season of Creation: 1st September - 3rd October
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We have a photography competition, events and gardening tips which all celebrate the Season of Creation ..
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Photography Competition: ' Fruitful Harvest'
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Camera's at the ready! It's time for our annual photography challenge and this time we are looking for photos which capture a 'fruitful harvest'. Think berries, mushrooms as well as vegetables and fields of crops!
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Entrants should send photos as JPEGs or similar files to henry.rawstorne@gmail.com by 30.9.21.
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Henry will be making a YouTube video using the best images as in previous years!
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(Henry is our Environmental Officer on the Council)
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SyysMatin Autumn Market
18-19th September, 10am-4pm at Espoo Cathedral, Kirkkopuisto 5
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A wonderful Autumnal event with craft stalls, food, music, fun activities for children such as archery & making hobby horses, animals and more! https://www.espoonseurakunnat.fi/syysmatinmarkkinat
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Season of Creation Events:
Thursday 9th September - Churches in the Garden event at Fredrikintori, Punavuorenkatu 2, Helsinki, 5.30pm. Pray for creation with different Christian churches, including a blessing of the harvest, coffee and music. Organized by the Helsinki Ecumenical Committee.
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Sunday 19th September - All Age Service for the Season of Creation at St Nicholas' with involvement from the children and young people of our Sunday School and Youth Group. Hymns and prayers will reflect the theme of Earth being a home for all.
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Thursday 23rd September - Interfaith Peace Walk for climate action. Respect for the environment and nature is a unifying factor for all religions, and combating climate change is a common cause for all. The Peace Walk is part of the Youth Peace Week’s program. The walk starts at the synagogue of the Helsinki Jewish Parish (Malminkatu 26), continues via the Islamic Society of Finland Mosque (Lönnrotinkatu 22) and ends at the steps of the Old Church (Helsinki Cathedral Parish, Lönnrotinkatu 6). At the stops, speeches will be heard about the role of religions in halting climate change. All representatives of religions and world views as well as non-religious people are warmly welcome to join!
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Sunday 26th September- Parish Walk after the service (tbc - more details nearer the time!)
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3rd October -St Nicholas' All Age Harvest Festival
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For more details you can email Sarah in the office, and please get in touch with your own ideas too!
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Gardeners' Corner Returns with more green-fingered advice from Peter Joy & Peter Knight!
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We have months of chilly gloom ahead, so you’ll very likely feel more cheerful if you think about next spring with all those crocuses, daffodils, tulips and many others. Bulbs of these are already staring to appear in garden centres and some stores.
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If you are limited to a balcony with only pots and boxes, you’re much more limited in what you can plant: I think you’re probably restricted to scillas = squills (skillat) which can survive the severe freezing they will have to endure sometimes during the colder months. Muscari or grape hyacinths / helmihyasintit are also pretty hardy and worth trying under balcony conditions. Both squills and grape hyacinths come in white forms as well as the predominant blue.
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Sadly, such delights as snowdrops, daffodils = narcissi, tulips and most other delights aren’t so bone-hardy as squills or grape hyacinths. I’m not sure about crocuses: some of the so-called ”botanical crocuses” are probably much hardier than the familiar large-flowered Dutch crocuses and you might like to experiment with these wilder forms.
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If, however, you can find a patch of soil to bury pots or boxes with the surface lightly covered with soil and a layer of leaves your options widen considerably. Under the protective layers the bulbs won’t be subjected to such severe conditions as on your balcony. You could then try tulips and Dutch crocuses in your pots or boxes. If you’re as absent-minded as me you’d better mark the place where you have interred the plantings. Sorry you have to disinter and lug them upstairs to your balcony come early April. Daffodils and snowdrops are more tricky: unless you have money to throw away, only plant these in a garden with deeper soil. The little tete-a-tete daffodils you see in public displays everywhere in spring are especially cold-sensitive and not worth bothering about.
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As for planting times, with snowdrops and daffodils, the sooner you plant them the better, as these need to root well before the winter sets in. You can delay planting tulips and crocuses until much later into the autumn – some people get away with planting reduced-price bulbs in half-frozen ground in November. Depth of planting: the general rule is to plant deep enough to cover the bulbs with twice the height of the bulb. It’s a good idea to place the base of the bulb over a mix of sharp sand or road grit and seaweed fertiliser – just a small handful in each planting hole. Firm the soil surface afterwards gently, you don’t have to tread them in.
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Linguajoy are looking for native English speakers...
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English Language Club teachers are needed for children aged 2-14 at venues in Helsinki and Espoo. Check their website for more information: www.linguajoy.fi. A CV and cover letter can be sent to Henrietta at recruitment@linguajoy.fi
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SUNDAY SCHOOL & YOUTH GROUP
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Sunday School talked about the wonders of creation last Sunday and the importance of using our resources responsibly, so that Earth can be a happy home for all God’s creatures. The children made some wonderful acorn people and animals!
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Children & Young people are invited to join activities based on creation and climate change throughout September. This week we will be putting up a tent together and talking about who needs refuge in our world!
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Children at Coffee Morning: Children are welcome to sit at a table with their family or play at the far end of the crypt with parent supervision. Please avoid letting children run between tables near where coffee is being served - this is to aid social distancing and avoiding close contact with vulnerable groups. Thank you!
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Sunday School takes place on Sundays at 10am in the crypt! Young people aged 11 and above are kindly asked to wear a mask, as are parents accompanying their children. Please wash and sanitize hands on arrival. Sunday School meets at the far end of the crypt and Youth Group meets near the crypt entrance.
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YOUTH GROUP
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Last week Youth Group talked about their experiences of being in nature and read and discussed some Bible verses. These passages told us how carefully God created all living things and what God feels about his creation: Genesis 1:31 “God saw all that he has made, and it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning - the sixth day.” They discussed what God wants human beings to do on earth & watched a video about the impact of climate change on Orbisa and her family, who now have to walk 10 hours to collect water as their water source nearby has dried up. Finally, they all promised to set themselves a specific challenge for this Season of Creation to help care for God’s creation. They are going to check up how they did on 3rd October!🌿🌏
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Youth Group for ages 11 and above meets on 12.9, & there will be joint sessions with Sunday School on 5.9, 26.9 & 31.10.
We will also have All Age church services on 19.9 and 3.10 when the children and young people will participate in the service.
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Thank you to Johnson, Jane and Marie for singing in the choir last Sunday!
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Please contact Erik at erik.riekko@anglican.fi if you have any questions about the choir.
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takes place on the following Sundays at 18.00
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5.9.2021, 3.10.2021, 21.11.2021, 5.12.2021, 16.1.2022
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COVID guidelines when coming to worship at St Nicholas
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We continue to practice social distancing at Church and masks and hand sanitizer are available on arrival. Those with symptoms of Covid-19 or other respiratory or flu-like illness, or an elevated temperature, or who are particularly vulnerable to infection should not attend public services.
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Please wear a mask on entering the Church and wait to be directed by the Verger to your seat.
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SAVE THE DATE!
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Choral Evensong at18.00 from Töölön kirkko
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'Churches in the Garden' Ecumenical Event at17:30
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All Age Service for the Season of Creation
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Bishop's visit, Confirmation Service, & 'Pot luck' lunch
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Service of Nine Lessons & Carols
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SUPPORTING US
Your continued support is greatly appreciated, please consider donating towards our ongoing costs via our Donate buttons on our website or by means of a bank transfer using the details below:
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Suomen Anglikaaninen Kirkko (The Anglican Church in Finland)
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IBAN: F173 3131 1000 3282 07
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PRAY WITH US
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and bore our sins on the cross:
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may we trust in your mercy
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rejoicing in the righteousness
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that is ours through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Please continue to keep in your prayers the troubled places of our world
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Church of England: Diocese of Salisbury, Bishop Nicholas Holtam, Bishop Andrew Rumsey,
Bishop Karen Gorham
Church in Wales: Diocese of St Asaph, Bishop Gregory Cameron
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark: Diocese of Ribe, Bishop Elof Westergaard
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Father Tuomas Mäkipää (050-3099132)
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[Please use the contact emails provided]
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