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Today the Church of England observes the Feast of St George, patron saint of England – and many other countries and communities.
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He is, perhaps, the most well-know saint of whose existence there is very little evidence. But he has still become a much loved figure, whose heroic actions have inspired Christians throughout the centuries. The most important event attributed to him is the killing of a dragon. We should not, perhaps, entertain ourselves with with the idea of whether dragons existed or not!
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“Here be dragons” is a warning to scare people off from exploring areas which were considered to be “off-limits”. St George is often seen as a symbol for allowing Christian people to explore the questions of life and faith freely: the dragon might be there and then it is to be defeated. Or then we might find nothing to be scared of at all and by exploring those areas we have enriched our lives.
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The General Synod of the Church of England gathers today, Friday 23rd April and Saturday 24th April. I am a member of the Synod and will participate in the proceeding together with fellow clergy, lay and episcopal members from the Church of England. Please pray for us as we gather. You may follow the General Synod here: General Synod April 2021 | The Church of England
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SERVICES & EVENTS
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All of our Services can be viewed live on Facebook, or you can click this link to
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SUNDAY 25TH APRIL - 4th SUNDAY OF EASTER
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10am Sung Eucharist online
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11am Zoom Coffee! Please join us for a friendly cup of coffee and a chat online after the Sunday service. Click here to join us: Zoom Coffee Link
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THURSDAY 29th APRIL - EVENING PRAYER
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Join us for a calm and reflective moment in the week, every Thursday at 6.00pm. Click here to join us on zoom: Thursday Evening Prayer
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SUNDAY 30TH MAY - CHORAL EVENSONG
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Join us live online at 18.00 from Töölön kirkko
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If you missed the last Choral Evensong you can watch it here
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Sunday School & Youth Group:
Last Sunday we shared old family photographs and tried to see a resemblance. We talked about what it means to be God's children and to be like Christ (1 John:1-3). The children drew these wonderful self-portraits!
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This Sunday Youth Group will be leading a session based on 'Earth Day'
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Online Sunday School & Youth Group meets on Zoom at 10am every Sunday
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Commemoration Service for HRH Prince Philip
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Father Tuomas led a service of commemoration for Prince Philip on April 16th, attended by Her Majesty's Ambassador, Mr Tom Dodd, who read the lesson and gave an Address. We heard about Prince Philip's service to the Queen, the commonwealth and to charity, including his work in promoting conservation and his Award scheme for young people. It was interesting to hear that after a state state visit to Finland in 1976 President Kekkonen gifted a sauna to the royal couple! The wonderful music from the choir ended with a rousing rendition of the British and Finnish national anthems. You can still see the service on our Youtube channel here
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Earth Day - By Henry Rawstorne, our Environmental Officer
The theme for Earth Day 2021 is Restore Our Earth, focusing on natural processes, new environmental technologies, and innovative thinking which will restore the world’s ecosystems. By this method, the theme rejects the notion that mitigation or adaptation should be the sole ways in which to deal with global warming. It is up to all of us in our congregation to revive Our Earth not simply because we have a tendency to care for the environment, but as a result of having to continue to exist on it. We all have a yearning for a healthy Earth to support our jobs, livelihoods, health & survival, and happiness. A healthy planet is not just a vague wish or a possibility — it's a necessity. More than one billion individuals in 192 countries currently participate in Earth Day activities annually, which makes it the biggest civic observance globally around the world. Let us join together with this multitude both in our prayers and in our action! You can catch up with the events for Earth Day 2021 at https://www.earthday.org/
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We have put together a list of fun activities especially for kids below...
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Thy Kingdom Come - Pray for 5!
We will soon be sharing our plans at St Nicholas for getting involved in 'Thy Kingdom Come' ecumenical prayer event, which takes place between Ascension Day and Pentecost. This year we are encouraged to ‘Pray for five’ – choosing 5 people who you want to pray for, that they may know the love of Jesus for themselves.
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Thy Kingdom Come' is a global ecumenical prayer movement that invites Christians around the world to pray for more people to come to know Jesus. After the very first Ascension Day the disciples gathered with Mary, constantly devoting themselves to prayer while they waited for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Over the years worshipping communities have dedicated the days between Ascension and Pentecost to pray ‘Come Holy Spirit’.
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Do you know someone who would like this armchair and/or sofa? They are going FREE but need to be collected & transported from the Church Office. Please get in touch with Sarahif you are interested!
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Covid Update: Due to the ongoing pandemic, services will continue online until further notice. We will update you as and when we are able to welcome you back into Church again.
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PRAY WITH US
A prayer for the Earth by Rt Revd Libby Lane, Bishop of Stockport
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Eternal God,
whose Spirit moved over the face of the deep bringing forth light and life;
by that same Spirit, renew your creation, and restore your image in your people.
Turn us from careless tenants to faithful stewards,
that your threefold blessing of clean air, pure water and rich earth
may be the inheritance of everything that has the breath of life
and one generation may proclaim to another the wonder of your works;
through Jesus Christ, your living Word,
in whom the fullness of your glory is revealed.
Amen.
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This coming Sunday we pray for...
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The Church of Sweden: Diocese of Gothenburg, Bishop Susanne Rappmann
The Scottish Episcopal Church: Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway, Bishop Kevin Pearson
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SUPPORTING US
Many people give regularly and generously to our church when the offering is taken at our Sunday Service, but this has not been possible during the pandemic. In these difficult times your continued support is greatly appreciated and if possible we would ask you to consider donating towards our ongoing costs 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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Father Tuomas Mäkipää (050-3099132)
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Father Tuomas Mäkipää (050-3099132)
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