Tuesday, 18 April 2017

Taizé prayer in Easter

Friday 21st April, 7.30pm
Join us for an evening Taizé service, with prayers, chanting and silence as we reflect on and celebrate Christ's resurrection at Easter.
Bockhorst: The Triumphant Christ

Sunday, 16 April 2017

He is risen! - Easter message from Canon Nick Moir

I think I could cope with an Australian Christmas - t-shirt, shorts, barbecue on the beach...  But I'm not sure about an autumnal Easter.  For me the celebration of the Resurrection is tied up with the coming of spring, the warming of the earth, new-born lambs and lengthening hours of daylight.

Spring is in the air and that brings a feeling of Hope.  The natural rhythm of the seasons chimes with those time-bound but eternal moments of death and resurrection that shape the way Christians view life, the world and everything.  The last days of Jesus on earth are for us the most meaningful moments of history, where we are touched by eternity.  Easter Day is the most joyous day of all - the loveliness of spring and the wonder of Resurrection combine to lift our hearts and fill our lips with Alleluias!

May the joy of Easter be yours too.

Canon Nick Moir
Priest-in-charge


Tuesday, 4 April 2017

Passiontide and Easter at St Clement's

We will be celebrating a number of festivals throughout this important time in the Church year. All are welcome, we hope you are able to join us. Full details of services below, please share with friends and family:

Friday 7th April, 6.00pm: Stations of the Cross
Sunday 9th April, 10.00am: Palm Sunday: Sung Eucharist, Canon John Morgan
Thursday 13th April, 6.00pm: Maundy Thursday: Low Mass and Vigil, Fr Robert van de Weyer
Friday 14th April, 10.00am: Good Friday Liturgy, Canon Nick Moir
Sunday 16th April, 10.00am: Easter Day: Sung Eucharist and Procession, Fr Andrew Mackintosh
Friday 21st April, 7.30pm: Taizé service: prayers, chanting and silence

Tuesday, 28 February 2017

Ash Wednesday at St Clement's

Wednesday 1st March, 7.30pm
Sung Eucharist with the Imposition of Ashes
Canon John Morgan

Join us tomorrow evening to mark Ash Wednesday, as we begin our journey through Lent. We will be celebrating a Sung Eucharist, together with the imposition of ashes. The service will led by Canon John Morgan, with the choir contributing anthems by Purcell and Wesley. We hope you are able to be there.



Tuesday, 17 January 2017

Taizé in 2017

Our monthly series of Taizé services at St Clement's continues, with our first Eucharist this Friday evening. We hope you are able to join us at 7.30pm for a quiet service of prayer, meditation and singing.

The full list of upcoming services:

  • Friday 20th January, 7.30pm*
  • Friday 24th February, 7.30pm
  • Friday 17th March, 7.30pm*
  • Friday 21st April, 7.30pm
______
* indicates a service with Eucharist


Tuesday, 3 January 2017

Happy 2017 from St Clement's

As 2016 draws to a close, we can look back on what has been a year of change and growth at St Clement's, and look forward to continuing this into 2017.

We were excited to finally start work on restoring our damaged South Aisle roof. Supported by the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund; completion is scheduled for early 2017, and we hope to take this opportunity to also restore some of the interior of the church, brightening up our side chapel and repairing some of the water damage to the interior walls whilst we have scaffolding in the church. Despite the repairs, regular church life has been largely uninterrupted, with weekly Sunday morning sung Communion Services continuing, as well as our increasingly popular monthly Taizé services on a Friday evening.
Scaffolding is erected over the South Aisle roof in preparation of roof repair. November 2016

A number of new initiatives were also started in the church, most notably our Wednesdays at St Clement's lunchtime group. This has been organised largely through the efforts of Rev'd Helen Orr, Curate at St Andrew's Chesterton, who we are growing ties with. These have ranged from quieter, meditative prayer meetings, or children's activity days, through to solo song recitals, shared lunches or festive community sings. We will continue these into the new year and look forward to perhaps seeing some new faces there too.
Children's activities as part of our ongoing "Wednesdays at St Clement's" project. December 2016

The choir, led by Director of Music Karol Jaworski, continues to grow and contributes to weekly worship with regular sung anthems and voluntaries. Summer 2016 saw the first ever choir tour of the new choir, visiting St Illtyd's church in Llantwit Major in South Wales where the choir sung for two services, including a Choral BCP Evensong service with sung canticles, responses and an anthem.

Other notable events have included a splendid concert performance by the Cambridge University Recorder Ensemble (whose players often support music for Taizé worship on Friday evenings) and St Clement's Choir taking part in workshops and events in Cambridge and Ely. Some exciting collaborations have seen the choir join with the choir of The Chapel at Churchill for an evensong service, and The Orlando Singers coming to St Clement's to sing with our choir for our annual Festival of Lessons and Carols.
Festival of Lessons and Carols at St Clement's. 18th December 2016

It was with sadness that we heard this year of the death of Fr Bill Pickering. Fr Bill had played an important part in the life of St Clement's, and had often celebrated Communion and preached at the church. In his last years, though increasingly unwell and frail, he still maintained a close connection to the church, coming to services when he could, and often being visited by some of our current active clergy. He will be missed by many in the church, who remember him fondly.

As we look ahead to 2017, there is much to be excited by. We are hoping to secure additional funding to complete interior restoration and preservation work to the church funding, improving appearance and facilities for our community and visitors alike. Supported by generous donations, we are hoping to acquire a baby grand piano for use in the church and hope to use this in the regular worship at St Clement's, as well as develop the role of the volunteer choir further.

We look forward to welcoming back Bp Rowan Williams to celebrate and preach with us again in the coming few months, as well as Bp David Thomson who will be visiting us after Easter. Our weekly worship continues to be supported by our rota of clergy, led by our Priest-in-Charge, Canon Nick Moir. 2017 also offers us the opportunity to grow and strengthen established links to other communities and groups, as well as perhaps establish and nurture connections with new partners and people who may be able to contribute to and grow the spiritual life of St Clement's further. We're very excited to see what happens.
Bp Rowan Williams with members of the St Clement's PCC after celebrating Mass. November 2016

St Clement's is on an exciting and challenging journey in response to what we believe is God's call to us. We are already discovering that partners - including some unlikely ones - have been drawn in to exploring how we can work and pray together to discover what the Spirit is leading us into. Perhaps you could join with us in some way?  But whatever the new year holds for you, thank you for reading this far and may you have a rewarding, even exhilarating, 2017!




Thursday, 8 December 2016

A Festival of Lessons and Carols at St Clement's

Our traditional service of Lessons and Carols as we prepare for Christmas Day takes place on:
Sunday 18th December, 5.30pm

The readings and music tell the story of the Advent of Jesus, from ancient prophecies to his birth in a manger at Bethlehem. The choral music is provided by the joint choirs of St Clement's and the Orlando Singers, with plenty of congregational favourites too.
Mulled wine and mince pies are served following the service, with all donations supporting the upkeep and repair of the church.