A wonderful Sunday at the Frauenkirche, Dresden

Frauenkirche, Dresden © Ricky Yates

As is explained here on the Frauenkirche website, the monthly English-language Anglican service of Evening Prayer for which I am responsible, is made possible because of the Meissen Agreement. This is an ecumenical agreement, made in 1988, between the Evangelische Kirche in Deutschland (EKD) – the main German Protestant Church, and the Church of England. The implementation of this agreement and seeking to take it to the ultimate goal of full communion between the two Churches, is overseen by a body called the Meissen Commission.

In August last year, having ascertained that Rt Rev’d Dr Jonathan Gibbs, Suffragan Bishop of Huddersfield, is the current Anglican Co-Chair of the Meissen Commission, I wrote to him asking whether there was any space in . . . → Read More: A wonderful Sunday at the Frauenkirche, Dresden

From Winter to Spring 2019

I hope that I am not being too optimistic by writing, that I believe my second Winter living in Stará Oleška, is slowly coming to an end. There are now signs of the arrival of Spring, exemplified by these snowdrops which made their welcome appearance in my garden about a month ago. However, Spring is far from being as advanced as it is in the UK, which I’ve seen in photos posted online by friends. Likewise, it is not even as advanced as it is in Prague, which I observed when I visited the Czech capital for a medical appointment last Monday. Being situated up in the hills, nearly 300 metres above sea level, does have an impact.

The view from my front door on 3rd February 2019 © Ricky Yates

We have had plenty of snow this winter as can be seen in . . . → Read More: From Winter to Spring 2019

Versöhnung leben – Living reconciliation

‘Building bridges, living reconciliation, strengthening faith’ © Ricky Yates

As I have previously written, the evening services at the Frauenkirche, Dresden, follow a theme over a period of several Sundays. The monthly English-language Anglican services of Evening Prayer for which I continue to have responsibility, are not regarded as an exception, but rather as part of the agreed theme. The themes are agreed at a meeting of the Predigerrunde/Preachers round, which is attended by several German Protestant pastors and theologians who, between them, conduct and preach at the evening services; and me!

At a meeting of the Predigerrunde last Autumn, it was agreed that in the period from Sunday 10th February through to Passion Sunday (7th April) we would preach our way through the Coventry . . . → Read More: Versöhnung leben – Living reconciliation

This blog is being resuscitated…….and I am applying for Czech citizenship

Stará Oleška 44 © Ricky Yates

My sincere apologies to everybody who has come visiting my blog during the past five months, looking for a new post and not finding one. Throughout the ten years that this blog has existed, I have always promised myself that I would never allow it to die. Yet since I last posted here on 14th September 2018, that is effectively what has happened. But ‘Ricky Yates – An Anglican in Bohemia and Saxony’ is not dead. Today it is being resuscitated!

Several times over the past few months, I have written the first few lines of a new post and then ground to a halt. Part of the problem can best be described as experiencing ‘writer’s block’.

But the other thing that has discouraged me from writing is the continued uncertainty about my own situation, brought about by the behaviour . . . → Read More: This blog is being resuscitated…….and I am applying for Czech citizenship

Nový Carly

Nový Carly © Ricky Yates

Nearly ten years ago, I drove from the North Oxfordshire countryside to Prague, in order to begin my new life here in the Czech Republic. I drove in my right-hand drive Renault Scenic, first registered in March 2000, which has belonged to me since February 2004. I explained my reasons for bringing my car with the steering wheel on the ‘wrong’ side, to the Czech Republic, in this blog post from June 2009. Then there is a further post asking you to ‘Check this Czech car out!‘ 🙂

The ‘Carly’, as the Renault Scenic has become proverbially known, took Sybille and I all the way to Turkey and back in October 2009. In October 2015, it . . . → Read More: Nový Carly