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Aert de Gelder, 1700
Bad poetry and psalms
Dear La Côte Church family and friends,
Like my drawing skills, my appreciation of poetry stopped developing when I was about five. I can do “roses are red, violets are blue ...” but that is about where it ends.
I think this might explain why I took so long to appreciate the psalms. I used to avoid these in the same way that we avoid the long genealogies in the Old Testament. OT + poetry felt like the perfect storm of disconnect, as far from the here and now as imaginable.
How wrong could I be?
I have come to understand that the psalms offer us a veritable fly on the wall insight into the hopes and fears, challenges and dreams of someone, like us, who was also wrestling with their faith.
The lectionary for this Sunday, the second Sunday of Lent, includes Psalm 27. For want of a more anachronistic analogy, we see clearly the roller-coaster of emotions through which the psalmist is going.
We start with a trumpeting, soaring affirmation, that chest-beating pronouncement “The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear?”
... but then I wonder if the next two verses spend maybe a little too long describing various threats and challenges – is the psalmist really that confident? Or can we smell a little fear? Is the psalmist really really unafraid, or is he whistling in the dark?
And then the psalm cycles between confidence and almost fearful pleading: “Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!”
The real message, I believe written by the psalmist for the psalmist, but which we are privileged enough to be able to hear, comes like the sunrise after a stormy night:
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
How current! How relevant!
This is my prayer for us all as we begin our Lenten journey in these troubled times, with wars (trade and military) rumbling around our world – that, like Simeon and Anna in the painting, we might be obedient and patient, waiting through these 40 days (or longer) to understand what the Lord wants of us, how we are to contribute to His Kingdom, how our little worlds fit into His mighty plan.
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2027&version=NRSVA
Chris Potter
Worship this weekend
Sunday 16 March - Second Sunday in Lent
16.00 Gingins - Holy Communion with Sunday Club
19.30 Online youth session with Joy, continuing to explore the Beatitudes
Portes ouvertes (Open doors) at Temple de Nyon
Sunday 16 March from 9.30
In addition to our La Côte Church service this coming Sunday, our brothers and sisters from the reformed church in Nyon are inviting us to join in their morning service. The service will take place from 10.15, and you are welcome to join for a coffee and introduction from 9.30.
This is an ecumenical initiative to help each of our communities learn about the different ways we worship. It would be very positive to have a representative from La Côte Church attend this service. If you can do join this worship, please let Anne know by Friday 14 March.
Portes Vernissage – celebrating the bicentenary of the Temple de Ferney-Voltaire – beginning this Saturday 15 March
Our local French sisters and brothers warmly invite you to attend the opening. Please let Anne know if you can go. Click HERE for more information.
Worship coming up
Sunday 23 March - Third Sunday in Lent
10.00 Divonne - Holy Communion with Sunday Club
16.00 Gingins - Taizé Prayer Service
La Côte Church AGM
23 March at 11.30 in Divonne
The La Côte Church Annual General Meeting will take place after the service on Sunday 23 March at 11.30 in the parish room in Divonne.
Everyone is welcome to join the meeting, while those on the electoral roll can vote.
Please bring a plate of fingerfood to share after our meeting.
Please send in your apologies for the AGM to Liz Bramley.
PLEASE NOTE - If you are unable to attend one of our main services but would like Holy Communion or private prayer in person, please contact Carolyn Cooke.
For any prayer requests for yourself or others, please contact Peta Tracey who will share in confidence with our Tuesday prayer group where we pray for the needs of our world and community.
Volunteer orientation session
7 April, Nyon
Coup de Main is a local community service organisation supporting refugees and asylum seekers. Many of our wonderful La Côte parishioners have been involved since it was established. We are keen to recruit additional volunteers to our team especially for 'accompanying' our beneficiaries as they integrate locally.
New volunteers will become part of an experienced and supportive team.
For more information please come along to our volunteer orientation session, click here.
Sunday Club - Urgent Need for Volunteers
Our Sunday Club is in urgent need of volunteer leaders and helpers to continue our classes and other activities for young people.
If you are interested in assisting, in giving your time and talents to this precious and vital ministry, please contact Betty at betty.talbot@lacotechurch.ch.
Give your used eyeglasses a second life!
La Côte Anglican Church is organizing a collection of used eyeglasses (including sunglasses) during Lent and Easter (5 March-20 April 2025) and would be grateful for any contributions.
The collected eyeglasses will be given to the Lions Club of Switzerland, who collaborate with Médico Lions Clubs of France, to recondition the eyeglasses received and distribute them to patients with visual impairments in developing countries.
Please note that any contributions of eyeglass cases would also be greatly appreciated.
For further information, please see https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/resources-for-members/resource-center/recycle-eyeglasses and http://www.medico-lcf.org/?q=recyclage-des-lunettes
New requirements to enter the UK from 02.04.2025
As you may know, European and EFTA citizens (Schengen area) will require an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorisation) to enter the UK as of the 2nd April 2025. Citizens may apply for one as of the 5th March 2025.
Here are some useful links:
Apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) - GOV.UK
New entry regulations for the United Kingdom | SWISS
And for UK citizens travelling to the Schengen area
IATA - New Entry Requirements for Travel into EU
Coming up this week
Morning Prayer
Monday to Friday at 7.30 and Saturday at 8.30 - online
Here is the link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84315258948?pwd=WWZaMTRzZEpnNHV3ekZYRFRUYU96Zz09
Meeting ID: 843 1525 8948 - Passcode: 82966
Tuesday Prayer Group - 18 March
09.15-10.30, chez J&P Tracey, 1267 Coinsins.
Come at 09.15 for a coffee before we start at 09.30 for an hour, following the Northumbria Community Morning Prayer and inserting our prayer concerns and those for whom we have been asked to pray in confidence.
You are most welcome to join us regularly or occasionally.
Please contact Peta for more details peta.tracey@lacotechurch.ch
Window on Wednesday - 19 March
9.30-11.30 - Gingins Parish Room
This term our resource is "Practicing the Way" written by John Mark Comer, "Be with Jesus. Become Like Him. Do as he did".
All are welcome to join us fortnightly on Wednesday mornings, as we share our faith and lives together along with coffee & pastries!
If you would like to join us, please contact Diantha Terry and/or Kate Shepherd.
Next dates for our meetings are March 19th - April 2nd, 16th & 30th - May 14th & 28th - June 11th & 25th.
A La Côte playgroup in Divonne
The La Côte playgroup will open its doors in the Divonne Parish rooms on Thursday April 24th. This is a 'drop-in' playgroup open to all in the Pays de Gex, Geneva region, welcoming children from 0-4 and their care-givers. There will be further updates in the bulletin in April, but please feel free to pass on this message to anyone who may be interested.
The Playgroup Team playgroup@lacotechurch.ch
Recent Happenings at La Côte !
If you would like to have a look at some photographs of recent happenings at La Côte Church please go to our website https://www.lacotechurch.ch/recent-happening/
Rotas in ChurchSuite
Dear church members and volunteers,
ChurchSuite is beginning to work more smoothly, thank you to everyone for your patience and commitment.
One step that would be very helpful for Anne is that you add in your unavailabilites. Click HERE for how to do this or contact Anne.
It is very important that you check ChurchSuite on a regular basis to view when you are next serving. For further information, click HERE.
Happening elsewhere
Day of Prayer
Geneva, Saturday 22 March
Join the Ignatian Spirituality Community for a day of prayer on 22nd March at St John XXIII, 57 Rue de Montbrillant, 1202 Geneva, from 9:30 am to 4:15 pm.
This will be an opportunity to step away from our busy daily lives and open ourselves to the Word of God, using some approaches from Ignatian spirituality. For more information or to register, click here.
Conference and Display of 16th Century Books
Tudor England and the Antwerp Book Trade:
From Tyndale to Plantin
Antwerp (BE), Tuesday 8 – Friday 11 July 2025
For more information, click here.
The Lost Food Project (combatting food waste)
Members of la Côte Church are taking part in a food bank in Nyon. Click HERE for more information. If would like to supplement our food supplies, please bring rice or pulses to our Sunday services. Thank you very much.
Work with those seeking refugee status
Mentoring opportunities and Accommodation: Please speak to Diantha Terry with any thoughts you have.
Do you have jobs that need doing? Please contact Diantha Terry.
From your safeguarding team
Your safeguarding team promotes and works towards keeping our church a safe place where our congregation can feel secure and cared for.
Safeguarding is an integral part of the wellbeing of our Church community.
We are here not only to work with you through the formalities of short training or administrative safeguarding checks but to support you in strict confidentiality if concerns relative to abuse arise.
You can count on our understanding and goodwill in all things safeguarding.
Ever Guttierez, Cate Bichara and Liz Martinez
Contact email: Safeguarding@lacotechurch.ch
 Pledging and Giving online and in person
Many thanks as ever for your giving to the life of our church and thus to our mission and service within and well beyond our community.
Pledging gives stability to the church finances and ensures that budgets can be planned realistically. So however large or however small your commitment, please consider pledging. Contact our pledge administrator, Mark Warren (mark.warren@yahoo.fr) for further details.
If you are at church without any cash but would like to give to the collection there is a solution: we have a bank or credit card reader at church to contribute to the collection using your card.
Here are the bank details for our church:
IBAN CH42 0022 8228 5504 9740 H
Holder The La Côte Anglican Church Development Association, 1267 Coinsins
BIC UBSWCHZH80A
You can also do so by scanning the QR code below
You may also like to remember La Côte Anglican Church in your will.
Merci beaucoup, thank you very much!
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