Newsletter for Sunday 20th September 2026

Friends,

In our Old Testament lesson this week we read in Exodus 16 how the Israelites have escaped slavery in Egypt and are being led by God through the desert. They are hungry and complain about Moses and Aaron, even saying they were better off as Pharaoh’s slaves. Less than a month after they left Egypt not only are they forgetting all that had happened through the Passover, but they also misremember their enslavement in Egypt: “We sat by the fleshpots and ate our fill of bread” (v.3). God’s daily provision puts the Israelites’ faith in God to the test. God hears their complaints and provides manna and quail, with specific instructions to ensure that everyone has enough.

All of our Bible readings this week remind us that God is a generous provider, even if God’s provision isn’t always in exactly the shape or form we would expect or choose. The challenge for us is to trust in God for enough and to ensure that God’s provision is fairly shared.
Shortly before his death Jesus shared a meal with his closest friends. Today, like the ancient Israelites travelling through the desert, we need sustenance on life’s journey. Prayer is a well we can go to for water to refresh us on the journey and the Lord’s Supper is food to nourish us on the way. God continues to provide for all his children.

“Guide me, O thou great Jehovah,
pilgrim through this barren land;
I am weak, but thou art mighty;
hold me with thy powerful hand:
Bread of heaven, Bread of heaven,
feed me till my want is o’er”.
(CH4 167).

William

Harvest Appeal 2026 – The Upper Room (UR4 Meals)
www.theupperroom.org.uk
https://theupperroom.org.uk/
Harvest is approaching and we will be collecting again for The Upper Room (UR4 Meals). The charity provides thousands of meals a year to homeless and disadvantaged people. Your food donations will contribute to such their valuable meal service.
We will be collecting: tuna, mixed herbs, curry powder or paste, paprika, vegetable stock cubes, sunflower or vegetable oil, chopped tomatoes, basmati rice, biscuits, instant coffee, tea bags (not loose tea) and sugar.
Collection point: Upper Vestibule by the Harvest Display Board, on three Sundays 20th, 27th September and 4th October (culminating at the Harvest Festival Service).

UPCOMING: Churches Together in Kensington & Chelsea with Churches Together in Notting Hill,
Season of Creation 2026 Ecumenical Service,
Thursday 1st October, 7.00p.m.
St Luke’s Parish Church, Sydney Street, SW3 6NH.
Everyone is warmly invited.

A Prayer for the Season of Creation

Thank You, God, our Caregiver,
for the things we shouldn’t have to think hard about;
for light and sun, for air and water;
for whatever food last passed our lips,
and these folks around us, with whom we pray.

Thank You, God our Sustainer
for what we’ve taken for granted;
for those who work out of sight, that we can rest;
pollinators and microbes who do their part
in the next meal we look forward to;
for all the fellow creatures, human and otherwise
whose labours, unseen, are so real.

Thank You God, You Beauty!
For everything beyond mere monetary value:
for the wildflowers who, over centuries
have directed minds and hearts to You;
for the trees and the birds,
Christ’s partners in mission!
Thank You, in words, and beyond. AMEN
(Eco-Congregation Scotland)

Sunday Service Readers We are always looking for additional readers to share the scriptures chosen each Sunday. It is a central and vital act of worship within any service. We are not looking for proven skill or experience – just a willingness to offer and an appreciation of the importance of reading the scriptures. We offer some training to assist. If interested, please get in touch with Nicky at the church office – office@stcolumbas.org.uk

DIARY DATE: Looking for Sleepers! CEO Sleepout, Monday 23rd November
ScotsCare CEO Shona Fleming, well known at St Columba’s, again leads a team of hardy souls who take on the challenge of sleeping out for a night to raise funds and awareness for homelessness, at the CEO Sleepout at Lords Cricket Ground. The annual event draws hundreds of fundraisers to St John’s Wood’s hallowed ground, where participants bed down in the stands, sleeping between the seats with a sleeping bag and little else. Participants don’t have to be a CEO to take part, just a supporter that wants to combat homelessness. It’s a rewarding event, with great camaraderie and sense of achievement the following day. This year Angus hopes to recruit a team of six (or more) from St Columba’s who would sleepout to support our Scots in London partner organisation, ScotsCare. If interested, please contact Angus via the Office.

Scots in London August Newsletter.
For a variety of events and activities of interest
check out the Scots in London August newsletter. https://mailchi.mp/scotsinlondon.org/aug-newsletter2026-12822222?e=a7a1f1deca Scots in London is an umbrella organisation for Scottish cultural societies, sports clubs, alumni groups, charities, churches and the Scottish military in London. Its mission is to promote Scottish culture and heritage, co-ordinate and communicate events, support Scottish charities in the capital, and contribute to the life of the city where we live.

St Andrews Book Festival,
presented by Scots in London
Update on St Andrew’s Book Festival, November 18th-22nd. We are pleased to announce that Carol Kirkwood, Andrew Lownie and Val McDermid are among the authors who will appear at the festival with most events at St Columba’s. Ticket details will follow.
The Book Festival returns to several central London venues, with St Columba’s as the primary focus of the festival. Look forward to another array of well-known and new authors bringing Scottish writing to the heart of London. Keep 18th to 22nd November 2026 in your diaries, both for attending and/or volunteering to get involved.