For Sunday 21st June 2026, Fourth Sunday after Pentecost

Friends,

It was a pleasure and a privilege to welcome five new members into the fellowship of St. Columba’s last Sunday and we continue to thank God for Matthew, Robert, Christopher, Archie and Sumudu and to hold them in our prayers.

In this country we are blessed to enjoy freedom of worship and expression but that is not true in every part of the world and it was certainly not true of the early church. In our Gospel lesson this week (St. Matthew 10: 24-39) Matthew continues Jesus’ teaching on mission to the world, while pointing out that the disciples must expect opposition, including possibly from their own families. Following Christ won’t be straightforward, Matthew says, indeed as Christians we are called to walk the way of the cross, but he reminds the disciples of their value and of God’s love for them.

Our Gospel reading could be described as “tough love”. Jesus makes great demands on his disciples, but he also equips them to achieve what he asks of them. If he is uncompromising in his call to them, he is also unwavering in his support of them. In our Old Testament lesson (Genesis 21: 8-21), Hagar too encounters a tough God who provides her with help only when she is at the end of her own resources – yet God is ready to protect her and her infant son. In our Epistle
(Romans 6:1b-11) St. Paul is characteristically uncompromising, when writing about sin, to the young church in Rome, saying that there is no place for sin in God’s kingdom, and that the Christians in Rome need to be aware of that. But writing of God’s grace Paul goes on to say, “for sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace” (v14).

“God of might and valour,
your grace is all we need.
In our weakness give us strength:
support us in temptation;
make us bold in time of danger;
give us fresh vigour when we lose heart;
and help us to do your work
with good courage,
for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord”.
Amen.

(Book of Common Order 1994).

William

TODAY: Thursday 18th June is Veterinary Appreciation Day. This Sunday (21st June) at our linked charge of St Andrew’s Newcastle, Rev Dr Allan Wright will mark Veterinary Appreciation Day at the morning service (10.45am). Session Clerk, Irene Wilkinson writes: “This is NOT an invitation to bring your pets to church (please don’t!) but it is an invitation to join in saying thank you to all who work in the veterinary sector.” Allan, in addition to being a full-time vet is also the Presbytery of England & the Channel Islands’ pioneer minister to the veterinary community in the northeast of England. The prayer below highlights some of the challenges that face the veterinary world.

Lord, who calls each person to their place in the world,
today, we thank you for all those who have been called to serve you
by looking after your creation in a veterinary setting:
vets, nurses, receptionists, care assistants,
managers, admin, techs, cleaners and others.
We thank you for their dedication –
for the late nights; the dirty scrubs;
the mud, blood and other fluids;
the tears; the cuts and breaks –
and that they still come through smiling.

We ask you to let all veterinary professionals know,
we appreciate them.
We thank you for those who look after our pets –
from cats and dogs; rabbits and rats; snakes and snails;
parrots and pacmans; horses and hamsters
and everything in between.
We thank you for those who work with farmers
to ensure the welfare of livestock
and the safety and integrity of our food.
We thank you for those in research labs,
government departments, academia, abattoirs,
the armed forces, public health
and wherever veterinary knowledge is needed.

We pray for those finding the profession, and life, tough today,
because of society’s changing opinion of vets;
because of tough cases; unsuccessful outcomes;
demanding clients; overbearing workload.
We pray for those suffering from stress, depression,
compassion fatigue and burnout.
Be with them – let them come to you and receive your rest.

We ask you to guide the next generation of veterinary and nursing students
as they learn new terminology, practical skills,
and how to balance the art and science of veterinary medicine.
Be with those who will be starting in their first jobs in the coming weeks and months,
let them have the support of others in practice, as well as peers,
and your spirit.
We ask you to support those nearing the end of their career as they transition to retirement
and find a new identity no longer defined by their career.

We ask you to help all in our society
recognize the work of the veterinary professionals;
to appreciate the training, the complexity, the value for money.
For the politicians currently reviewing the Veterinary Surgeon’s Act.
For those in the media who have the choice,
to lift vets up or criticize their profession.
For clients who always want one last week;
half the bill; the non-existent appointment;
the magic injection, or the live calf –
not realizing how much these situations break staff as well.

Christ, who cited animal welfare as priority of God,
lift up those living out that mission not just today, but every day.
Amen.

THIS SATURDAY: Saturday 20th June 2026
Presbytery of England & the Channel Islands
meets at Crown Court Church of Scotland (10.30am)
& Induction Service
for Reverend Tara Porr Granados
as minister of Crown Court (1.30pm)
A chance to welcome the new minister of our Kirk neighbours and show our support.
All welcome.

THIS SUNDAY: Sunday 21st June, Sounds of St Columba’s Recital,
“Bellows & Brass”: 1.30pm Trumpet and organ music by Verdi, Handel and Purcell. Simon Tong & Benedict Lewis-Smith (piano/organ). The duo brings sparkle, warmth, and creativity to the classic pairing of trumpet and organ, performing everything from Baroque masterworks to bold contemporary arrangements. (Main Church)

Honours for a Session Clerk Congratulations to our Session Clerk, Charlotte Bradford, awarded a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the recent King’s Birthday Honours List. A fine acknowledgement of four decades of faithful Civil Service – principally as Road Safety Policy Advisor, Department for Transport. Relinquishing responsibilities towards government, Charlotte’s attention turns to the upcoming August wedding of son William and future daughter-in-law Amy. We wish her well.

New Church Magazine
With thanks to the Editor, Susan Pym
and her contributors,
the excellent June/July issue of the church magazine will be available via the bookstall, £1.50.
Pick up a copy for yourself
and consider one for a friend or neighbour.
Help spread the St Columba’s story.

Catherine Olver, our Assistant Organist’s final Sunday is 28th June. Catherine has given so much to the music ministry of St Columba’s and we have been enormously fortunate to have her as part of our musical life. We wish her every happiness and success in the next chapter of her career. Those wishing to contribute towards a leaving gift are warmly invited to contribute cash/card, via the church office by close of play Monday 22nd June.

We have been invited by James, from Lost in TV, to come along to watch the above show being recorded.
Details: Friday 26th June – doors at 5:30pm
Saturday 27th June – doors at 4:30pm
Address: Sands End Arts & Community Centre, Peterborough Road, Fulham, London, SW6 3EZ
You can book free tickets directly at https://lostintv.com/tv-show?id=1425 – Please use the promo code STCOLUMBA when you book to reserve your entry.

Looking for Sleepers! CEO Sleepout 23rd November 2026
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 tough but rewarding event, with great camaraderie and sense of achievement the following day. Elder Hugh Pym and minister Angus MacLeod have both participated in previous years.
This year the hope is to recruit a team of six (or more) St Columbans who would sleepout to support our Scots in London partner organisation, ScotsCare. If interested please contact Angus via the Office.

St Andrews Book Festival,
presented by Scots in London
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.