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ST COLUMBA’S, PONT STREET,
SUNDAY 30th NOVEMBER 2025 11.00 A.M.,
Crown Court & St Columba’s Joint Service for the St Andrew’s Book Festival
Organ Prelude
Introit: People look East, arr. Ferguson
People, look East. The time is near
Of the crowning of the year:
Make your house fair as you are able,
Trim the hearth and set the table.
People, look East, and sing today:
Love the Guest is on the way.
Furrows, be glad. Though earth is bare,
One more seed is planted there:
Give up your strength the seed to nourish,
That in course the flower may flourish.
People, look East, and sing today:
Love the Rose is on the way.
Stars, keep the watch. When night is dim
One more light the bowl shall brim,
Shning beyond the frosty weather
Bright as sum and moon together.
People, look East, and sing today:
Love the Star is on the way.
Angels, announce to man and beast
Him who cometh from the East.
Set every peak and valley hummng
With the Word, the Lord is coming.
People, look East, and sing today:
Love the Lord is on the way.
Welcome
Call to Worship
Hymn 339 Sing of Andrew, John’s disciple (Nettleton)
1 Sing of Andrew, John’s disciple,
led by faith through ways untrod,
till the Baptist cried at Jordan,
‘There behold the Lamb of God.’
Stirred by hearing this new teacher,
Andrew, freed from doubt and fear,
ran to tell his brother Simon,
‘God’s Anointed One is here!’
2 Sing of Andrew, called by Jesus
from the shores of Galilee,
leaving boats and nets and kindred,
trusting in that ‘Follow me.’
When a boy’s small meal fed thousands,
when inquiring Greeks found care,
when the Spirit came in blessing —
Andrew faithfully was there.
3 Sing of Andrew, bold apostle,
sent to make the gospel known,
faithful to his Lord’s example,
called to make a cross his own.
So may we who prize his memory
honour Christ in our own day,
bearing witness to our neighbours,
living what we sing and pray.
Lighting of First Advent Candle {congregation remain standing}
Minister: Jesus said, ‘Keep awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.’
Congregation: Come soon, Lord Jesus!
Minister: Jesus is the light of the world.
Congregation: A light no darkness can ever put out.
Call to Prayer
Prayers of Approach
Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power and the glory for ever, Amen.
Theme for the day
{Our young people are invited to join the minister at the front}
Hymn 605 Thanks to God whose word was spoken (St Helen)
1 Thanks to God whose word was spoken
in the making of the earth.
His the voice that called a nation,
fired her vision, tried her worth.
*God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
2 Thanks to God whose word incarnate
came to save our human race.
Deeds and words and death and rising
testify to heaven’s grace.
God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
3 Thanks to God whose word was written
in the Bible’s sacred page,
record of the revelation
showing God to every age.
God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
4 Thanks to God whose word is published
in the tongues of every race.
See its glory undiminished
by the change of time or place.
God has spoken:
praise him for his open word.
5 Thanks to God whose word is answered
by the Spirit’s voice within.
Here we drink of joy unmeasured,
life redeemed from death and sin.
God is speaking:
praise him for his open word.
*This line of each verse is repeated.
Old Testament Reading: Micah 5: 2-5a
2 [a]But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me, one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. 3 Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has brought forth; then the rest of his kindred shall return to the people of Israel. 4 And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth, 5 and he shall be the one of peace. If the Assyrians come into our land and tread upon our soil,[b] we will raise against them seven shepherds and eight rulers.
Anthem: Blest Pair of Sirens, Parry, part 1
Blest pair of Sirens, pledges of Heaven’s joy, Sphere-born harmonious sisters, Voice and Verse,
Wed your divine sounds, and mixt power employ
Dead things with inbreathed sense able to pierce:
And to our high-raise phantasy present
That undisturbèd song of pure content
Aye sung before the sapphire-coloured throne
To Him who sits thereon,
With saintly shout and solemn jubilee;
Where the bright Seraphim, in burning row,
Their loud, uplifted angel trumpets blow,
And the Cherubic host, in thousand quires
Touch their immortal harps of golden wires,
With those just spirits that wear victorious palms,
Hymns devout and holy psalms
Singing everlastingly.
Gospel Reading: Luke 4: 16-30
16 When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:
18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed,19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.”
20 And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” 23 He said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Doctor, cure yourself!’ And you will say, ‘Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.’” 24 And he said, “Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in his hometown. 25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months and there was a severe famine over all the land, 26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon. 27 There were also many with a skin disease in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” 28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage. 29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff. 30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.
Hymn 277 Hark the glad sound! The Saviour comes (Crediton)
1 Hark the glad sound! the Saviour comes,
the Saviour promised long;
let every heart exult with joy,
and every voice with song!
2 He comes, the prisoners to relieve,
in Satan’s bondage held;
the gates of brass before him burst,
the iron fetters yield.
3 He comes the broken hearts to bind,
the bleeding souls to cure;
and with the treasures of his grace
to enrich the humble poor.
4 The sacred year has now revolved,
accepted of the Lord,
when heaven’s high promise is fulfilled,
and Israel is restored.
5 Our glad hosannas, Prince of Peace,
thy welcome shall proclaim;
and heaven’s exalted arches ring
with thy most honoured name.
Sermon: Revd John Bell
Anthem: Blest Pair of Sirens, Parry, part 2
May rightly answer that melodious noise;
As once we did, till disproportioned sin
Jarr’d against Nature’s chime, and with harsh din
Broke the fair music that all creatures made
To their great Lord, whose love their motion swayed
In perfect diapason, whilst they stood
In first obedience, and their state of good.
O may we soon again renew that song,
And keep in tune with heaven, till God ere long
To His celestial concert us unite,
To live with Him, and sing in endless morn of light.
Dedication of our Offerings
(If able, please stand as the offering is brought forward and the congregation sings)
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host;
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. (CH4 807, Old 100th)
Prayer of Dedication:
Minister: Father, Son, and Spirit Holy,
we give you thanks and praise:
Congregation: We dedicate to you
our thoughts, our words, our gifts, our deeds,
the working of our hands, the thinking of our minds,
the loving of our hearts. Amen.
Prayers of Thanksgiving and Intercession
Intimations
Hymn 519 Love divine, all loves excelling (Blaenwern)
1 Love divine, all loves excelling,
joy of heaven, to earth come down,
fix in us thy humble dwelling,
all thy faithful mercies crown.
Jesus, thou art all compassion,
pure, unbounded love thou art;
visit us with thy salvation,
enter every trembling heart.
2 Come, almighty to deliver;
let us all thy life receive;
suddenly return, and never,
never more thy temples leave.
Thee we would be always blessing,
serve thee as thy hosts above,
pray, and praise thee, without ceasing,
glory in thy perfect love.
3 Finish then thy new creation:
pure and spotless let us be;
let us see thy great salvation
perfectly restored in thee,
changed from glory into glory,
till in heaven we take our place,
till we cast our crowns before thee,
lost in wonder, love, and praise.
Benediction & Choral Amen
Organ Postlude: War March of the Priests (Mendelssohn)
This week
Sunday 30th November 2025
10.15 a.m. Poetry & Prayer for Advent
London Scottish Chapel
11.00 a.m. Joint Service with Crown Court
Church of Scotland
for the St Andrew’s Book Festival,
Sunday School
12.15 p.m. Tea/Coffee, Upper Hall {by donation}
Congregational Lunch, Lower Hall {£10}
1.30 p.m. Revd John Bell & Rhidian Brook
in conversation, Church
(Book Festival Free Event)
Wednesday 3rd December
1.00 p.m. Midweek Prayers
London Scottish Chapel
Advent & Christmas Services
Sunday 7th December
10.15 a.m. Poetry & Prayer for Advent
11.00 a.m. Morning Service
5.00 p.m. Music and Readings for Advent
Sunday 14th December
10.15 a.m. Poetry & Prayer for Advent
11.00 a.m. Morning Service & Sunday School Nativity
Sunday 21st December
10.15 a.m. Poetry & Prayer for Advent
11.00 a.m. Morning Service
5.00 p.m. Pont Street Carols supporting ScotsCare
