For Sunday 28th June 2026, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost

Friends,

“I found a well once
in the dark green heart of a wood …”

So begins a poem entitled, The Well, by Scots writer and friend of St Columba’s, Kenneth Steven https://kennethsteven.co.uk/

“The well was old, so mossed and broken
it was almost a part of the wood
gone back to nature…”
Carefully, a little fearfully,
the poet looks down into the water.
“I stretched down, cupped a deep handful
…and drank.
The water reached the roots of my being
assuaged a whole summer of thirst.
I have been wandering for that water ever since.”

In these days characterised by the heat, reminded by local authorities (see RBKC attached) to stay cool and hydrated, Kenneth’s poem offers shade and refreshment for the imagination, while hinting at “thirst” for something more than water. An echo of a famous biblical encounter in the heat of the day, between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well; Jesus telling her: “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

So, a prayer for days of testing temperatures:
As a deer longs for flowing streams,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
Psalm 42:1

Come today, as gift poured out,
to renew and refresh;
come with the clarity of cool water;
to the dryness of our relationships,
the isolations of our culture,
the weariness of our politics,
the prejudice of our religion,
the bankruptcy of our materialism.
Come with the floods of justice
and the dew of compassion.
Be poured out, that each and all might drink,
and so know life.

“With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation.” Isaiah 12:3
Let us be been wandering for that water ever since.

Angus

Communion arrangements: in person & livestream This Sunday we celebrate communion/the Lord’s Supper. In recent years, this communion marks the end of the Sunday School year, and we invite our young people to be involved in the serving of communion. It is Christ’s table and open to any whose tradition it is to receive the bread and wine. For pastoral reasons the wine is non-alcoholic, and gluten free bread is available. This Sunday the congregation is invited forward to receive the bread and wine, rather than being served in the pews. If you prefer to receive where you are seated just indicate to one of the elders. Those watching at home may wish to prepare bread and wine (or equivalent) and share at the appropriate moment.

Departing Assistant Organist
Catherine Olver, our Assistant Organist
plays at her final service this Sunday.
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. Perhaps a future St Columba’s outing to evensong in Guildford may be on the cards.

Graduation Celebration St Columba’s elder, Gary Wallis, who is training for ministry in the Church of Scotland, heads to Aberdeen on Monday for his graduation ceremony. Gary has been awarded a first-class Bachelor of Theology (Hons) degree. In addition, he has been awarded the Burgess Prize in Divinity (awarded to the undergraduate student who produces the best dissertation in the course of the academic year). Congratulations on those notable achievements. He is currently undertaking a ten-week full-time summer placement with Reverend Lynsey Brennan at St Paul’s, Milngavie, linked with Baldernock. In September he then commences his fifteen-month probationary placement with Reverend Stuart Matthews at Maryhill and Ruchill Church, in Glasgow. Completing the probation period is the final step towards ordination. Please keep Gary, wife Jo and the boys in your prayers, both as they celebrate and adjust to new circumstances.

St Andrew’s, Newcastle & Newcastle Foodbank The congregation of our linked charge, St Andrew’s, Newcastle recently received a letter of thanks for continuing support of the Newcastle Foodbank. “Your donations are sincerely appreciated and have enabled us to stand in solidarity with individuals and families in need. Because of the generosity of people like yourselves, we have been able to expand our services to tackle the root causes of food insecurity with the aim of reducing the need for people to rely on food banks. In addition to our emergency food parcels, we also provide individually tailored welfare support and guidance on matters like benefits and housing and offer three community pantries as a step towards independence. Your support reflects the strong sense of community within our city and has eased the burden on those experiencing financial hardship and food insecurity. On behalf of our beneficiaries, volunteers, staff, and trustees, please accept our sincere thanks for your generosity and community spirit.”

ReStart Lives Update The charity that provides the Friday night drop-in meal at St Columba’s writes this week: “Not everyone knows that more homeless people die in extreme heat than in the Winter cold, due to things like dehydration and the interaction between heat and many medical conditions. Whilst there are extra services put on in the cold, a lot of shelter and support is not available in the warmer months so it’s crucial that we step up and do what we can to save lives in the heat.
Last Friday the RESTART team ran a summer lifesaving resource fair, offering over 700 items such as factor 50 sunscreen, caps, t-shirts, fans, water bottles, and other vital items to help our guests to survive this period of extreme heat. Our longtime supporters, AlixPartners, made the fair possible with donations as well as a team of volunteers to make the event run smoothly, whilst creating a friendly atmosphere. Guests cooled off with strawberries and cream and refreshments while they waited for their items, before heading downstairs for the usual Friday night Drop In. Individual donations also contributed to what we were able to offer on the day and, as ever, we couldn’t have done it without you! Thank you!”

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.