For Sunday 7th December 2025, Second Sunday of Advent

Friends,

“Hope is a candle, once lit by the prophets,
never consumed, though it burns through the years”
(Richard Leach, Church Hymnary 284).

The church is now in the season of Advent as we look forward to Christmas and this Sunday we will light our second Advent candle. In our Sunday readings we are now in Year A when we will read St. Matthew’s gospel. Advent themes typically include hope, peace, love and joy which are associated with the four red candles lit on the four Sundays leading up to Christmas, while other traditions focus on the spiritual journey of preparing for Christ’s birth, such as the people of God, the prophets, John the Baptist and the Virgin Mary and of course we light our white Christmas candle at midnight on Christmas Eve.

In our Old Testament lesson this week the prophet Isaiah prophesies about a descendant of David on whom God’s spirit will rest. This ruler will judge righteously and will usher in a time of peace and harmony in which all creatures will live together without destroying one another, conveyed in wonderfully picturesque imagery. It is a positive vision of God’s peace and justice and we’re told that

“the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea”. (Isaiah 11:9)

Living in harmony can be very difficult, yet there are voices that can tell us how, if only we listen. Sometimes we just don’t want to; the voices may be young or from a different background or perhaps change may be hard to accept. But what if we did listen: what changes might occur as a result?

William

THIS SUNDAY: Hymns, Music & Readings for Sunday, 7th December 2025, Second Sunday of Advent

Hymn 48 His Large and Great Domination Shall (Effingham)
Hymn 796 Blessing
Hymn 631 A Little Child the Saviour Game (Commandments)
Hymn 334 On Jordan’s Bank the Baptist’s Cry (Winchester New Crasselius)
Hymn 642 Ye that know the Lord is gracious (Abbot’s Leigh)

Anthem: Adam lay y-bounden Philip Ledger (1937-2012)
Anthem: Canite tuba (Byrd) Guerrero (1528-99)

Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 11: 1-10 {OT page 538}
Gospel Reading: Matthew 3: 1-12 (NT page 3)
Reader: Susan Pym

THIS SUNDAY: Sunday 7th December 2025, Second Sunday of Advent
10.15 a.m. Poetry & Prayer for the Sundays of Advent (London Scottish Chapel)
11.00 a.m. Morning Service, Baptisms and Sunday School
12.15 p.m. Tea and Coffee in the Upper Hall {by donation}
12:15 p.m. Congregational Lunch in the Lower Hall {£4.00}
5.00 p.m. Evening service of Words & Music for Advent (London Scottish Chapel.)

A special welcome to families and friends of Laurie James Donald Nugent, Alexander Gordon George Stuart-Clark & Honor Catherine Karina Erskine who all come for baptism this Sunday. It will surely be a very special day.

THIS SUNDAY: Poetry & Prayer for the Sundays of Advent (London Scottish Chapel) Join others in the London Scottish Chapel for a period of quiet prayer (10.15 – 10.30am) led by the minister, on the four Sundays of Advent, beginning on Sunday 30^th November. Advent’s preparation for the coming of Christmas.

UPCOMING: Wednesday 10^th December, Westminster Abbey, 11:15am to 12pm Members of the congregation are invited to attend a Service to celebrate Christian witness in Advent.
To confirm your attendance, please register at https://ChristianWitnessService.eventbrite.co.uk to reserve a spot

St Columba’s Christmas Cards 2025 Thanks to a lovely collaboration with the Langham Sketch Club (who meet here on Wednesday evenings) we are able to offer two splendid seasonal designs, contributed by Club members Gerry Dunn and David Eccles. Cards are available from the Bookstall (£5 for a pack of five.) Thank you Gerry and David

A Big Book Festival Sunday Thank You Last week saw St Columba’s hosting four wonderful days of the St Andrew’s Book Festival, presented by Scots in London. A big thank you to all volunteered, whether as Stewardson reception, helping in the bar or with our book sellers. Great job. The Festival could not have happened without you. The recurring feedback from the authors, was the warmth and welcome they received, of how smoothly everything ran, and of the helpfulness and friendliness of the volunteers.And amid all that was going on, thank you both to the Craft Makers for their winter sale and for the lunch team volunteers who assisted the catered lunch. One of the aims of Scots in London is to “enhance the life of the city where we live”. St Columba’s and its people have surely been doing that in recent days.

NEXT SUNDAY: Sunday 14^th December, Third Sunday of Advent
10.15 a.m. Poetry & Prayer for the Sundays of Advent (London Scottish Chapel)
11.00 a.m. Morning Service & Sunday School Nativity
12:15 p.m. Tea and Coffee in the Upper Hall {by donation}

Advent Bible Study. Monday evenings in Advent.
Join with church members from across the Presbytery of England & the Channel Islands this Advent to go further into the preparation and meaning of Christmas.

Advent Appeal 2025 (for Glass Door) www.glassdoor.org.uk
We are collecting the following items throughout Advent: pocket-size puzzle books, pens, reusable water bottles and coffee cups, boxer shorts, ladies’ pants (all sizes), sanitary products, thermal hats, socks, tights, and gloves. Christmas gifts for homeless guests staying overnight at church on Sunday 21 December will be wrapped by the Mission Committee. Remaining items will help restock supplies for Glass Door. Please leave donations in the Upper Vestibule by the Advent Appeal Display Board from 30 November and each Sunday until Christmas Day.

“Peas & Potatoes Fund” for Sunday Night Shelter Our Sunday evening winter night shelter is now well underway. The service is run and managed by the Glass Door charity who work with 21 churches across west London to provide shelter for over 100 guests every evening throughout the winter. Every week a group of our volunteers prepares and serves a 3-course meal for c.35 homeless guests, who then sleep in the church’s Upper Hall. Donations towards the cost of providing dinner would be very much welcomed and should be sent to the church office.

ScotsCare – Financial Donations (Advent Appeal)
www.scotscare.com As an alternative, you may wish to consider making a financial donation to ScotsCare for their ongoing work. For online payments and text donations, please click on this link (or access via the charity’s website).
https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/23231#!/DonationDetails Cheques payable to: ScotsCare. Post to ScotsCare, 183-185 Bermondsey Street, London, SE1 3UW

THIS WEEKEND: The Friends of St Columba’s Excursion, Saturday 6^th December, 11am. Apsley House, The Wellington Collection,149 Piccadilly, Hyde Park Corner, London W1J7NT. We look forward to exploring Apsley House, the London residence of Arthur Wellesley, 1^st Duke of Wellington. The Waterloo Gallery is a theatrical highlight, built to host Wellington’s annual banquets, with a gilt ceiling and mirrored walls that reflect both opulence and history. After our visit, we will leave behind the hustle and bustle of Hyde Park Corner for a quiet Lebanese meal in Shepherds Market which offers a village-like atmosphere amidst busy Mayfair.

UPCOMING: Carol Singing in Trafalgar Square. Opportunity to join with members of Crown Court and other congregations to carol sing in Trafalgar Square in support of Christian Aid on Friday 12^th December, 8.00 – 9.00pm. Keep an eye out for further detail when available.

UPCOMING: Burns Supper, Saturday 24^th January 2026, 7.00 p.m. We’re hosting the Burns Supper on Saturday 24th January 2026. Tickets are priced at £25 and are available to purchase on the day, or by paying over the phone by calling the Church Office. Additionally, Colin Mackinnon is looking for a few volunteers: a couple of people to help set up tables in the afternoon and a few more in the evening to assist with serving and washing up. Please speak to Colin if you’re available to help.

Scots in London December newsletter.
For a variety of events and activities of interest check out the new Scots in London December newsletter https://tinyurl.com/7wzhh5n7. 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. While proud of our shared nationality, we endeavour to be international in outlook.

UPCOMING: Firefly International – Echoes of Peace Concert at St. Columba’s Church, Saturday 13^th December, Doors Open 5.45pm. Concert 6.15pm to 8.15pm. Firefly International was supported by our Lent Appeal in 2024. Join us for a special concert marking 30 years since Firefly was founded and peace was declared in Bosnia. While the war there has ended, peace remains a fragile and unfinished promise. This powerful evening of live music, spoken word, and film invites us to reflect on the legacy of conflict – and the urgent need to protect and nurture peace in today’s fractured world. The concert features violinist Bassel Hariri, blending the beauty of Arabic traditions with global sounds; filmmaker Aleksandra Bilić and her mother Maja, sharing their deeply moving film and music about their journey as refugees from Bosnia; and the One World Orchestra, fusing diverse musical traditions from around the globe into a euphoric and uplifting celebration of multi-cultural Britain. Tickets: Book here – https://echoes-of-peace.raiselysite.com/

UPCOMING: St Columba’s Book Club, 12^th January 2026
The Book Club met to discuss our next choice “Hello Beautiful” by Ann Neapolitano. Unusually, it received a unanimous thumbs up even from those who couldn’t join the discussion due to technical problems. We shall meet next on 12th January 2026 to discuss Lea Ypi’s book “Free – Coming of Age at the End of History”. Our second book for 2026 is “Wandering Souls” by Cecile Pin. New or returning members are always welcome. Please contact the office for details.

Advent & Christmas Services

Sunday 7th December       11.00am Morning Service (2^nd Advent)
5.00pm Music and Readings for Advent Sunday

Sunday 14th December     11.00am Morning Service & Sunday School Nativity Sunday (3^rd Advent)

Sunday 21st December     11.00am Morning Service (4^th Advent)
5.00pm Pont Street Carols by Candlelight, supporting ScotsCare

Wednesday 24th December 11.15pm     Christmas Eve Watchnight Communion Service
Thursday 25th December 10.30am        Christmas Day Family Service & Short Communion

Sunday 28th December 11.00am Morning Service

Live Streaming of Worship
Services can be watched via the church website, https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/live-stream. Reminder: If you do not wish to appear on the live stream please choose a seat in the rear half of the sanctuary. Note that the Evening Services on the 1st of the month are not live streamed as they are held in the London Scottish Chapel. If you experience any issue with livestream on the day, please email livestream@stcolumbas.org.uk (please note that this address will only be monitored on Sundays).

Dial into Sunday Service
If you are aware of church members or friends who do not have access to internet, please inform them that they can phone in to join the Sunday service. Those interested should follow:

Step 1: At 10.40am call phone number 0208 080 6591.
Step 2: You will be prompted to enter a meeting ID. Please type (using your telephone keypad) 884 4746 5645
Step 3: You will then be asked for a participant number – simply press the #.
Step 4: You will be asked to enter the password. Enter 838727
Step 5: Enjoy the service! You will hear the organ music from 10.50am.

Details on the many ways you can support St Columba’s can be found here https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/giving/supporting-st-columbas Anyone wishing to contribute to St Andrew’s, Newcastle please contact the Session Clerk on standrewssessionclerk@gmail.com for bank details or other means of donating.

Office Hours –
The church office is open from 8.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Friday.
E-mail: office@stcolumbas.org.uk
Website: www.stcolumbas.org.uk
Facebook: @stcolumbaschurchpontstreet.
Twitter: @LondonKirkPastoral
Emergency Number (out of office hours): 07591926271

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