For Sunday 3rd April 2022, Fifth Sunday of Lent
St Michael’s and All Angels, Aston Clinton – Liz Mitchell
Friends,
In recent days I received two things I wanted to share. Firstly, the photo above, sent by a church member, from her local Church of England parish – daffodil and flags. Secondly, the poem I received, written by Peter Millar, former Warden of Iona Abbey. It came with the generous advice: “There is no copyright on this poem. No quotes from others. It would be great if you could share it in these days of Lent and of Easter. Thank you and let us hold God’s amazing world in our hearts. Peter.”
Every new day across our planet
there is a constant certainty moving in our midst - it is this:
violence, disconnection and radical change
are our sure companions and disturbers.
Sometimes the whole edifice spins too fast as we
ponder the human future and the divisions that ensnare us.
Yet within these shadows are fragile possibilities of light
always inviting us to engage with other visions and
truths - ones that spring from our depths:
emerging from places of insight, where life-giving
currents still flow freely in fractured times.
Ancient wisdoms that renew and restore.
I call it Resurrection,
while others who don’t go there, know its meaning.
Whatever our path, is it not the willingness to see
our world through the eyes of Love; to know we are all wounded healers: to walk in another’s shoes: to touch the Good Earth and its radiant Mystery, and to believe that farewells should be free of regrets that matters most in every age?
(Peter Millar, Edinburgh, Easter 2022)
As we continue our journey towards Easter, I hope you find inspiration and encouragement from varied sources – scripture, poetry, film, art, nature, conversation and silence. Please consider the readings, prayers and films on the Lent & Easter webpage https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/lent-and-easter-2022 – and thank you to all those who have and are contributing contribute towards it.
Angus
Worshipping at St Columba’s & COVID Precautions.
While Government guidance has changed and we are still assessing the best and appropriate way forward. This Sunday we continue to recommend mask wearing within the building (unless exempt) and social distancing.
We suggest dressing warmly as we try to keep the sanctuary well ventilated and hand sanitiser will continue to be available throughout the building. In all our arrangements we recognise that people are at various stages on the pandemic journey – our aim is to keep everyone confident and safe.
Live Streaming of Worship
Services can be watched via the church website, https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/live-stream.
To access the live stream from the homepage (front page) click the Menu button in the top right-hand side of the page and scroll down and click on “Live Stream”. This will bring up the live stream to the church. The act of worship of approximately 60 minutes, includes include prayers, a sermon and music. The words for the hymns will be on the website. We believe it is really important to continue to live-stream the Morning Service under its current format i.e. for the benefit of those joining worship from afar or those as yet unable to make the journey to Pont Street. For those without internet, the Dial-In facility continues. Many people comment that they do have a sense of worshipping together, even if invisible to each other.
Reminder: If you do not wish to appear on the live-stream please choose a seat in the rear half of the sanctuary.
Please note that the Evening Services on the 1st of the month will not be live streamed as they will take place in the London Scottish Chapel.
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 now phone in to join the Sunday service. No visuals clearly, but at least they can hear the service. Those interested should follow:
Step 1: At 10.40am call phone number 0203 051 2874.
Step 2: You will be prompted to enter a meeting ID. Please type (using your telephone keypad) 266 883 5072#
Step 3: You will then be asked for a participant number - simply press the #.
Step 4: Enjoy the service! You will hear the organ music from 10.50am.
Hymns, Music & Readings, 3rd April 2022 - 11am
Hymn 192 All my hope on God is founded (Groeswen)
Hymn 694 Brother, sister, let me serve you (Servant Song)
Hymn 86 When Zion’s fortunes God restored (Edgbaston)
Hymn 405 We sing the praise of him who died (Walton Fuda)
Gospel Reading: John 12: 1-8 (page 98 NT)
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 43: 16-21 (page 612 OT)
New Testament Reading: Philippians 3:4b-14 (page 184 NT)
Anthem – Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace - S.S. Wesley
Musical Interlude - Ave verum corpus - Byrd
Organ Postlude – Fugue in A minor - J.S. Bach
The Easter Experience, Sunday 3rd April
The Easter Experience is organised for our young families on Sunday 3rd April, during the morning service. We will walk through the Easter story together using activities, short stories, and conversation. Roughly based on the ‘Easter Experience’ run in years’ past, we’ll do a little foot washing, break some bread and drink some ‘wine’ and share in the joyful news of Jesus’ resurrection. Parents are very welcome to join in.
Holy Week Worship at St Columba’s
Mon 11th April, 12 noon Short act of worship (via website)
Tues 12th April, 12 noon Short act of worship (via website)
Wed 13th April, 12 noon Short act of worship (via website)
Thurs 14th April, 8p.m. Maundy Thursday Holy Communion
Fri 15th April, 11a.m. Words & Music for Good Friday
Sat 16th April, 12 noon Short act of worship (via website)
Sun 17th April, 11.00 a.m. Easter Morning Holy Communion
Church members
A funeral service for St Columba’s member, Avril Lunn will take place at St Columba’s on Tuesday 12th April at 2pm.
A Service of Thanksgiving for the life of St Columba’s member, James Donald will take place at St Columba’s on Thursday 14th April at 2pm.
Congregational Offerings
Details on the many ways you can support St Columba’s can be found here https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/giving/supporting-st-columbas.
Would anyone wishing to contribute to St Andrew's, Newcastle please contact the Session Clerk on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for bank details or other means of donating.
Rising Living Costs: Help at Hand
We are aware that with the cost of living and fuel costs rising that some of our community may be struggling financially. If you, or someone you know, are in need of help, please do get in touch with the Church Office or the Ministers. All conversations will be held in the strictest of confidence.
Lent Appeal 2022
Collaboration à la Santé Publique Burkina Faso (CSPB) a small registered French charity http://cspb.cagnes.pagesperso-orange.fr
The CSPB Association is a small French charity created in 2012, providing much needed Family Planning and other related medical services in the Northern Region of Burkina Faso. The charity was created by a French GP, Dr Pierre Leon, who worked and studied in Burkina Faso and saw the need for improving Public Health (especially in Family Planning) in rural parts of the country. There is a massive problem of too many children per family as young women and girls have no access to family planning, contraception. The yearly growth rate is more than double the world average. Burkina Faso is one of the ten poorest countries in the world. Only one in eight find work.
CSPB have a midwife and a nurse specialised in HIV and reproductive health, three birth attendants all of whom work with local rural bush nurses and in villages, running clinics and training. The charity provides information talks on contraceptive implants and follow up appointments for girls/women of child bearing age offering them implants for those wanting them. CSPB organise talks in rural village school and colleges, the charity run 'the school of husbands' for men providing them with advice on Family Planning. Awareness campaigns for adolescent girls to help reduce unwanted pregnancies that often result in forced marriages and that can cause girls to stop schooling. The charity's work is supported by local religious leaders, tribal chiefs and the government.
We look forward to welcoming Alasdair MacKenzie (member of St. Columba's) to do a brief talk during the service on: Sunday 6th March and Sunday 10th April (Palm Sunday).
If you would like to contribute to the Lent Appeal: Gift Aid helps, if you are eligible. If you need to complete a Gift Aid declaration form, please contact the Church Office. Various options to donate:
White Lent Appeal envelopes are available in the Upper Vestibule.
Alternatively, by electronic bank transfer: Please use "Lent Appeal" as the payment reference.
St Columba's Church of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
Account Number 00264741
Sort Code 16 00 42
Cheques payable to: "St. Columba's Church of Scotland" and with a note that it is for the Lent Appeal. Send to:
Finance Dept. (Lent Appeal)
St. Columba's Church
Pont Street
London SW1X 0BD
Congregational Sunday Lunches, Future Dates
The next lunch dates are the 3rd April & 17th April in the Lower Hall. Coffee will continue to be served every Sunday as usual in the Upper Hall. These Hospitality Services are much valued in supporting Fellowship.
Evening Services Future Days
Evening services are held on the first Sunday of the month, at 5pm. Future evening services dates are 3rd April, 1st May & 5th June. They are held in the London Scottish Regimental Chapel. [Please note they are not live-streamed.]
Office Hours
The church office is open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
Contact details; Tel: 020 7584 2321
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.stcolumbas.org.uk
Facebook: @stcolumbaschurchpontstreet.
Twitter: @LondonKirk
Pastoral Emergency Number (out of office hours): 07591926271
St Columba’s Book Club
The April book of the St Columba’s Book Club will be “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles. We shall be meeting on Monday April 4th at 7pm and welcome new members. The joy of St Columba’s Book Club is it takes place on Zoom so you can do it from the comfort of your own front room.
St Columba’s Coffee Mornings
The St Columba’s Coffee Mornings will return in March! We are looking forward to seeing many faces on the Zoom Screen!
- 20th April 2022- The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, The Lord Wallace of Tankerness will join us to talk about his moderatorial year.
- 11th May 2022- TBC
- 14th September 2022- Revd Scott Rennie the new Minister at Crown Court will be joining us. An opportunity to meet him and hear about his time in the ministry.
- 13th October 2022- In prisons week, Jake Tily, Creative Programmes Director at the Irene Taylor Trust will talk to us about The Lullaby Project where they have collaborated with the Royal Philharmonic orchestra to write lullaby’s for prisoners children.
Happy Hour
The next Happy Hour at The Carpenters Arms (upstairs room), 12 Seymour Place W1H 7NE is on Wednesday 6th April, 6.30 - 8.30 pm. The evening will start with a talk by David Natzler. David will be looking firstly at the books of the Biblical Apocrypha, possibly repeating some of the material in recent articles in the magazine, and also at the way in which this collection of material emerged: and then at one or two comparable Apocrypha in literature and the visual arts.
The venue is only a few minutes’ walk from Marble Arch tube station. Everyone welcome to come along for an evening of discussion and social fellowship.
Friends’ Trip
The Friends of St Columba’s are visiting the Dumfries area of Scotland, from September 23rd - 25th 2022. Itinerary includes the original home of TSB, (founded by a Church of Scotland minister) a visit to Ruthwell church, with its 8th Century Cross and possibly the early Christian settlement at Whithorn. To gauge numbers, anyone interested is asked to be in touch as soon as possible via the church office or email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Congregational Prayer Resources For Lent
St Columba’s, Pont Street
Sunday 3rd April 2022, Lent v
Scripture Reading: John 12:1-8: Mary anoints Jesus
Then Jesus six days before the Passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
2 There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
4 Then saith one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, which should betray him,
5 Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor?
6 This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.
7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
8 For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.
Prayer/Meditation
Dear Lord and Father of Mankind, Otche nash (Our father in Ukrainian) You went to eat with friends before you faced a terrible ordeal, which you knew you had to endure, in order to show mankind what a sacrifice was to be made, for our eternal life.
You ate with Lazarus who had been raised from the dead – a precursor of Your own destiny. His sisters, Martha and Mary were dear friends.
Did You know that Mary would show her love and acknowledgement of your holiness by her gesture of love and humility? You used it to compare her love, and Judas’ meanness; perhaps an indication of how you understood how each of them would be opposing elements of your death.
May we follow the example of the family in Bethany in their love and hospitality for all, especially at this time when so many people are forced to be refugees. We cannot all offer our homes but inspire us to find other ways in which we can show our sorrow and support. Amen.
A poem for Easter, Laurie Lee
Wrapped in his shroud of wax, his swoon of wounds,
still as a winter’s star he lies with death.
Still as a winter’s lake his stark limbs lock
the pains that run in stabbing frosts about him.
Star in the lake, grey spark beneath the ice,
candle of love snuffed in its whitened flesh,
I, too, lie bound within your dawn of cold
while on my breath the serpent mortal moans.
O serpent in the egg, become a rod,
crack the stone shell that holds his light in coil.
O grief within the serpent sink your root,
and bear the flower for which our forked tongues wail.
Cold in this hope our mortal eyes forgather
wandering like moths about the tomb’s shut mouth;
Waiting the word the riven rock shall utter,
waiting the dawn to fly its bird of god.
Prayer
Let us pray: For the people of Ukraine and all victims of civil conflict round the world. Be careful, Our Father, of the innocent, give them protection.
Spare us from evil men who have no pity but only see the world as an enemy. Give us courage to face evil. Give us compassion for others that we need in these difficult times of displacement.
Let us pray for those whose lives are limited by illness, by disability, by circumstances, by bereavement, by addiction.
Remembering the hospitality of Martha and Mary and Lazarus to their friend, Jesus, let us, too, be generous in our hospitality, be thankful for those who offer us hospitality, whether it be a cup of tea or coffee or a generous lunch. Let us remember the teams at St Columba’s who freely offer these benefits to the congregation, and to those who sleep in cold places.
O Christ, our only Saviour, so dwell within us that we may go forth with the light of hope in our eyes, and the fire of inspiration on our lips, thy word on our tongue, and thy love in our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
“To work is to pray [Martha] and to pray is work [Mary]” said John Wesley. We need both Marthas and Marys in our lives.