For Sunday 21st July, Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
The Gospel reading set for this Sunday includes Jesus inviting his disciples: “Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat (Mark 6:31-2).
To which, contemporary writers, Malcolm Doney & Martin Wroe, in “Hold On, Let Go”, add: “Which, being translated, means: ‘Log off.’ Tell your phone it’s nothing personal as you pop it in a drawer. Go for a wander with no destination in mind. Vanish into the diary you wanted to write. Push open the door of an empty, silent church. Disconnect, and disappear. Unplug yourself. Just for an hour or two.”
It appears that even if he didn’t always get it, Jesus knew that he needed rest. Where you find that important space to relax and unwind will vary. We are of course incredibly fortunate to have access to our own beautiful sanctuary, which offers an oasis to all sorts of people throughout a busy week. Church buildings, whether grand cathedrals, or modest parish churches, offer the gift described by the priest-poet Malcolm Guite. In his meditation on Psalm 84 (“How lovely is thy dwelling place”) Guite encourages us to spend time in churches:
“Time is transfigured, opened out and ample, It touches on eternity. I stay Awhile within this church: its simple
Furnishings, and storied windows say More to me of heaven than the pale Abstractions of theology. A day
Spent in an empty church has been as full Of goodness as an age elsewhere. I feel Its peace refresh me like a holy well.”
Angus
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.
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.
THIS SUNDAY: Hymns, Music & Readings for Morning Worship
Sunday, 14th July 2024, Eighth Sunday after Pentecost
Hymn 133 Source and Sovereign, Rock and Cloud (Aberystwyth)
Hymn 462 The King of Love my Shepherd is (Dominus Regit Me)
Hymn 461 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds (St Peter)
Hymn 247 Moved by the Gospel, let us move (Ellacombe)
Anthem: Gloria from ‘Mass in G’, Schubert
Musical Interlude: Insanae et vanae curae, Haydn
Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6
New Testament Reading: Ephesians 2:11-22
Gospel Reading: Mark 6:30-34; 53-56
Reader: Nadia Dallsingh
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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for bank details or other means of donating.
THIS SUNDAY: Morning Worship followed by Congregational Lunch in the Upper Hall (£4 per lunch)
THIS SUNDAY: Sounds of St Columba’s Recital, 1.30pm, Upper Hall.
Maria Sotiropoulou (Mezzo-Soprano) and Benedict Lewis-Smith (Piano). Programme includes George Bizet and Camille de Saint—Saëns. Don’t miss one of the gems of St Columba’s life, especially as it involves Ben, our own Director of Music.
Church Member
We are sorry to announce the death of St Columba’s members, Eleanor Wilson and Kenneth Timmins. Kenneth’s funeral is on the 30th of July 2024 at 1:45pm, Broom Parish Church, Mearns Rd, Glasgow G77 5HN. Funeral details for Eleanor Wilson will be shared in due course. “Rest eternal grant unto them and let light perpetual shine upon them.”
NEXT WEEK: Book Club, Monday 22nd July, 6.30pm
The Book Club met on 3 June to discuss Frederick Backman's Anxious People. There were mixed views about the book and some confusion but it generated a lot of discussion. Our next choice is The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd, son of Scottish missionaries in Japan. The novel is set in the first half of the 20th century in China and Japan and we shall meet to discuss it on 22 July by Zoom. After that we plan to read A Single Thread by Tracey Chevalier. New members to the book club are welcome, for more information please contact the church office.
NEXT WEEK: Midweek Prayers, Wednesday 24th July, 1pm, London Scottish Chapel
NEXT WEEK: Summer Tuesdays
Summer Tuesdays season of Scottish Country Dancing in the Lower Hall, Tuesday each week, until the 10th September. Dance to a live band with all the profits going to the Church. Summer Tuesdays have run for over 50 years; the opportunity to dance weekly to live music from a top band, attracts dancers from all over the South. The dances are not suitable for beginners, and there are only very limited recaps and few walkthroughs. Details, including links to cribs and videos of the dances, www.summertuesdays.org
Glass Door's annual Sleep Out, Friday, 4 October 2024.
Participants give up their bed for one night to give someone a chance to find a pathway out of homelessness. Find out more and sign up at www.glassdoor.org.uk/sleep-out
RESTART’s Annual Sleep Out, Friday 6th December 2024, outside St Columba’s Church.
Every year the staff, volunteers and supporters of Restart Lives spend one night outside. Although there is much that separates the experience of the controlled environment of the Sleepout from that of a person living life on the streets, we hope the event will help all those who participate to imagine what London's homeless have to contend with. We can only accommodate 80 sleepers at this event, so if you would like to reserve your spot, don’t delay and sign up now
ScotsCare Podcast, Series 2
ScotsCare is back with series 2 of its podcast, where in each episode a well-known guest chats about how their Scottish background influenced the person they’ve become today, life journeys and how being Scottish relates to their interactions with the world. The charity supports Scots away from home in London with a range of services. The series has already aired episodes with football legend Pat Nevin (Chelsea, Everton and Scotland), bestselling cookbook author The Hebridean Baker and comedy actress Michelle Gomez (Green Wing, Doctor Who) with more to come. The series will be released in three blocks over the course of the next year. Tune in on all regular podcast platforms and the ScotsCare website www.scotscare.com. Missed series 1? It’s available on podcast platforms and the website, with guests such as broadcaster and singer Isla St. Clair, Star Wars and Andor actor, Duncan Pow and celebrity chef Tony Singh MBE, to name a few.
Scots in London presents the St Andrew’s Book Festival
Scots in London’s most ambitious collaboration to date is the St Andrew’s Book Festival (25th November – 1st December 2024.)
St Columba’s is one of the three venues hosting a superb array of authors – both household names and new writers. Sir Alexander McCall Smith and Judy Murray are among headline speakers Look out in the coming weeks for ways to get involved including volunteering.
If you are interested in Friends and other memberships with exciting benefits, visit this link for options.
For more information about Scots in London, please follow this link. You can join their newsletter here to be informed about their latest news, events and opportunities as well as their member organisations. The July Scots in London Newsletter is just published at https://mailchi.mp/6ab0f4bf731f/scots-in-london-july-newsletter
Office Hours
The church office is open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website: www.stcolumbas.org.uk
Facebook: @stcolumbas churchpontstreet.
Twitter: @LondonKirk
Pastoral Emergency Number (out of office hours): 07591926271