For Sunday 28th July, Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Dear Friends,
The ancient kings of Israel were called to be the shepherds of their people and David had actually gone from shepherd boy to king, arriving at the high office to which God called him. But as we will read in our Old Testament lesson from 2 Samuel 11 this week, once he became king and had freedom to behave as he wished, his actions which had previously protected his people now resulted in the suffering and even death of other people. As the all-powerful king he ceased to think how his actions impacted others and put his own desires first.
During the recent Covid pandemic and lockdown some in positions of power chose to ignore the rules which were in place to protect us all but in contrast many people were moved by the image of Queen Elizabeth sitting alone at the funeral of her husband, Prince Philip. We are all called to live lives of obedience, thinking of the effect our actions have on others. When those in positions of leadership do the same, our respect for them grows. Where those in power bend the rules to suit themselves, they are rightly challenged and chastised and our trust and respect for them quickly disappear. Not only that but our faith in the democratic process falters which puts us all in danger.
We continue to pray for those in all political parties who have assumed new positions of power and responsibility following the General Election and pray too for the people of the United States over the next 100 days as they approach their Presidential Election. Let us pray for wise and compassionate leadership at home and abroad, that we might live at peace with our neighbours near and far.
William.
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, 28th July 2024, Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
Hymn 100 O Lord, thou art my God and King (Psalm 145) (Duke Street)
Hymn 181 (i) For the beauty of the earth (Lucerna Laudoniae)
Hymn 465 Be thou my Vision (Slane)
Hymn 710 "I have a dream", a man once said (Repton)
Anthem: This is the record of John, Gibbons
Musical Interlude: Justorum animae, Byrd
Old Testament Reading: 2 Samuel 11: 1-15
New Testament Reading: Ephesians 3: 14-21
Gospel Reading: John 6: 1-21
Reader: Jo Wallis
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 Coffee and Tea in the Upper Hall
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. Eleanor’s funeral will be held on 1st of August 2024 at 1pm, Beckenham Crematorium, Elmers Road, BR3 4TD . “Rest eternal grant unto them and let light perpetual shine upon them.”
NEXT WEEK: Midweek Prayers, Wednesday 31st July, 1pm, London Scottish Chapel
Hot off the Press, Church Magazine, August – September 2024 Now available via the Bookstall for £1.50
Pick up a copy with its stunning front cover, from the bookstall. Then pick up another to give to a friend! Thanks once again to our Editor, Susan Pym and her team of contributors.
UPCOMING: St Columba’s Book Club, Monday 9th September
The Group met last Monday to discuss The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd. Unusually there was no disagreement about this choice which was universally liked. It was difficult to believe it was a work of fiction. Our next meeting will be by Zoom on 9 September, when we shall be discussing A Single Thread by Tracey Chevalier. The book after that one will be Colm Toibin’s Brooklyn. New members to the book club are welcome, for more information please contact the church office.
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. We are delighted to report that the new Scots in London St Andrew’s Book Festival is now live! Please head over to www.standrewsbookfestival.org to have a look around or if you are interested in Friends and other memberships with exciting benefits options.
There is a full A-Z listing of our authors and I think you will agree that this is a stellar line-up for our inaugural Festival.
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 August Scots in London Newsletter is 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