Earlier today I attended a ceremony held at Whitehall’s Cenotaph, to mark International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. It assembled diplomats/military attaches from across the nations, British troops, recently returned from a UN tour of duty on Cyprus’ Green Line, (dividing Turkish-held and Cypriot-held Cyprus), local school pupils and the Band of the Royal Marines. A speaker paid tribute to sixty-five UN Peacekeepers who have died on active service in the last twelve months. He observed: “They chose to serve their country. Their country chose them to serve the world, to serve us. They died in a country with which their own had no dispute. They are mourned by a mother, a father, a widow, by family, by friends. And we are here because we mourn them too. For when each of these died, we might have lost one of our own.”
For Sunday 18th May 2025, The Fifth Sunday of Easter
Written by Angus on .
Friends,
In 1947, in the middle of the worst winter of the century, a young Church of Scotland minister, working as a military chaplain with British forces in Germany, was approached by a man wearing a Luftwaffe jacket. Joseph Makovec, a former bomber pilot, told him about the plight of 80,000 nearby refugees, who were almost frozen to death. Could the minister help? Douglas Lister went with him to see the refugees and was horrified by what he saw: babies wrapped in newspapers; stench of boiling cabbage everywhere: refugees with very little to eat.
For Sunday 11th May 2025, The Fourth Sunday of Easter and 80th Anniversary VE Day Service
Written by Angus on .
Friends,
While fly pasts and royal waves have been the primary images of the national VE Day 80th Anniversary events this week, more local happenings with a distinctly Scots in London flavour have begun and are being prepared for. On Tuesday evening a good crowd gathered at the former Drill Hall of the London Scottish Regiment, now known as London Scottish House. Chaired by BBC’s diplomatic correspondent, James Landale, a panel comprised of politician, Sir Malcom Rifkind, social historian, Professor Lucy Noakes and Kirk minister and theologian, Professor David Fergusson ranged over what was the experience and significance of the original VE Day (8th May 1945) and did it have something to teach us about today’s troubling times.
For Sunday 4th May 2025, The Third Sunday of Easter
Written by Angus on .
Friends,
“People come to St Columba’s for one reason, but come back for others”. We are wonderfully lucky to receive visits from many different people. In recent days poets and poetry enthusiasts came for the Free Verse Book & Magazine Fair 2025, including one author who first came to the building to attend a Support Group. On Sunday we had Chris Snow speaking about the upcoming Christian Aid Week – and this year’s Guatemala Appeal. And yesterday, Fr Dmitry Ismagilov of St George’s Cathedral, London (Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of the British Isles and Ireland) spoke to the children, staff and parents of Hill House School about traditions of an Orthodox Easter. That was rounded off with some profound, deep-voiced singing by the accompanying Orthodox choir – made primarily of Lebanese and Syrian Christians.
For Sunday 27th April 2025, The Second Sunday of Easter
Written by William McLaren on .
Friends,
In our Gospel lesson this week we will hear how the disciples, frightened by the discovery of the empty tomb and Mary' Magdalene's report that she had seen the Lord, are hiding in a house with locked doors - possibly the home of the mother of St. Mark in whose house the Last Supper had been celebrated. Jesus entered and showed them his wounds. Thomas did not see this and declared that he could not believe it was true unless he saw Jesus' wounds for himself. Despite the doors once again being locked Jesus entered the house a week later and this time Thomas believed that he was the risen Lord.
At the conclusion of the final Lent bible study organised this year by the Presbytery of England & the Channel Islands, Revd Carolann Birnie, minister of St Columba’s, Jersey https://stcolumbas.je/, closed the discussions with a parting prayer. It offers a window into the significant days we have now enterred – the events that constitute the foundation stones of our faith - Maundy Thursday to Easter morning. Our own services on Thursday, Friday and Sunday (plus the recorded devotions, via https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/lent/daily-devotion/) will echo Carolann’s words. When asked, Carolann explained the source of her words as “primarily from online, books and my own thoughts... All inspired by God's Spirit.” Wherever you mark these momentous days, may they too be inspired by that same Spirit.
The office is open from 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m, Monday to Friday.
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St Columba’s is located on Pont Street in Knightsbridge in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. The Church is within easy reach of three London Underground stations – Knightsbridge (Piccadilly Line), South Kensington (Piccadilly, Circle and District Lines) and Sloane Square (Circle and District Lines).
St. Columba's Pont Street London SW1X 0BD
+44 (0)20-7584-2321
office@stcolumbas.org.uk
Getting here by tube
Knightsbridge Station
Take the Harrods exit if open (front car if coming from the East, rear car if coming from the West). Come up the stairs to street level, carry on keeping Harrods on your right. Turn right into Basil Street. Carry straight on into Walton Place with St Saviour’s Church on your left. At the traffic lights, St Columba’s is to your left across the street. If the Harrods exit is closed, take the Sloane Street exit, turn right into Basil Street. Carry straight on past Harrods with the shop on your right, into Walton Place as before.
South Kensington Station
Come up the stairs out of the station and turn left into the shopping arcade. Turn left again into Pelham Street. At the traffic lights at the end of Pelham Street cross Brompton Road, turn left then immediately right into the narrow street of Draycott Avenue. After just a few yards turn left into Walton Street. Carry on walking up Walton Street until the traffic lights at the corner of Pont Street. Turn right and after a few steps you will be at St Columba’s!
Sloane Square Station
Cross over the square into Sloane Street. Walk along Sloane Street until the traffic lights at the corner of Pont Street. Turn left into Pont Street. St Columba’s will then be in sight.
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