For Sunday 22nd December 2024, Fourth Sunday of Advent
Written by William McLaren on .
Friends,
A popular interpretation of the 4 Sundays of Advent runs thus -
1) The people of God waiting for the Messiah
2) The Prophets foretell his coming
3) John the Baptist prepares the way
4) The Virgin Mary
Now it seems to me that in our Reformed tradition Mary of Nazareth, the mother of Christ, is rarely given the place she deserves. This may be an understandable reaction to the excesses of the medieval church which ascribed to her a place to which she never aspired, but the fact remains that without her simple "Yes" to God, the incarnation would not have been possible. Nazareth was a backwater in a remote province of the Roman Empire; the Jewish people said, "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" and the people there lived in caves on the hillside. And yet, it was to a young girl in Nazareth that the Angel Gabriel appeared and foretold the birth of Jesus. Think how scared and confused she must have been! An unmarried mother might well be the object of gossip and scandal in the village but despite everything Mary said, "let it be with me according to your word" (Luke 1:38). So, Mary became the first Christian, the first to accept Christ into her heart and into her life.
For Sunday 15th December 2024, Third Sunday of Advent
Written by Angus on .
“The Spirit of the Beans” supplied the guardian angel at the recent families’ outing to Jack & the Beanstalk pantomime at Wimbledon Theatre - in contrast to the Giant’s wife - who arrived, on and off stage, to loud boos from a galvanised audience. Panto-land serving us an annual, ancient tale of good and evil – fortunately with a happy ending – in the case of SW19, the villainess played by Sandra Burke (winner of the X-Factor) succumbing to a sudden and complete conversion to “niceness,” sealed/proved by breaking into her iconic version of “Hallelujah.” Very satisfactory! Many of our young people who enjoyed the pantomime, will be up front on Sunday as they lead our worship, via the “It’s a Party” Nativity story. Along with their adult helpers they have been rehearsing over recent Sundays. Do come and encourage them with your presence and appreciation this Sunday. Also, with us on Sunday we will hear from Liz Burrell, Church Engagement and Fundraising Officer for North London, representing Christian Aid. Liz will talk about the situation, and the Christian Aid response, in South Sudan; an important reminder at this time of year of a wider perspective for our shared faith.
For Sunday 8th December 2024, Second Sunday of Advent
Written by Angus on .
“She loved Paris, and she passed on that love to her family.” Words spoken at a recent St Columba’s funeral. The French capital has been spotlighted recently with the unveiling of the magnificently restored Notre Dame. A thousand French oaks felled and shaped with axes, as they were eight centuries before. Sculptural masons and C21st computer imagery making eroded gargoyles scowl again; 7,982 organ pipes and 13 bells cleaned. That’s some Fabric Committee commitment!
After years staffing the church office, former office manager, Lucy Llewellyn gave the verdict: “People come to St Columba’s for one reason, but come back for others.” Current days illustrate reasons why people might come, and why they might return - to hear an astonishingly beautiful recital of Duruflé’s Requiem by our own St Columba’s choir - to listen to the Moderator (Rt Revd Dr Shaw Paterson) reflect on the experiences of his moderatorial year.
For Sunday 17th November, Twenty Sixth Sunday after Pentecost
Written by Angus on .
The following reflection appeared on Revd David Donald Scott’s Blog on the Learig https://daviddonaldscott.blogspot.com/ and is reproduced with his kind permission. David, who preached at St Columba’s at the time of our Festival of Silence a year ago, offers a daily reflection on a wide range of topics – cultural, church, world events and the natural world. Today he writes:
For Sunday 10th November, Remembrance Sunday, Twenty Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Written by Angus on .
Connections, connections! This week’s newsletter offers a whole variety of connections -possibilities for the coming weeks.
Connections to God. As part of our preparations for Christmas join others to read and discuss Rachel Mann’s book, “Do Not Be Afraid”, the Archbishop of York’s Advent book.
Connections to the wider Church. Come and listen to this year’s Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, as he speaks about his year in office and reflects on the wider work of the Church of Scotland.
The office is open from 9.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m, Monday to Friday.
There is a 24-hour answering machine service.
Connect with us
Find us
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.
We use cookies to maintain login sessions, analytics and to improve your experience on our website. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies and Privacy Policy.
