Newsletter For Sunday 29th March 2026, Palm Sunday

Friends,
When the people start to sing hosannas to Jesus, on the day we call Palm Sunday, the disciples are taken aback. Or so imagines Rhidian Brook in our Lent book, “Notes from an Execution” – the imaginative retelling of Holy Week, from the perspective of the disciples, experiencing the biblical events in “real time”, as they unfold – without the benefit of hindsight.

Rhidian’s disciple perspective: “Jesus doesn’t look surprised. He looks as though he anticipated this. He rarely boasts about who he might be – and has gone out of his way to discourage it – but today he is doing little to suppress the praise. He seems delighted by it and is enjoying his moment and receiving the praise as one worthy of it. He wears these titles lightly (Son of David. Son of Man. King of Israel. King of the World!), as though they were cut to fit him.” (Image: Palm Sunday Entry to Jerusalem by Peter Koenig.)

This Sunday we will retell that moment in word, song, palm branch and procession. We may not match the exuberance of worship demonstrated by our guests last Sunday – the Aburi Old Girls’ Association – but I hope our worship will launch us appropriately into Holy Week – traced via our daily devotions (Monday to Saturday) prerecorded and available via the website https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/ and our Maundy Thursday Communion (8pm, London Scottish Chapel) and Words & Music for Good Friday (11am.) That will take us on the Holy Week journey, from Palm Sunday celebration, to the dismay and darkness of Good Friday, the silence of Saturday – before Easter’s empty tomb.

Imagining that first entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, Rhidian gives voice to the disciples: “This is a moment. They hope someone is keeping an account of it and writing it all down. Future musicians will surely compose songs in remembrance of this. With this kind of momentum, they could take the city today and maybe establish his kingdom by the end of the week.” With hindsight we know those disciples have much to learn about their friend and rabbi in the days ahead – as do we.

Angus

REMINDER FOR THIS SUNDAY⏰:
The clocks go forward this weekend
by one hour –
the beginning of lovely lighter evenings.
Don’t forget to set your clocks.
Try not to arrive at church,
just as the service is finishing!

THIS SUNDAY: We welcome Dr Ted Lankester, Co-Founder and Custodian, of the Arukah Network. Ted will talk about the charity selected as the recipient of our 2026 Lent Appeal. Ted started his career as a GP in Twickenham, Middlesex. He is currently co-founder and senior clinician with Thrive Worldwide, where he conducts medicals for NGOs, missionary societies, the Church of England and the Foreign Office. He worked as a medical missionary for many years in remote mountain regions of the Indian Himalayas in areas where there was no functioning system. He founded Arukah Network 20 years ago and remains as excited about it as ever. He is also a medical writer. His passions include travel, helping the Church to be relevant to the needs of society, beach running, and enjoying time with his three daughters and four grandchildren. Ted explains how he moved from atheism to a belief in Jesus after a transforming and unexpected experience in his early twenties.

THIS SUNDAY: We also welcome Pipe Major Jim McLucas and members of the London Scottish Pipes & Drums, as well as members of the London Scottish Regimental Association. They join us to mark the 70th Anniversary of the Dedication of the London Scottish Regimental Chapel. A service of dedication was held on 25th March 1956 in the presence of the Queen Mother, Honorary Colonel of the London Scottish Regiment. Coincidentally, the original date was also Palm Sunday. The mini band will play on the church steps from 10.30am onwards to welcome worshippers.

THIS SUNDAY: Sunday 29th March is also
the final Night Shelter for the 2025 – 2026 season.
On behalf of the congregation
we offer a huge vote of thanks
to Jill Bruce, our Volunteer Coordinator
and everyone who has contributed
to another season
demonstrating care for our guests
and faith in action.

THIS SUNDAY: Lent Appeal 2026 – Arukah Network. Registered charity 1162564

https://www.arukahnetwork.org/
The charity was founded by Dr Ted Lankester in 2004, Co-Founder and Custodian, while working and living in the Indian Himalayas. Ted saw the need to bring small organisations together to collaborate effectively and he set up the Cluster approach. Clusters work together to empower communities and local organisations to work together in friendship and collaboration to help solve problems and improve local services and the lives of others. Each Cluster identifies its own priorities and the Arukah Network works alongside them and advises on coaching, training, information, social media, podcasts, blogs etc.
This year’s Lent Appeal – donations will be used for:

1. The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) as many people are in desperate need of emergency disaster/survival funds. The Arukah Network already have one Cluster group and are forming a second. The emergency supplies are the basics to help people survive, basic food, shelter, clothing.
2. Seed Fund: Available to Clusters in any of the countries that the charity works with. Primarily they do the training first and the Cluster can apply for financial help, funding to help people get started e.g. chicken or pig farm.

To hear about the Arukah Network, speakers during the morning service on:
Sunday 15 February: Donald Johnston (from Mission Committee).
Sunday 29 March (Palm Sunday): Dr Ted Lankester, Co-Founder and Custodian, Arukah Network.

For donations: a) White Lent Appeal envelopes will be available in the pews (Gift Aid if you are eligible).
b) For any contactless payments on the card machine in Upper Vestibule, please also complete a white Lent Appeal envelope, giving your details (+ gift aid if eligible) and make a note on the envelope that you have made a contactless payment for £…..amount. We can then link the payment specifically to the Lent Appeal.
c) For bank transfers direct to the St. Columba’s Church bank account, please use the payment reference as Lent Appeal. Any cheques sent by post via Church Office, cheque made payable to St. Columba’s Church but please add a note on it saying Lent Appeal.

THIS SUNDAY: Easter Lilies The Flower Guild would like to offer the opportunity to remember a loved one this Easter. You can purchase one or more lilies costing £4 each which will then be used to decorate the church on Easter Sunday. There will be a list of the names of those remembered in the Church on Easter Sunday. Please put cash or cheques in an envelope clearly marked with the name of the person you wish to remember and hand it in to the office or give it to Patricia Clarke or Kate Payne. You can do this anytime up to Sunday 29th March.

UPCOMING: ORA Singers at St Columba’s Church, Tuesday 31st March at 7pm.
Celebrate Holy Week with the award-winning ORA Singers on 31st March as they perform Tomás Luis de Victoria‘s Requiem of 1605 – one of the most powerful works ever written for voices, widely regarded as the Spanish composers’ towering achievement before his death in 1611.Tickets can be purchased by clicking: ORA Singers: Victoria Requiem | ORA Singers Website and members of the congregation can get 20% discount by entering code STCOLUMBASREQUIEM