Friends,
This week, in the space of forty-eight hours and five carol services, we estimate approximately two and half thousand people have attended services in the sanctuary of St Columba’s. We have welcomed the Supporting Wounded Veterans charity, the University of St Andrew’s Alumni and three school services. Whether decorated with firs and fairy lights or serenaded by junior brass band players, each occasion has drawn people in. They come for a whole variety of reasons, not necessarily seasonal – to support a good cause, to meet old friends, to mark the end of another term. But my sense is that when these things are done well there are moments of beauty where people are touched and the gift of something peaceful or profound is given and received, however unexpected.
This week the writer Will Self wrote in the Evening Standard about how he has discovered the treasure of attending evensong in any one of London’s historic churches. This has come as quite a surprise to his non-church-going self, but he acknowledges the influence of his mother, who though an agnostic, always admitted that she found great solace and aesthetic pleasure in attending church. Describing his experience of church visits, Self quoted the arresting phrase – “architecture is frozen music” (Albert Schopnenhauer). Then musing on listening to evensong choirs he wrote, “maybe music is liquid architecture.” However one considers it, Self highlights how the combination of place and music can often be so powerful.
If that stirs your interest, come and join either of our services this Sunday. At 11am we’ll hear the music of our young people as they tell the Nativity Tale and at 5pm amidst the candlelight, we will retell the same story in readings and carols. Our regular choir will share some beautiful Christmas music, while encouraging our own singing of familiar carols. Before all of that, Sunday begins with Advent Poetry & Silent Prayer (10.00 – 10.15am) in the London Scottish Chapel.
If that is “upstairs” at St Columba’s, let us not forget “downstairs.” So, a thank you and a reminder: Firstly, big gratitude to all involved in a very happy Festive Fellowship Lunch last Sunday. It was a lovely combination for old and young alike – food, festivities, and great companionship. A memorable moment. Secondly, a reminder: The Advent Sox & Boxers Appeal is ongoing – we are in search of boxer shorts, thermal hats, ladies’ pants and sanitary products, thermal tights, thermal socks (for both men and women), thermal gloves (or very thick ones), small travel size toiletries. Some of the donated items will be wrapped as Christmas gifts for Glass Door’s homeless guests who will be sleeping at church on Christmas night. The remaining items will be passed to Glass Door in January.
Long may St Columba’s continue to be a place that touches the spirit, where each of us can both receive good things and give good things. See you soon,
Angus
Live Streaming of Worship
Services can be watched via the church website,
https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/live-stream.
To access the live stream from the homepage (front page) click the Menu button in the top right-hand side of the page and scroll down and click on “Live Stream”. This will bring up the live stream to the church. The act of worship of approximately 60 minutes, includes include prayers, a sermon and music. The words for the hymns will be on the website.
For those without internet, the Dial-In facility continues. Many people comment that they do have a sense of worshipping together, even if invisible to each other.
Reminder: If you do not wish to appear on the live-stream please choose a seat in the rear half of the sanctuary.
Please note that the Evening Services on the 1st of the month will not be live streamed as they will take place 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 now phone in to join the Sunday service. No visuals clearly, but at least they can hear the service. Those interested should follow:
Step 1: At 10.40am call phone number 0203 051 2874.
Step 2: You will be prompted to enter a meeting ID. Please type (using your telephone keypad) 266 883 5072#
Step 3: You will then be asked for a participant number – simply press the #.
Step 4: Enjoy the service! You will hear the organ music from 10.50am.
Hymns, Music & Readings,
3rd Sunday of Advent, 11th December 2022
Hymn 352 O for a thousand tongues to sing (Desert Lyngham) Hymn 348 Praise the one who breaks the darkness (Joel)
Hymn 334 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry (Winchester New)
Hymn 320 Joy to the world, the Lord is come! (Antioch)
Anthem – Bogoroditse dyevo (Rachmaninov)
Musical Interlude: How lovely are the messengers (Mendelssohn)
Organ Postlude: Toccata from Symphony No.5 (Widor)
Old Testament Reading: Isaiah 35:1-10
New Testament Reading: James 5:7-10
Gospel Reading: Matthew 11:2-11
Congregational Offerings
Details on the many ways you can support St Columba’s can be found here https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/giving/supporting-st-columbas
Would anyone wishing to contribute to St Andrew’s, Newcastle please contact the Session Clerk on standrewssessionclerk@gmail.com for bank details or other means of donating.
THIS SUNDAY: Poetry & Silent Prayer for Advent
For the four Sundays of Advent (4th, 11th & 18th December) there is the opportunity to join with others for a time of quiet collective prayer. Led by the minister, the time (10.00 – 10.15am) offers an intentional moment to contemplate scripture and poetry, appropriate to the Advent season. All are very welcome in the London Scottish Regimental Chapel.
THIS SUNDAY: 11am Morning Worship and Sunday School Nativity
Followed by coffee and Christingle making (Upper Hall)
5pm: Carols by Candlelight, Service of Lessons and Carols followed by mulled wine and mince pies (Lower Hall)
THIS SUNDAY: Advent Appeals
Glass Door – www.glassdoor.org.uk
We will be collecting the following items for the Glass Door charity to help top-up their shelves for their homeless clients. The items are: boxer shorts, thermal hats, ladies’ pants and sanitary products, thermal tights, thermal socks (for both men and women), thermal gloves (or very thick ones), small travel size toiletries . Some of the donated items will be wrapped as Christmas gifts for Glass Door’s homeless guests who will be sleeping at church on Christmas night. The remaining items will be passed to Glass Door in January. Thank you in advance for your help with the Advent Appeal. Mission Committee.
Borderline – www.borderline-uk.org
As an alternative option for those wishing to contribute to the Advent Appeal but who are unable to come to church, you may like to consider a financial donation to Borderline. The details are:
Donate Online
https://cafdonate.cafonline.org/700#!/DonationDetails#%2FDonationDetails
Alternatively, you can donate by post by making a cheque payable to NEW BORDERLINE and send it to: Borderline, FREEPOST License RSLK-KBRR-AGCK, Ground Floor, 22 City Road, London EC1Y 2AJ
Potatoes & Peas – The Night Shelter
The 2022/23 Night Shelter at St. Columba’s starts in December, and it is time to think about potatoes and peas! We sleep and feed 25 homeless guests inside St Columba’s from December to March & the budget for food from GLASSDOOR is small and anything we can do as a congregation to help with the cost is greatly appreciated. If you would like to “sponsor” the purchase of potatoes or peas, or both, please pass your contribution to the church office. (Cheques payable to St. Columba’s Hospitality Committee.) Any surplus money contributes towards a “festive” meal on Christmas Day, Hogmanay, and of course a Burns Supper in January 2023 which is much appreciated. Thank you. Ben Gourlay, Convener of Hospitality Committee
CHRISTMAS SERVICES AT ST COLUMBA’S
11th December
❄ 11am Morning Service
❄ 5pm Carols by Candlelight, Service of Lessons & Carols
18th December
❄ 11am Morning Service
24th December
❄ 3pm ** Family Christmas Service, Crown Court
❄ 11.15pm Watchnight Service with Communion
25th December
❄ 11am Morning Service for Christmas Day & Short Holy Communion (London Scottish Chapel)
1st January
❄ 11.00am Morning Service
8th January
❄ 11.00am Morning Service & Baptisms
❄ 5.00pm Evening Service for Epiphany (London Scottish Chapel)
** For those interested, all are welcome to attend the Crown Court Christmas Eve Family Service at 3pm on the 24th December 2022
Church Magazine
The December issue of the Church Magazine is now out and available at the bookstall.
Congregational Sunday Lunches, Future Dates
This Sunday there will be a fine Sunday Lunch offered in the Lower Hall. Future lunch dates are 18th December & 1st January, 15th January & 29th January 2023 in the Lower Hall. Coffee will continue to be served every Sunday as usual in the Upper Hall. These Hospitality Services are much valued in supporting Fellowship.
Parking Restrictions in December
During all Sundays in December there is NO PARKING in residents’ parking bays. On Sundays parking is permitted on single yellow lines and in Pay & Display bays (free).
ADVENT AT ST COLUMBA’S
Advent, Christmas and Epiphany Prayer Books
Following Sunday service please pick up a copy of Advent, Christmas & Epiphany: Readings, meditations & Prayers 27 November – 8 January 2023. This collection has been prepared by the Revd Andrew Anderson and offers a profound spiritual guide to the season. Copies are free and if you wish to take two, in order to pass on to a friend or family member, please do so.
Christmas Carols in Trafalgar Square for Christian Aid
Please join congregation members from Crown Court Church and Bloomsbury Baptist Church to sing carols for Christian Aid in Trafalgar Square on Friday 16th December at 6pm to 7pm.
VOLUNTEERING AND GIVING OPPORTUNITIES
Glass Door Night Shelter – Volunteers needed at St Columba’s on Sunday evenings (December 2022 – March 2023)
Can you help provide a warm, friendly welcome and hot meal to homeless guests coming to stay at St Columbus on Sunday nights when we will be hosting the Glass Door night shelter?
- Shelter volunteers are needed to help set up, serve food, chat to guests, and clear up on Sunday evenings
- Cooks and kitchen volunteers are needed to prepare meals for the guests
- An admin volunteer is needed to help manage the rota and organisation of Sunday volunteers
Training and support for roles will be given.
If you would are interested, please get in touch with Heather Farwell (hbfarwell@hotmail.co.uk) and Margaret Goslett (margaret@margaretgoslett.co.uk) as soon as possible.
2023 DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Happy Hour
The next Happy Hour session will take place on Wednesday 4 January 2023 at The Carpenters Arms, 12 Seymour Place, London W1H 7NE (top floor room) with the usual mix of themed discussion followed by a time of social fellowship. Newcomers welcome, just turn up on the night.
Burns Supper 2023
The 2023 Burns Supper will be held on the 21st January 2023, 7pm. Tickets will be available after Sunday Worship in the entrance vestibule. If you have any queries please contact the Church Office.
We also need people to help serving food on the evening. If you would like to volunteer please contact the Church Office.
St Columba’s Book Group
Our next meeting will be on Monday 9th January at the usual time of 6.30pm. Our next book choice is “The Fortnight in September” by RC Sheriff, who is probably more famous for writing Journey’s End about World War I. This book is set in the early 1930’s and concerns a family of 5 from Dulwich as they embark on their annual summer holiday to Bognor. This is a trip they have been making for years and the reader experiences with them the preparation, the journey and the holiday itself. If you know Dulwich or Bognor or even Clapham Junction you might find this novel of particular interest, but such knowledge is not a requirement!
The St Columba’s Book Group meet by Zoom, just contact the Church Office for the joining details. Newcomers are welcome.
Office Hours
The church office is open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
Contact details; Tel: 020 7584 2321
E-mail: office@stcolumbas.org.uk
Website: www.stcolumbas.org.uk
Facebook: @stcolumbaschurchpontstreet. Twitter: @LondonKirk
Pastoral Emergency Number (out of office hours): 07591926271
To sign up and receive the weekly newsletter detailing future events, contact the church office or go to www.stcolumbas.org.uk (News Section.) Paper copies of this week’s newsletter are available at the bookstall.
If you require this information in a different format please contact the Church Office.
POETRY & SILENT PRAYER
ST COLUMBA’S, PONT STREET
11th December 2022, ADVENT III
A bed fit for a carpenter’s son
“Advent is the hush in the theatre,
between the house lights going down
and the curtain going up.”
“To create times of silent prayer and reflection each day
calls for a sense of its importance and for a discipline.”
BEFORE WE PRAY
This Advent we use a mixture of scripture & poetry to lead us into our silent prayer. The scriptures chosen, reflect those selected by the Revised Common Lectionary which we use at Morning Service. Once the silence begins let yourself be drawn towards/ to savour a particular verse, or even just a single word. Our normal prayer time lasts for fifteen minutes.
OPENING PRAYER
Gathering from our busy city,
we thank you –
for faith and quiet,
place and prayer.
In stillness,
let us abide,
scripture, verse and silence
strengthen, restore and inspire.
So, encompass our Advent wanderings,
to You,
our true North
SCRIPTURE: James 5:7-8
Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.
POEM: Joseph’s Lullaby, Ron Klug
Sleep now, little one.
I will watch while you and your mother sleep.
I wish I could do more.
This straw is not good enough for you.
Back in Nazareth I’ll make a proper bed for you
of seasoned wood, smooth, strong, well-pegged,
A bed fit for a carpenter’s son.
Just wait till we get back to Nazareth.
I’ll teach you everything I know.
You’ll learn to choose the cedarwood, eucalyptus and fir.
You’ll learn to use the drawshave, ax and saw.
Your arms will grow strong, your hands rough – like these.
You will bear the pungent smell of new wood
and wear shavings and sawdust in your hair.
You’ll be a man whose life centres
on hammer and nails and wood.
But for now,
sleep, little Jesus, sleep.
TIME OF QUIET
COLLECT FOR THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT (said together)
God of power and mercy, you call us once again to celebrate the coming of your Son. Remove those things which hinder love of you, that when he comes he may find us waiting in awe and wonder for him; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.
AFTER PRAYER: Matthew 11:2-11
When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”