Author: Lucy Llewellyn

It is hard to believe that it is almost twenty years since the publication of the Church Hymnary, Fourth Edition (CH4) in July 2005. Although I was not directly involved in the project, several friends of mine were, and I know how much thought and care went into the preparation of the book over 11 years. It is in the nature of such publications that we will miss old favourites from earlier hymn books but the vast majority of church members would agree that CH4 has enriched the worship of the church with songs old and new from around the world and many different denominations as well as the traditional psalms, paraphrases and spiritual songs with which we are familiar.

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He claimed to have been arrested 24 times, chased by an elephant in Tanzania, a crocodile in Zimbabwe, a green mamba in Ghana, and in Morocco, men with stones. Someone tried to set his cross on fire in Indiana and a group of men on motorcycles stole it in Assisi. In America, he was shot at several times. Following the Spirit could be dangerous. “I have preached in houses of prostitution, Hell’s Angels camps, rock festivals, in bars, nightclubs, go-go clubs, nude clubs, love-ins, on the streets, on sidewalks, on porches, in football stadiums, at automobile races, wrestling matches, dirty movie-porno clubs … even an occasional church!”

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Friends,

Last Sunday we heard from St. Luke’s gospel how Jesus read from the book of the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue at Nazareth at the beginning of his public ministry.

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the  captives and recovery of sight to the blind, and to let the oppressed go free”.
(Isaiah 61: 1-2)

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‘The Imitation of Christ’ by Thomas à Kempis, is regarded as a spiritual classic. Recently a friend drew attention to the section of the book which highlights the importance/significance of the sacrament of bread and wine. In his chapter on ‘That Holy Communion is not to be Lightly Foregone’, à Kempis wrote: “For your old Enemy knows well the abundant fruit and powerful remedy contained in Holy Communion, and tries by every means in his power to discourage and prevent the faithful and devout from receiving it.”

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Friends,

It was a pleasure to welcome our friend and neighbour Bishop James Curry to St. Columba’s last week when he spoke to us of the Baptism of the Lord and our shared baptism. This week we read the story of Jesus’ first miracle which he performed at the Wedding at Cana (St. John 2:1-11). While Jesus and his mother Mary were at a wedding party the wine ran out; imagine the embarrassment of the newly married couple – their reputation as hosts would be forever tarnished! Jesus was encouraged by Mary to solve the problem and he instructed the staff to fill six jugs with water. Each jug contained twenty to thirty gallons. Much to everyone’s astonishment, as the liquid was poured out of the jugs, what emerged was the very best quality wine and we are told “his disciples believed in him” (2:11).

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Friends,
To those of you I have not already seen, may I wish you a very Happy New Year.

Later this month we will mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, 18-25 January. This Octave of Prayer for Unity was first held in 1908 and reflects Jesus’ own prayer for his followers “that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me” (St. John 17: 21). So the world may believe that you have sent me… The call to unity and the missionary imperative are one. Someone once put it in much more earthy terms when they said that “for a divided church to preach unity to the world is as effective as a bald man selling hair restorer!”. It is no coincidence that the modern ecumenical movement grew out of the World Missionary Conference held in Edinburgh in 1910, leading to the eventual creation of the World Council of Churches, of which the Church of Scotland was a founder member.

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