Category: News

Friends,

You may have noticed there’s a Coronation in the offing. At St Columba’s we currently have Rt Revd Dr Iain Greenshields, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, staying in the church flat. He is down for no less than four days of rehearsals prior to the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey. Dr Greenshields will present a Bible to the King in a tradition which dates back to the joint Coronation of William III and Mary II in 1689, though it was only at the Coronation of the late Queen Elizabeth in 1953 that the Moderator of the Church of Scotland took part in the ceremony to symbolise the unity of the Christian family.

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Friends,
I hope you have been enjoying the little book of Daily Prayers for the Coronation of King Charles III that was given out on Easter morning. Day 18 considers the National Anthem; we will be invited to sing it at the end of the joint service at Crown Court this Sunday.

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Friends,

As I write this the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla is just over two weeks away, the streets are being decorated and parties planned – including our own St. Columba’s “Street Party” following worship on Sunday May 7th. Many of you have said how much you appreciate the little book of coronation prayers which was distributed on Easter Day. I know that many members of St. Columba’s will remember the Queen’s coronation in June 1953, but I wonder if anyone recalls the coronation of King George VI in May 1937? I still have a small bible given to my father, and I presume all Perthshire school children, to mark the coronation of King George and Queen Elizabeth. At the coronation on May 6th, I believe that King Charles will be presented with a bible by the Moderator, Dr Iain Greenshields, with these words “Here is wisdom; this is the royal law; these are the lively oracles of God”. This first happened at his mother’s coronation 70 years ago.

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“Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness;

Come into his presence with singing”.

(Psalm 100:1)

Well, we certainly made a joyful noise on Easter Sunday! The trumpets were thrilling, the augmented choir excelled themselves, the organ was magnificent, and the large congregation sang out. We are very grateful to Ben, Catherine, and the choir for all that they do to enrich our worship. Easter is the highlight of the Christian year, not a single day, nor 12 days like Christmas, or even 40 days like Lent but as Mark Bradford highlights in “Encountering the Risen Christ” a season of 50 days, lasting until Pentecost. Having travelled with Jesus through the desert days of Lent and endured the darkness and despair of Good Friday, we want to celebrate the light, hope, and promise of Easter Day with joy and gladness.

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Friends,

Our services leading towards Easter (Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday) remind us of key moments in Jesus’ final hours in Jerusalem. Sharing bread and wine with the disciples at the Last Supper; going out to pray in the garden of Gethsemane; betrayal and arrest; trial and desertion; humiliation and crucifixion; death and burial.

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Jesus said: “‘Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24)

Friends,

Two observations about seeds, from two recent conversations. One, “Consider, the distance between the seed and the flower – the seed does not see the blossom.” Two, “For the blossom to come forth, the seed requires to be in the dark.” These things are observable from nature – one does not have to be “religious” to know their truth. Jesus understood with such things – using seeds, weeds, growth and harvest repeatedly in his teaching stories.

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Friends,

Q: Why will Superman be so busy after the sun rises this Sunday morning?
A: Because it will be daylight saving time.

Groan or giggle, it is worth remembering that the clocks change this weekend. Potentially, we lose an hour’s sleep. Potentially, we turn up to church to discover Ben/Catherine playing the Postlude…. Let’s not miss what comes before.

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Friends,
The work of the Romantic poet William Wordsworth was revolutionary in its day. Wordsworth believed that poetry should explore the purity and beauty of nature, and the deep human emotion inspired by the natural landscape. Previously, poets had focused on grand, moralizing themes. Initially a supporter of the French Revolution, Wordsworth was horrified by the industrialisation of Britain and by the social injustices that came with modernisation – over-crowded cities, poverty, oppression.

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Friends,

It’s definitely chilly – even in London. In the North, forecasters are warning of heavy snow and travel disruption, as a wave of Arctic air brings icy conditions to central and northern England. There are predictions of travel delays, power cuts, and some rural communities being cut off, with the UK recording its coldest March temperature since 2010. However, without trying to diminish the difficulty such weather can impose, the poet Allan Ahlberg gives us a gentle reminder not to miss also the wonder of snow – comparing the wide-eyed gaze of the young and the head-down sensibleness of the grown-up. (Only Snow, Allan Ahlberg)

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Friends,

In the Church calendar, this Sunday, (19th February) is the last Sunday before Lent. So, we are drawing close to the season set aside to contemplate both Christ’s journey, and our journey, towards Easter.

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Friends,

The news has been dominated by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. Faced with the unimaginable scale of the loss and destruction it is perhaps helpful to listen for the guidance of those who know what is now genuinely pragmatic, helpful and faithful. Patrick Watt, CEO of Christian Aid writes: “The scenes from this disaster are heart-breaking. And even before this devastating earthquake, we knew over four million people needed aid in Northwest Syria alone. We are hopeful that the British public will show the same spirit of solidarity and compassion that we saw in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine a year ago. Every prayer, every gift, every action brings hope to people hit by disaster. By joining us, you can help people in need rebuild their lives.”

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Scotland’s Bard, Robert Burns made a second appearance at St Columba’s this week. Following a very convivial Congregational Burns Supper on Saturday 21st January, it was the turn of the Night Shelter guests and volunteers on Sunday 29th January. Both evenings contained traditional elements – piping, poetry, processing of, and address to, the haggis. Of Sunday’s occasion, volunteer Lynsey Verillo reflected:

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Friends

Writing at the end of the 8th century BC the prophet Micah summed up the teaching of all the Old Testament prophets in just a few words:

“And what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”

In other words, our worship may be liturgically correct, we may observe all the holy days and say we believe all the right things, but unless we are fair in our treatment of others, considerate and humble can we really say we are doing God’s work?  

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