In our lesson from Acts 2: 1-21 this week we read how on the day of the Jewish festival of Pentecost, Jesus’ disciples experienced being filled with God’s Holy Spirit. This power and life spills out into the whole of creation. Peter says that this is the culmination of many centuries of waiting for the fulfilment of God’s promise, made known through the Hebrew prophets and he describes what happened using the words of the prophet Joel, affirming that the spirit is being poured out on “all flesh”, female and male, young and old, slave and free, people of all races. This is why Christians sometimes refer to Pentecost as “the birthday of the church”, because from that day the Christian faith spread out from Jerusalem to every part of the known world, the beginning of the world church.
But of course, the Holy Spirit has been active in the world since the dawn of time. In our Old Testament lesson from Ezekiel 37:1-14 we read how God’s people, spiritually dead following the destruction of the temple in 587 B.C. and like dry bones lying in the desert sand, are brought to life by the power of the Holy Spirit.
It is easy to be despondent when we look at the current state of the church. I know that when I look at the Church of Scotland website or “Life and Work” I fear that we are simply rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, in other words that we are a valley of dry bones. But we must not give in to despair. Good and positive things are happening in the church especially when we work with our friends and colleagues around the world and with partners such as Christian Aid. We are called to be the salt of the earth and a little salt can make a big difference.
Let us pray for all those gathering in Edinburgh this week, for the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, that they will be open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and have a vision of dry bones filled with new life and active in God’s service; pray too for the Moderator, Shaw Paterson, that God will bless his year in office.
William.
Live Streaming of Worship
Services can be watched via the church website, https://www.stcolumbas.org.uk/live-stream. Reminder: If you do not wish to appear on the live-stream please choose a seat in the rear half of the sanctuary. Note that the Evening Services on the 1st of the month are not live streamed as they are held 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 phone in to join the Sunday 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.
THIS SUNDAY: Morning Service for Pentecost & Sunday School, followed by Lunch in the Lower Hall
Hymns, Music & Readings for Morning Worship
Sunday 19th May 2024
Hymn 127 O worship the King, all glorious above (Hanover)
Hymn 599 Holy Spirit, hear us (Glenfinlas)
Hymn 600 Spirit of God, unseen as the wind (Skye Boat Song)
Hymn 606 Lord, you sometimes speak in wonders (Stuttgart)
Anthem: And I saw a new heaven, Bainton
Musical Interlude: Ave verum, Byrd
Old Testament Reading: Ezekiel 37: 1-14
New Testament Reading: Acts 2: 1-21
Gospel Reading: John 15: 26-27; 16: 4b-15
Reader: Donald Johnston
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
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: Sounds of St Columba’s Recitals, 19th May, 1.30pm
The church’s Organ Scholar, Stellaria Ciampolini Vukelić, gives her first organ recital with works by Messiaen, Widor and De Grigny.
Christian Aid Week
Christian Aid Week: 12th to 18th May 2024
Thank you to everyone who contributed to last Sunday’s Christian Aid Cake sale – bakers, stallholders, donators and eaters. It made for a very happy morning and provided a good welcome for Jennifer Larbie our guest preacher. There is still opportunity to donate to this year’s Christian Aid Work appeal.
The focus this year is on Burundi, one of the world’s poorest countries. Poverty affects more than 70% of the population. Life is harsh and a daily struggle. The main source of income is from farming. With extreme weather conditions due to climate change crops often fail, communities need help to restart and generate income, training on how to save and set up a Village Savings and Loans Association. An example of how Christian Aid funding helped: Aline whose marriage failed, her children taken away from her and she was living in extreme poverty until with a little help from Christian Aid her life has been transformed. Aline attended a three-day workshop funded by Christian Aid, who then provided her with a small start-up loan. From that, Aline was able to start growing her own produce, with her profits bought a bicycle to transport goods to and from markets. As savings increased, Aline was able to get bricks for a small house providing better protection against extremes in weather, money for basic healthcare and three of her children were able to return to her. Let’s help others in Burundi push-back against extreme poverty and create a better future.
Please do click on this link to watch a short video (under 4mins) on the Burundi Appeal.
- There will be red CA collecting buckets in the Upper Vestibule after the service on Sunday 12th and 19th May. The main CA collection Sunday will be on Sunday 12th May.
- CA envelopes will be available on a table in the Upper Vestibule, and a tick box for those eligible to Gift Aid their donation. Some CA envelopes will also be in the pews.
- Online donations: We have our own church e-envelope Please click on the link: https://fundraise.christianaid.org.uk/envelope-2024/st-columbas-church-pont-street-caw-2024
Donations will help improve the lives of some of the world’s poorest people. Thank you.
UPCOMING: Getting to Iona, by Tomás Barry, Sunday 2nd June, 1.30pm, London Scottish Chapel.
St Columba’s will hold the premiere of new play, “Getting to Iona”, written and performed by Tomás Barry. Tomas’s grandfather, Canon John Barry was a Church of Ireland priest. In 1963 Canon Barry and twelve accomplices sailed to Iona from Northern Ireland in a replica curragh, which they had constructed, to commemorate the original voyage of St Columba to Iona in 563AD. From that expedition Canon Barry wrote and published his personal account, “Joyful Pilgrimage”. Inspired by his grandfather’s book, Tomas has written a one-act play, directed by Graham Butler-Breen, describing it as “a play about leaving home for the unknown. What we seek, what we find, and what we leave behind.”
The premiere will be performed at 1.30pm on Sunday 2nd June 2024 in the London Scottish Chapel. This performance will be free to congregational members. Please book your space with the church office at office@stcolumbas.org.uk as places are limited. The play will also be performance for the public from Monday 3rd to Thursday 6th June 2024 at 7pm in the London Scottish Chapel. You can purchase your ticket on this link.
Scots in London
Scots in London is an umbrella organisation for Scottish cultural societies, sports clubs, alumni groups, charities, churches and the Scottish military in London. The Scots in London mission is to co-ordinate members’ events, promote Scottish heritage and culture in the London area, and to support relevant charities, as well as running events. HRH the Princess Royal is the organisation’s Royal Patron.
Scots in London presents the St Andrew’s Book Festival
Scots in London’s most ambitious collaboration to date is the St Andrew’s Book Festival (25th November – 1st December 2024.)
St Columba’s is one of the three venues hosting a superb array of authors – both household names and new writers. Look out in the coming weeks for ways to get involved, either by volunteering at scheduled events, signing up as Friends of the Book Festival or selecting which authors you want to come and hear.
For more information about Scots in London, please follow this link. You can join their newsletter here to be informed about their latest news, events and opportunities as well as their member organisations.
St Columbans supporting worthy causes
Two of our elders are currently working hard to support causes dear to their hearts. You might like to support them. Nadia Dallsingh is travelling in Nepal and preparing for her climb to Everest Base Camp to support MIND, the mental health charity, particularly its work with young people. Meanwhile Susan Pym is preparing for a not quite so arduous sponsored walk to support the North London Hospice where she volunteers weekly and where her sister Marion was lovingly cared for in her last days. We salute these efforts. If you are interested in supporting Nadia and Susan their JustGiving pages are below.
Nadia’s link: Vashtee Nadias fundraiser for Mind
Susan’s link: Please Sponsor Team Marion/Maz
Office Hours
The church office is open from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday.
E-mail: office@stcolumbas.org.uk
Website: www.stcolumbas.org.uk
Facebook: @stcolumbas churchpontstreet.
Twitter: @LondonKirk
Pastoral Emergency Number (out of office hours): 07591926271