Friends,
I’ve said before that I love books! I always have a pile of books beside the bed – books I have read, books I am reading and books I intend to read – mainly biography and history. A recent acquisition is a book called “Eleanor and Franklin”, a biography of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt by Eleanor’s friend Joe Lash. They were a truly remarkable couple; Franklin Delano Roosevelt – FDR as he was known – was president of the United States from 1933-45, leading his country out of the Great Depression and through the Second World War, dying at the early age of 63 in April 1945 just as the war was coming to an end.
Of course, he made mistakes, but he is regarded by many as the greatest American president of the 20th century. However, the fact is that FDR would almost certainly not be elected today. In 1921 he became seriously ill and was diagnosed with polio. The disease left him with multiple health problems, and he lost the use of his legs. FDR was the first president to make use of radio broadcasts and cinema newsreels showed the president cheerfully carrying out his duties, but he was able to disguise the extent of his disability and was never filmed using his wheelchair. With television and internet access in practically every home the same would not be true today and unfair though it is, it is highly unlikely that voters today would elect a president who was a wheelchair user or had other health issues no matter how great his or her intellectual abilities. People judge a book by its cover and always have done.
Back around 1000 BC, when it was clear that Saul, the first king of Israel was falling away from God and getting things badly wrong, Samuel the prophet, by now himself quite elderly was called by God to anoint one of the sons of Jesse. Accordingly, all the boys were paraded before him. Samuel looked at the eldest, Eliab, and was delighted with what he saw, for Eliab was tall and strong and handsome, true hero material. But God said, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for the Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart”.
The choice eventually fell on David, the last born. He was still a boy and the eighth son in a society that regarded seven as the perfect number. He had the menial task of keeping the sheep, but change for the better flows from God’s initiative, not human preference; God made known his choice of David, the shepherd boy who was still only a youngster, and he was anointed with oil and received the spirit of the Lord and as we read in our Old Testament lesson this week it was David who in spite of his apparent weakness defeated the Philistine giant, Goliath.
God may look at the heart, but it’s very difficult for us human beings to do likewise. We’re often swayed by first impressions and those first impressions often have to do with physical appearance, or deeply held prejudices which we rarely even acknowledge as prejudices.
In fact, three thousand years after Samuel and David, little has changed. Today more than ever we find satisfaction in the appearance of people and things. We are often deceived by what we see because we only scratch the surface, so do not discover what lies beneath. This is something to keep in mind as we approach the General Election; however we vote, let us vote thoughtfully and prayerfully, and not be swayed by glib words or outward appearances. In the words of G.K. Chesterton –
“From all that terror teaches,
From lies of tongue and pen,
From all the easy speeches
That comfort cruel men,
From sale and profanation
Of honour and the sword,
From sleep and from damnation,
Deliver us, good Lord!”
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 0208 080 6591.
Step 2: You will be prompted to enter a meeting ID. Please type (using your telephone keypad) 884 4746 5645
Step 3: You will then be asked for a participant number – simply press the #.
Step 4: You will be asked to enter the password. Enter 838727
Step 5: Enjoy the service! You will hear the organ music from 10.50am.
THIS SUNDAY: Hymns, Music & Readings for Morning Worship
Sunday, 23rd June 2024, Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Hymn 6 God shall endure for aye (Psalm 9) (Stroudwater)
Hymn 535 Who would true valour see (Monks Gate)
Hymn 200 Christ is made the sure foundation (Westminster Abbey)
Hymn 160 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven (Praise, my soul)
Anthem: I sat down under his shadow by Bairstow
Musical Interlude: O quam gloriosum by Victoria
Old Testament Reading: 1 Samuel17: 1a, 4-11, 19-23, 32-49
Epistle: II Corinthians 6: 1-13
Gospel Reading: Mark 4: 35-41
Reader: Kate Macnish
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.
Church members
The funeral service for Elizabeth (Betty) Watson will take place at 2pm on Tuesday 2nd July 2024 at St Columba’s. Please keep her loved ones in your prayers. “Rest eternal grant unto her and let light perpetual shine upon her.”
THIS SUNDAY: Morning Service followed by Coffee and Tea in Upper Hall
NEXT WEEK: Midweek Prayers, Wednesday 26th June, 1pm, London Scottish Chapel
NEXT WEEK: The St Columba’s Kirk Session meets Friday 28th June at 6.35pm
As always, non-elders are welcome to attend as observers.
NEXT SUNDAY: Sunday 30th June, Morning Service with Families’ Communion followed by Congregational Lunch
A day to celebrate our young people offer our thanks to Sunday School adult volunteers and fun to mark the end of the Sunday School year. Talking of fun – well done to all those who, adult and junior, got creative at last Sunday’s LEGO build. Amazing!
NEXT SUNDAY: Congregational Meeting, 1.30pm, Upper Hall.
The annual opportunity to hear an update about congregational life and thoughts for the future. Unfortunately, due to the necessary scheduling of the Annual Congregational Meeting, we are unable to offer the Congregational Picnic in Hyde Park, as previously advertised. We apologise for disappointment caused.
UPCOMING: Songs of Praise –
Choose your favourite hymns!
Our last evening service before the summer is on Sunday 7th July (5pm.) It is our annual Songs of Praise, based on congregational choices. You can make a recommendation via the sign up board outside the sanctuary or make a recommendation and explain a little of why that hymn is special via email to William at associateminister@stcolumbas.org.uk All recommendations by Sunday 30th June.
UPCOMING: Book Club,
Monday 22nd July, 6.30pm
The Book Club met on 3 June to discuss Frederick Backman’s Anxious People. There were mixed views about the book and some confusion but it generated a lot of discussion. Our next choice is The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd, son of Scottish missionaries in Japan. The novel is set in the first half of the 20th century in China and Japan and we shall meet to discuss it on 22 July by Zoom. After that we plan to read A Single Thread by Tracey Chevalier. New members to the book club are welcome, for more information please contact the church office.
NEXT WEEK: Summer Tuesdays
Tuesday 25th June sees the start of the Summer Tuesdays season of Scottish Country Dancing in the Lower Hall. Each week, until the 10th September, there is dancing to a live band with all the profits going to the Church. Summer Tuesdays have been running for over 50 years, and the opportunity to dance each week to live music from a top band attracts dancers from all over the South. The dances are not suitable for beginners, as to ensure a fast-paced evening, there are only very limited recaps and few walkthroughs. However, if you have some dancing experience you will find plenty to enjoy. Full details, including links to cribs and videos of the dances, can be found on the Summer Tuesdays website: www.summertuesdays.org
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. Sir Alexander McCall Smith and Judy Murray are among headline speakers Look out in the coming weeks for ways to get involved including volunteering.
If you are interested in Friends and other memberships with exciting benefits, visit this link for options.
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.
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