Friends,
Today, the 27th of January, marks the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest Nazi death camp. Hence, the date is chosen to mark Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD) – an international day to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust alongside the millions of other people killed under Nazi persecution and in genocides that followed in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur.
From the HMD website (https://www.hmd.org.uk/):
“The Holocaust threatened the fabric of civilisation, and genocide must still be resisted every day. Our world often feels fragile and vulnerable, and we cannot be complacent. Even in the UK, prejudice and the language of hatred must be challenged by us all.
HMD is for everyone. Each year across the UK, thousands of people come together to learn more about the past and take action to create a safer future. We know they learn more, empathise more and do more. Together we bear witness for those who endured genocide and honour the survivors and all those whose lives were changed beyond recognition.”
In October 2020 St Columba’s hosted the annual Caledonian Lecture. The lecturer was Mary Miller, her subject was Jane Haining: “An Inspiring Tale of Quiet Heroism”. Haining was a Scot whose life became inextricably linked with the Hungarian schoolgirls and colleagues with whom she lived and died.
Born at Lochhead Farm in Dunscore in June 1897, in deepest Galloway, a farmer’s daughter, youngest of five, Jane was a popular girl who enjoyed education and won a scholarship to Dumfries Academy and later attended the commercial college at Glasgow’s Athenaeum. She found employment as a secretary at J&P Coates in Paisley, where she worked for ten years and was very highly regarded.
Jane having been brought up in a deeply religious family, found comfort and friendship in Pollockshields at Queen’s Park West United Free Church, where she enjoyed an active social life. But she was drawn to a life of service in the church and volunteered to go to Budapest in 1932 to become the Matron of a Church of Scotland Mission School, whose pupils were mainly Jewish girls. She nurtured them and protected them from the growing sinister Nazi influence and in return was well loved and respected. She took them on expeditions to Lake Balaton, where the school had a summer house and they enjoyed carefree days swimming and boating.
When war was declared on Germany in 1939, Jane returned to Budapest from a holiday in Cornwall and, despite many entreaties from the Church of Scotland in Edinburgh, she refused to leave her post at the Mission School and her girls.
After the Nazis invaded Hungary in March 1944, she was ordered to leave the school in Budapest where she worked and return to Scotland. But the 47-year-old refused, saying: “If these children need me in the days of sunshine, how much more do they need me in the days of darkness?”
Jane persisted in her determination to keep her girls safe, hiding them in the school and foraging for food but was eventually betrayed by the son of the Hungarian cook at the mission, whom she caught stealing the precious food. Soon after, Jane was arrested by the Gestapo. As she left, she assured her girls that she would be back by lunchtime. It was not to be. She was accused of harbouring Jewish girls and listening to the BBC World Service, which she freely admitted. After some time in a Budapest jail, she was taken to Auschwitz, where she died on 17 July 1944.
While her story is forged by the obscenities of war and the Holocaust; it is also a poignant counter to that horror – crossing barriers of language, culture and faith. Following the publication of Mary Miller’s Jane Haining: A Life of Love and Courage, Mary was contacted by an elderly Jewish lady, Dr Ninon Leader. Dr Leader had been made Jane Haining’s goddaughter when she was entrusted by her mother to the Scottish School in Budapest in the early 1940s for her protection. She was the only pupil mentioned in Jane’s will but had had no idea of this until she read it in Mary book. They then enjoyed a very fruitful relationship within which Dr Leader sent Mary invaluable reminiscences which now appear in the second edition of the book.
Mary contacted St Columba’s in recent days to inform us that Dr Leader had died. I consider it an honour, on behalf of the congregation, to have been asked to attend Dr Leader’s funeral (Friday 28th January at Golders Green Crematorium), to represent the Church of Scotland and honour the bonds that linked Dr Leader and Jane Haining.
The theme for Holocaust Memorial Day is “One Day.” (https://www.hmd.org.uk/)
From which comes the “One Day” Prayer:
Eternal God, you hold all of our days in your hands.
On this day, we come before you
to remember the victims of the Holocaust.
We lament the loss of the six million Jews who were killed in the Holocaust,
the millions of other victims of Nazi persecution,
and other genocides.
May our minds be clear and attentive to their memory
and our hearts be moved to bear witness to their lives.
Today, help us to remember and recognise the sanctity of each human life,
that all people are made in Your image.
One day, we pray that genocide and hatred will be no more,
and that love will triumph over evil.
In our prayers and in our actions,
help us to show this love in the world today.
Amen.
Angus
Worshipping at St Columba’s & COVID Precautions.
While Government guidance has changed, we recommend that the existing arrangements for worship at St Columba’s remain unaltered for the moment. Unless you are exempt from wearing a face mask, we ask you to wear a face mask in the building and maintain social distancing in the pews. You may wish to complete a negative lateral flow test no more than 24 hours prior to Sunday service. We suggest dressing warmly as we try to keep the sanctuary well ventilated. In all our arrangements we recognise that people are at various stages on the pandemic journey – we ask for sensitivity around social distancing and keeping everyone confident and safe. (Our arrangements are under constant review, and we will publicise any changes as promptly as possible, should the need arise.)
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.
We believe it is really important to continue to live-stream the Morning Service under its current format i.e. for the benefit of those joining worship from afar or those as yet unable to make the journey to Pont Street. 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, 30th January 2022 – 11am
Hymn 130 Ye servants of God, your Master proclaim (Laudate Dominum)
Hymn 348 Praise the one who breaks the darkness (Joel)
Hymn 206 Break not the circle of enabling love (Robert)
Hymn 182 Now thank we all our God (Nun Danket)
Old Testament Reading: Jeremiah 1:4-10
Gospel Reading: Luke 4:21-30
Anthem: Ave verum, Mozart
Anthem: Exsultate deo, Palestrina
Organ Postlude: War March of the Priests, Mendelssohn
Our Associate Minister, Rev William McLaren leads worship at St Ninians’s, Corby this Sunday. William is currently serving as Interim Moderator for St Ninians’s.
Communion Sunday
For those watching via the live stream, you are invited to prepare bread and wine (or equivalent) to join in our celebration of communion, if you wish. Alternatively, you may prefer simply to prayerfully observe what is offered in the sanctuary. Those in church will be invited to come forward to receive the bread and wine. It is Christ’s table, and it is open to anyone whose tradition is to receive the bread and wine.
Flowers in Church
Church flowers are sponsored this week by Liz Maliphant in loving memory of her father John Rome (1916-2004).
Congregational Sunday Lunch on Sunday 30th January & Future Dates
A reminder that due to the reduced number of available lunch teams (9 down to 5), lunches will only be served on the 1st and 3rd Sunday of every month, and on the 5th Sunday where there are 5 Sundays in any month. The next lunch dates are 30th January (Communion Sunday) and 6th February in the Lower Hall unless circumstances change. Those taking lunch and /or coffee to wear masks until they sit down and wait to be served.
Coffee will continue to be served every Sunday as usual in the Upper Hall. These Hospitality Services are much valued in supporting Fellowship.
Evening Service, 5pm, Sunday 6th February 2022 & Future Dates
Following on from the evening service for Epiphany in January, the monthly 5pm evening service will restart in the London Scottish Chapel on the first Sunday of the month. Future evening services dates are Sunday 6th February, 6th March & 3rd April. Please note these services are not currently planned to be live-streamed.
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
Maintaining Community and Supporting Each Other
Everybody can play a part in maintaining contact with others via telephone, e-mail or letter, especially those who are particularly vulnerable. Our Elders are encouraged to make contact with those in their districts, and church members are welcome to contact the church office to request a contact from their elder or the Minister.
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.
Service of Thanksgiving for Very Revd Dr John McIndoe
There will be a service of thanksgiving at St John’s Renfield Church in Glasgow at 3 pm on Friday 4 February. This will be preceded by a private cremation. Details of the livestreaming of the service are below.
https://www.westreamitfunerals.co.uk/mcindoej
The Nail: Lent Study Group
This year we have chosen The Nail as our Lent Study book. Written by the current Archbishop of York it offers imaginative reflections on Christ’s crucifixion. Each of the seven chapters is focused on a different key character, who describes his or her experience of the Passion. The nails used to crucify Christ are used as a jumping off point for their reflections. Each character considers the questions, ‘who killed Christ’ and ‘who was responsible’ Each chapter includes a Biblical passage, a meditative hymn, a reflection from the point of view of the character, and a short prayer. The study groups will meet on Wednesday evenings 7-8pm or Thursday mornings (10.30-11.30am.) The first meetings are Wednesday 2nd March & Thursday 3rd March. To sign up, please contact the office. Attendees are asked to provide their own copy of the book.
Happy Hour
Our first meeting will be on Wednesday 2nd February when our speaker will be Elder, Donald Johnston. We plan to meet at The Carpenters Arms in Seymour Place W1.
St Columba’s Book Club
The next online meeting of the St Columba’s Book Club is the 28th of February at 7pm. The book this month will be Our Lady of the Nile by Scholastique Mukasonga. The joy of the St Columba’s book club is that is all on Zoom so you can join from anywhere in the world in the comfort of your own home.
Stamps
If you would like to leave stamps for Royal National Institute of Blind People, please pop them into the Church Office on Sundays.
Rising Living Costs: Help at Hand
We are aware that with the cost of living and fuel costs rising that some of our community may be struggling financially. If you, or someone you know, are in need of help, please do get in touch with the Church Office or the Ministers. All conversations will be held in the strictest of confidence.