30 Northumberland Square | North Shields | NE30 1PW
Weekly Update #127 16th October 2022
From the Minister Least Favourite Hymn?
Sometimes, churches have “Songs of Praise” services, inviting members to choose their favourite hymns, perhaps saying why they have made that choice. I know we have done this at Saint Columba’s. Some churches have even managed to turn this into a fund-raising event, with members bidding to have their hymn choice included in the service – I’ll let our Social Events Team mull that one over! I’ve also heard of one church that did things the other way around. Members were invited to bid for their least favourite hymn. The one who bid the most won the right to veto the hymn from appearing anywhere in church life during the next twelve months. Which hymn you would you pay the most for in order not to have to sing it in church? (Answers to the minister in cash-filled plain brown envelopes please.) Often, it’s the tune that does it. The Day of the Lord Shall Come As Prophets Foretold (Rejoice and Sing 637) is to the tune, Air Falalalo. I can sing that three times at most before I get tired of it. In this hymn you get to sing it EIGHT times! On other occasions the words that just grate. Feel free to tell me and others about your most and least favourite hymns, and why. Bear in mind though, your ‘most-hated’ hymn might be someone else’s favourite.
Prayer ‘When I tread the verge of Jordan, bid my anxious fears subside; death of death, and hell’s destruction, land me safe on Canaan’s side: songs of praises, songs of praises, I will ever give to thee.’
Amen.
William or John Williams (1754-1828)
WORSHIP SERVICES AT ST COLUMBA’S
Worship Services at Saint Columba’s – Sunday 16th October 10 .30 a.m. service led by Trevor Jamison
NEXT SUNDAY – October 23rd 10.30 a.m. led by Hannah Middleton, Northern Synod Children’s Work Adviser
Livestreamed worship from St Columba’s
Each Sunday morning we livestream our services from Saint Columba’s. To watch the service live, catch up with it later in the week, or view previous services, click here.
Bible readings for this week Bible readings for Sunday
Jeremiah 31:27-34 God’s law is located within our hearts
Psalm 119:97-104 Through God’s ‘precepts we gain understanding
2 Timothy 3:14-4:5 Scripture is useful for …
Luke 18:1-8 A parable about a cynical judge and persistent widow
Reflection on the Readings What Use is Scripture? According to the writer of 2 Timothy 3:16, ‘All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.’ Given when that was written, almost two thousand years ago, in the very early years of the Christian Church, they were not writing about the New Testament – the four Gospels and the letters from the Apostle Paul and others. They were writing about Jewish scriptures, which we often call ‘the Old Testament’. This also is what Jesus was talking about when he referenced or quoted ‘scripture’. The Old Testament was his bible. All this constitutes a strong hint to us to approach the Old Testament part of the Bible positively: ‘Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all day long.’ (Psalm 119:97) It’s in the Old Testament that we first hear that God will write God’s law in our hearts, not just on paper (31:33), and will forgive the people’s ‘iniquity, and remember their sin now more.’ (Jeremiah 31:33, 34)
Thanks for Response to Christian Aid Pakistan Appeal A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the retiring offering at last week’s service for aid to those affected by floods in Pakistan – £276 was given on the day.
Trevor Jamison continues to lead eight weekly sessions on The Letter to the Ephesians, Thursdays in-person at Saint Columba’s repeated at 7.15 p.m. on Mondays on Zoom. Details about the series is available here.
Granny’s Attic Sale at Saint Columba’s, Saturday 29th October, 10.00 a.m.
(Please bring your donations of items for sale to the church on Friday 28th October, between 2.00 p.m. and 4.00 pm)
Some Changes in Sunday Morning Worship from Sunday October 30th
From October we’ll be making some small changes to the way we commence worship, and what we do during worship. Most of these move us closer to how things were done before COVID came along. See next week’s Update for details.
Next Week’s Update – Sunday 23rd October 2022
Trevor Jamison will edit the next Update. To get your information in both the online and printed editions, please have it with him by Tuesday 18th October.
Keeping in Touch
You can contact your Elder, the Minister, or Church Secretary.
Sometimes, churches have “Songs of Praise” services, inviting members to choose their favourite hymns, perhaps saying why they have made that choice. I know we have done this at Saint Columba’s. Some churches have even managed to turn this into a fund-raising event, with members bidding to have their hymn choice included in the service – I’ll let our Social Events Team mull that one over! I’ve also heard of one church that did things the other way around. Members were invited to bid for their least favourite hymn. The one who bid the most won the right to veto the hymn from appearing anywhere in church life during the next twelve months. Which hymn you would you pay the most for in order not to have to sing it in church? (Answers to the minister in cash-filled plain brown envelopes please.) Often, it’s the tune that does it. The Day of the Lord Shall Come As Prophets Foretold (Rejoice and Sing 637) is to the tune, Air Falalalo. I can sing that three times at most before I get tired of it. In this hymn you get to sing it EIGHT times! On other occasions the words that just grate. Feel free to tell me and others about your most and least favourite hymns, and why. Bear in mind though, your ‘most-hated’ hymn might be someone else’s favourite.
Each Sunday morning we livestream our services from Saint Columba’s. To watch the service live, catch up with it later in the week, or view previous services, click 
According to the writer of 2 Timothy 3:16, ‘All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.’ Given when that was written, almost two thousand years ago, in the very early years of the Christian Church, they were not writing about the New Testament – the four Gospels and the letters from the Apostle Paul and others. They were writing about Jewish scriptures, which we often call ‘the Old Testament’. This also is what Jesus was talking about when he referenced or quoted ‘scripture’. The Old Testament was his bible. All this constitutes a strong hint to us to approach the Old Testament part of the Bible positively: ‘Oh, how I love your law. It is my meditation all day long.’ (Psalm 119:97) It’s in the Old Testament that we first hear that God will write God’s law in our hearts, not just on paper (31:33), and will forgive the people’s ‘iniquity, and remember their sin now more.’ (Jeremiah 31:33, 34)
