30 Northumberland Square | North Shields | NE30 1PW
Weekly Update #34: Sunday 8th November 2020 (Remembrance Sunday)
From the Minister A Season of Remembering
It’s a season for remembering. We have just had the Christian festivals of All Saints and All Souls, which remember all those who have died. At Saint Columba’s, on the first Sunday of December we will remember those associated with the congregation who have died within the previous year. This Sunday, of course, we remember all those who have died in wartime. Our landscape and our buildings are filled with memorials, in stone, wood, and glass. It’s good to have these memorials so that we do not forget what has happened in the past. It’s especially good if that remembering encourages us to avoid, or at least minimise, occasions of such things happening again.
God grant to the living, grace;
To the departed, rest;
To the Church and all people,
Peace and concord;
And to us and all God’s servants,
Life everlasting.
Amen.
From Book of Common Order of the Church of Scotland, 1994. (altd)
Two Songs for Uncertain Times
In this time of uncertainty, Drew Miller sings, What Comes Next? about his concerns, ultimately viewed through the lens of the hope of resurrection: For all that hope she carried, Only to see it buried,
Then, through her tears, she hears,
“Mary”
And the Walking Roots Band, sing an a cappella version of a traditional song (author unknown), whose chorus declares, ‘Rest assured, he’s not forgotten; rest assured, he’ll take care of you. Look at the times he’s been there before; he’ll be there again, rest assured.’
ST COLUMBA’S URC WORSHIP THIS SUNDAY
Following the announcement of a lockdown for England from November 5th to December 2nd, we have closed the church building for worship and other activities.
We will now offer worship online every Sunday morning, at 10.30 a.m. This week’s service includes an act of remembrance for those who have died in war. See below for details on how to join in with this service.
Also, we will continue to worship online at 6.30 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month. All of these services include holy communion. The next evening service, on December 6th , will include remembering those associated with this congregation who have died during the previous year.
To join this Sunday’s morning service, online or by phone
When the time comes, click here.
Telephone: 0131 460 1196 Meeting ID: 890 4012 0961 Passcode: 050949
Hymns this Sunday: *O God, our Help in Ages Past, *by Isaac Watts, *In
Christ there is no East or West, *by ‘John Oxenham’, and *For the Healing
of the Nations, by Fred Kaan.*
To receive paper copies of orders of service please contact Trevor Jamison
Radio Radio 4 Sunday Worship 8.10 a.m.
Radio 4 Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph 10.30 a.m.
Television BBC1 Remembrance Sunday: The Cenotaph 10.15 a.m.
BBC1 Songs of Praise 1.15 p.m.
DISCLAIMER: TV and Radio schedules can change, so check the timings are correct!
Bible readings for Remembrance Sunday
From the Revised Common Lectionary
Image (photo by KA): The Southwest window at Saint Columba’s United Reformed Church, which lists fourteen men from Howard Street Presbyterian Church who died in the 1914-1918 war. The inscription reads: ‘These are they that have come out of the great tribulation.’ (Revelation 7:14) Further information about the window can be found in “A Walk Around Saint Columba’s United Reformed Church”, compiled by John Robson in 2014.
Isaiah 25:4-9
Gathered in peace and safety on God’s holy mountain
Psalm 46
‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble’
1 Timothy 2:1-5 Being a good soldier – of Christ Jesus
Luke 1:68-79
A merciful God will ‘guide our feet into the way of peace’
‘Share in suffering like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.’ (1 Timothy 2:3) I must admit this bible verse had never registered with me before. Intentional suffering seems at odds with most ideas of soldiering. As the U.S. army general, George Patton once said, ‘No one ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making someone else die for his.’ There’s always going to be a tension between Christian faith and soldiering as the world practises it, and it’s good to have that drawn to our attention. Yet, there’s also a tension between deciding to only be a suffering soldier for Christ Jesus and also loving your neighbour who is under attack. Christians who soldier on, from peace protestors to members of armed forces, deserve our prayers, as they try to sort out that conundrum – as we do ourselves.
For the healing of the nations…
Chris Brunelle sings a version of the hymn by Fred Kaan, For the Healing of the Nations. Click here to listen.
A thank you from Helen Saunders
Thank you for the cheque from the Harvest Appeal. It was very generous and will go a long way at Nite Bite to help those in need We really appreciate your generosity in these difficult times, when there are so many needy and deserving causes tugging at our heart strings. With love from everyone who uses Nite Bite
St Columba’s Coffee and Conversation returns –
Saturday at 10.00 a.m.
Meet friends for conversation and company
To join, click here when the time comes.
Telephone: 0131 460 1196 Meeting ID: 844 7241 4505 Passcode: 086032
Don’t forget, you’re allowed to invite friends along to take part in the conversation!
Keeping in Touch – Your contact details
If your contact details (address, telephone or email) change please make sure to inform our Church Secretary Alison Drew.
You can contact your designated Elder, the Minister, or Church Secretary.
It’s a season for remembering. We have just had the Christian festivals of All Saints and All Souls, which remember all those who have died. At Saint Columba’s, on the first Sunday of December we will remember those associated with the congregation who have died within the previous year. This Sunday, of course, we remember all those who have died in wartime. Our landscape and our buildings are filled with memorials, in stone, wood, and glass. It’s good to have these memorials so that we do not forget what has happened in the past. It’s especially good if that remembering encourages us to avoid, or at least minimise, occasions of such things happening again.
Image (photo by KA): The Southwest window at Saint Columba’s United Reformed Church, which lists fourteen men from Howard Street Presbyterian Church who died in the 1914-1918 war. The inscription reads: ‘These are they that have come out of the great tribulation.’ (Revelation 7:14) Further information about the window can be found in “A Walk Around Saint Columba’s United Reformed Church”, compiled by John Robson in 2014.
