Weekly Update #68 – 18 July 2021

St Columba’s United Reformed Church

30 Northumberland Square | North Shields | NE30 1PW

Weekly Update #68
18th July 2021

From the Minister               Sheep in need of Good Shepherds

Sheep and shepherds feature prominently in this week’s Bible readings (see below). The nation’s leaders are pictured as shepherds by the prophet Jeremiah, and they are supposed to model themselves on the Lord God who is everyone’s shepherd (Psalm 23). So spare a thought and prayer for the UK’s political leaders, as they make judgments about the health, safety and prosperity of the people (including you and me). Add a prayer for church leaders too, as they try to make appropriate decisions for their congregations. As the Moderators of the United Reformed Church’s thirteen Synods said recently, we cannot at the same both cast off all restraint and continue to love our neighbours. At St Columba’s, easing restraints will go hand in hand with keeping people safe.

Trevor                                                             Photo by Andrea Lightfoot on Unsplash

‘Same Freedoms, Same Responsibilities’: Synod Moderators’ Advice to Congregations https://urc.org.uk/church-information-guides/3870-new-freedoms-same-responsibilities.html

Prayer

O Lord our Shepherd, we pray, guide us to safety in these difficult times.
Take away our fears, even if the shadows of suffering and death come near.
And bring to a place of joy and celebration in due to time.

Amen.

A Bonus Hymn 

The Lord’s My Shepherd, I’ll Not Want – four voices, one singer, in an a cappella version of Psalm 23

To Listen, Click Here

WORSHIP FOR SUNDAY 11TH JULY
10.30 a.m. Service at St Columba’s United Reformed Church

Led by Dr Ann Sinclair

Ann is a  member at St Andrew’s URC, Monkseaton, an Assembly Accredited Lay Preacher, and is also Northern Synod’s Lay Preaching Commissioner.

                                Worship Services in the Building
You need to book your seat for a service in the building. To do so, please contact Alison Drew between 9.00 a.m. and 12.00 noon. on the Friday immediately prior to that service.

Other options for worshipping at home on Sunday

Online            URC audio service   https://devotions.urc.org.uk/            10.00 a.m.
Radio              Radio 4                                  Sunday Worship                    8.10 a.m.
Television      BBC 1                                Songs of Praise                      1.15 p.m.

DISCLAIMER: tv and radio schedules can change, so check the timings are correct!

Bible readings for This Week
2 Samuel 7:1-14a                 God prefers a tent to a house
Psalm 89:20-37                    God makes promises to David
Jeremiah 23:1-6                   Political leaders need to be good shepherds
Psalm 23                               The LORD is our shepherd
Ephesians 2: 11 – 22              Humanity made one by Jesus Christ
Mark 6:30-34, 53-56            Jesus sees the crowd as ‘like sheep without a shepherd’

You can read the Bible passages online at https://www.biblegateway.com/

Reflection on the Readings        Jesus Christ, Wall-Breaker (Ephesians 2)

Human beings are all too keen to draw lines between different groups – white/black, male/female, foreigners/us. Then they are just as keen to build walls to prevent others crossing the line: Israelis and Palestinians, Unionists and Nationalists in Northern Ireland. Once, says Paul, there was a dividing wall between God-fearing Jews and pagan Gentiles. Now, through Jesus Christ, that wall is broken down (2:14). All have equal access to God (2:18), and those who were strangers to each other have become members of the same household (2:19). Even if we like to build walls against our fellow human beings, but God is very keen to break them down.

Photo by Morgana Bartolomei on Unsplash

Something Old, Something New:
Conversations about Amos and Galatians
child reading Bible in bedThursdays 15th and 29th July, 7.15 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. Two conversations (on Zoom), one about an Old Testament prophetic book, the other concerning a (very) angry letter from the Apostle Paul to Christians in Galatia, led by the Reverend Trevor Jamison. These are open to all, and no previous knowledge is required in order to take part.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 

Join Zoom Meeting       Meeting ID: 823 3594 7654        Phone: 0131 460 1196

St Columba’s Coffee and Conversation
on Saturdays at 10.00 a.m.
coffee
Meet friends for conversation and company, online or by phone

To join the Zoom meeting, click here.

Meeting ID: 871 7089 0784

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.

Minister: Reverend Trevor Jamison                 Church Secretary: Alison Drew
minister.northshieldsurc@gmail.com               [email protected].com
0191 290 1193         07896 899538                 0191 251 9774

Copyright © 2021 St Columba’s United Reformed Church, All rights reserved.

Registered Address:
St Columba’s United Reformed Church

30 Northumberland Square

North Shields, Tyne and Wear NE30 1PW

United Kingdom

St Columba’s United Reformed Church Charity is a registered charity in England & Wales, number 1164784.

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