‘When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.’ Acts 2: 1-4 (NIV-UK)Dear friends,
As we continue in the Easter season, thinking of the new life we are privileged to have, we look forward to Pentecost Sunday, when God sealed his hand on the believers with the promised Holy Spirit. That promise wasn’t just for the believers then, not just for the apostles, but for all who believe in God through Christ. It is a mystery, like the not quite focused image above, that God, God as Spirit, as Jesus tells us in John’s gospel, fills us all to seal that new life in us for now and to eternity, and helps us to live and witness for his glory.
This Pentecost, while celebrating the gift of the Holy Spirit, we have a lot else to look forward to. We are at long last coming together in the building to worship. As it will be such a momentous occasion gathering together for live worship—although still having to wear face masks and not singing out loud—we will be celebrating Holy Communion, maybe not in the way we’re used to (the Elders are still working out Covid safety on that one), but still, it will be special, maybe as special as the first Communion we remember as individuals.
Not only will we be celebrating Communion, which we see as a sacrament, but also the only other sacrament we hold as a denomination, that of baptism. Grace and Nduka from Nigeria joined our fellowship early in 2020, as most of us will remember. Their baby was born not long before the first lockdown, a beautiful baby boy, named Chinemerem.
As is their custom, the baby would be dedicated to God and baptised on first coming to Church. With the pandemic, that hasn’t been possible until now, and they have waited patiently. So it is with great joy that we will be dedicating and baptising Chinemerem, now over a year old.
Their family of course won’t be able to travel over for the occasion, so let’s remember that we are their family in the UK, and even though we can’t celebrate with food or refreshments, we can make the service special for them all.
A Pentecost to remember and cherish for us all.
God bless, Clare <><
| SUNDAY WORSHIP IN MAY | |
| 2nd May | Mr Alex Walker – Podcast |
| 9th May | Rev Dr Nash – Podcast |
| 16th May | Break week |
| 23rd May | Rev Clare S Davison – LIVE & on PODCAST, Pentecost Sunday with Communion and Baptism |
| 30th May | Mr Alex Walker – worship in Church |
‘Social Distancing’ will still be in place for our worship on 23rd May and masks must be worn. Rather than remaining seated to be served with the elements during Holy Communion, you will be asked to come to the front to take the bread and wine from side tables and consume them there. If you do not feel able to do so, please let a steward know on arrival and you will be served. Sadly, there will be no congregational singing and no opportunity to share refreshments together after worship.
worship@4
A reminder that the next worship@4 on Zoom will be on Sunday 30th May.
As there are not many of us and so have been using the small hall in the building before the pandemic, we’ll wait to go back to worship@4 in the building when restrictions are more fully lifted and we’re able to sing again.
LENT PROJECT
As you know donations for our Lent Project this year were to be shared between Wheatfields Hospice and Leeds and North West Food Bank. Thanks to your generosity £4,635 has been raised; £3630 to Wheatfields and £1005 to the Food Bank. Of this £905 is Gift Aided. Both Wheatfields and the Food Bank were extremely grateful to receive this money enabling them to continue the valuable service they provide.
EASTER
I know Easter is now a distant memory but I thought you would all like to know that eggs were distributed to the Women’s Refuge and our special friends in time to be demolished before the big day. The Refuge were going to use their eggs for an Easter Egg Hunt. One of the children I delivered to asked if they had to be saved until Sunday or could they eat them now! Headingley St Columba were thanked for their continued support and generosity.
Susan Bollon
HYMNS AND THE TRINITY
Two of our well-known hymns are ‘Trinitarian’ in that they invoke each person of the Trinity individually:
‘Eternal Father, strong to save’ (v.1), ‘O Saviour’ (v.2), and ‘Sacred Spirit’ (v.3) and then the whole Trinity in verse 4. (no. 58 in R&S)
‘Lead us heavenly Father, lead us’ has the Father (v.1), Saviour (v.2) and Spirit of our God (v.3). (no. 543)
‘Eternal Father’ was written by William Whiting (1825-78) but re-shaped by Henry Baker (1821-77) who edited the original Hymns Ancient and Modern which was apparently jokingly referred to as ‘Hymns Asked for and Mutilated’. Our hymn book alters verse 3.
‘Lead us heavenly Father’ was written by James Edmeston (1791-1867) about whom my usual sources were silent so I had to resort to the internet where I found that, as well as being an architect and surveyor, he was a prolific hymn writer. One of his grandfathers was a Congregational minister.
Neither of these writers has any other hymns in our hymn book nor can I think of any other ‘Trinitarian’ ones- can you? (Dear Ann – does ‘Thou whose almighty word’ count? M.)
Ann Woodhouse
Thank you, Ann, for your interesting article. I had never noticed that aspect of ‘Eternal Father’ as the strong imagery of the sea and its dangers totally took my thoughts; my grandmother, whose ocean-going father was ship-wrecked several times during her childhood, made those perils real for us as children.
For seamen and their families it was, and is, as much a prayer as hymn and it was no surprise that Prince Philip should have chosen it for his Funeral Service and how beautiful all the music was.
BRENDA’S WALK FOR WHEATFIELDS
In the spirit of the late Capt. Tom Moore’s Fundraising campaign our caretaker, Brenda, is embarking on a 100 minute walk from The Lodge at Headingley St Columba’s to Golden Acre Park. Members of the family—including Emma and Holly—will be joining in and you are welcome to support them too, either by walking with them if you wish and finding sponsorship, or by donating to the charity and perhaps encouraging others to donate as well.
The team will be walking on SATURDAY, 22ND MAY, leaving The Lodge at 10am, walking up the Otley Road to Golden Acre Park and continuing to walk round the park until they have completed the 100 minutes. They will be collecting money en route but, of course Brenda will be happy to receive money or cheques from you if you wish to support this important charity which has found it so difficult to raise funds during the pandemic. Brenda has also set up a page for donations on the ‘Just Giving’ website. To find the appropriate page, go to the ‘Just Giving’ site and type in ‘Brenda Mackintosh’ in the search facility and then click on ‘Brenda’s Walk for Wheatfields’ from the options given.
Thank you, Brenda, for your thoughtfulness and generosity in arranging this event. Their target is for £1,000 and let’s help them reach it – or even surpass it!
CHRISTIAN AID WEEK:- 10th – 16th MAY 2021
We are reaching the time of CHRISTIAN AID WEEK.
“This Christian Aid Week and beyond, will you stand together for CLIMATE JUSTICE?”
The climate emergency is one of the greatest injustices we face. Together we can stop this climate crisis.
One story from CHRISTIAN AID: Rose from Kenya is caught in a cycle of climate chaos. From severe drought to flooding, extreme weather robs her of what she needs to survive: a reliable source of water.
Our CHRISTIAN AID WEEK collection in 2020 raised £840.58p of which over £700.00 was gift aided.
Although ‘Christian Aid’ suggests that House-to-House collections may go ahead this year, the Elders agreed that, again, we shall have a ‘Church Christian Aid Week’ Collection.
If you would like to donate to this year’s appeal, please write out a cheque made payable to ‘Christian Aid’ and send it to me. ‘Gift Aid’ increases your donation by 25% and does not require you to sign a form. If you mark your cheque ‘GIFT AID’ on the back, I can fill in the relevant form. The money will be placed in our Christian Aid Account and forwarded when requested.
St. Chad’s Garage at Far Headingley is supporting us with a Collection Can at the till. In previous years we have been able to collect during Christian Aid Week and, hopefully, we may be able to collect there later in the year if collectors are available.
CHRISTIAN AID 75TH ANNIVERSARY SERVICE – ONLINE – SUNDAY 9TH MAY at 6.30pm
In times of extreme challenge, community is born when we stand together. Join us in prayer and worship as we celebrate 75 years of Christian Aid, co-hosted by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and Christian Aid. Sign up on the C/A web-site. https://www.christianaid.org.uk/
CHRISTIAN AID have come up with some ways to raise cash which you may like to consider:-
- 300,000 steps in May challenge. Sign up at https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/key-appeals/christian-aid-week/challenge-yourself
- Swat up for Quiztian Aid Quiz on Saturday 8th May at 7pm. Sign up at https://www.christianaid.org.uk/appeals/key-appeals/christian-aid-week/virtual-events
More information on the CHRISTIAN AID WEBSITE. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any queries.
JOAN McSHANE
The poet, Malcolm Guite, has written a series of poems in response to the Psalms and below is his response to Psalm 95. It seems particularly appropriate as we focus more on inequalities both nationally and worldwide and make our response to Christian Aid Week.
Malcolm Guite is a Life Fellow and former Chaplain of Girton College, Cambridge. He is happy for his poetry to be reproduced with acknowledgement.
Psalm 95
O COME, let us sing unto the Lord: let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving: and shew ourselves glad in him with psalms.
For equal rights and justice, cry out loud!
Then come before God’s presence and be glad,
And harden not your hearts. Do not be proud,
But kneel before your maker, for he made
You for himself and also for each other,
To share his good gifts equally. Our God
Is everyone’s salvation, and our Father
Is Lord and father equally to all.
Let us rejoice before him, let him gather
The scattered tribes and nations back from all
The corners of the earth, and also from
The wilderness of willfulness. His call
To bring our lives, and our whole world to him
Resounds in all of us. Could we but hear,
Our Saviour, King and Shepherd calls us home.
MALCOLM GUITE
GIVING THANKS FOR THE COVID JAB
As in the magazine last month, a suggestion in giving thanks for our own privilege of getting the Covid vaccination, we donate to an appeal from Christian Aid so that those in poorer countries will have more of a chance to fight the disease.
The link is below.
https://www.christianaid.org.uk/give/ways-donate/give-thanks-your-coronavirus-vaccine
Perhaps those who can’t donate online could think about an extra donation to Christian Aid this year, for Christian Aid week in May.
Clare Davison
