Author Archives: St. Columba's

The ‘Kindling Columban’

Joining together for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity

Excellent singing – magnificent food and great to see a truly blended family worship together

We’re proud to be a signatory to the Scottish LGBTI+ Rainbow Mark

We’ve been recognised as a safe and welcoming place for LGBTI+ people. All are welcome here.

Farewell to David and Jenny

We said a sad but fond farewell to our Rector, David, and Lay Reader, Jenny at their last Sunday with us on 6th October. Columbans pulled out all the stops for a bountiful buffet lunch with wonderful savoury and sweet treats. We are incredibly grateful for David and Jenny’s faithful and inspiring ministry among us. We wish them both well in their retirement.

Creation Season

CREATIONTIDE 2024

“Living Well in An Ecological Crisis”

We explore spiritual, social and practical resources

1st September: Carry on Caring

8th September: Be Creative

15th September: Keep Resisting

22nd September: Be Adaptable

29th September: Live Simply (NB service at Augustine United Church, Gorge 4th Bridge at 11.00am)

6th September: Carry on Celebrating

Festival 2024 at St. Columba’s

We’re an official Fringe venue, but we’re also holding two special events this Festival:

Getting to Iona – a show about leaving home

and

Re-imagining the Ruthwell Cross

More information on this page

Climate emergency – Finding Petunia LittleTree

“Finding Petunia LittleTree”, is a humorous, yet bittersweet, physical theatre and dance solo, which explores emotional responses to the climate emergency through a compassionate lens, asking how can we live with what we know, with humour, dark undertones and all? Petunia’s reactions to the climate crisis and her internal conflicts emerge as she explores relationships with plastic rubbish, the tree’s personal history of fire and deforestation, and humans’ interdependence with nature. It is appropriate for audiences from 9-90+.

A moderated post show discussion will follow the performance, inviting the audience to reflect on, discuss and energise our own options and choices within the climate drama.

The piece premiered at the Findhorn Bay Festival 2022, and its creation was supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Open Fund. Sharon  has choreographed and performed across Scotland and internationally in a variety of professional, higher education and community contexts, with both able-bodied and disabled performers.

To purchase tickets  visit: http://petuniaatcolumba.eventbrite.com For more information: https://linktr.ee/petunialittletree

Dreaming of the Holy Rood: a liturgy and exhibit

St. Columba’s by the Castle will present “Dreaming of the Holy Rood: a Liturgy of the Incarnation based on the Ruthwell Cross” developed by Timothy J. Ray on Sunday, October 22 at 7 PM. This service of hymns, readings and projections contemplates the life and mission of Christ through images from this Anglo-Saxon cross in southern Scotland as well as compatible images Timothy developed during a spiritual retreat in Ruthwell. This service also will be streamed live at:

https://youtube.com/live/XPCFRJvAHgs

Local artist Cat Outram created illustrations for this liturgy and her artwork will be on display in an exhibit at St. Columba’s called “The Steadfast Cross”, October 16-22 between 10 AM and 6 PM.

Both of these events are open to the public and free of charge.

Creation Season is here

Join us for our special Creation Season services in September and October. This year’s theme is the Four Elements of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, as understood by the ancient cultures of Greece, India and Tibet.

We explore the importance of these aspects of creation, in both physical and symbolic ways.

More information and dates

And the toast was St. Columba!

We marked St.Columba’s Day on June 9th with a party, celebrating our Immrama (Voyage Tales) project. Our in-church exhibition has already been visited by hundreds of visitors and now its companion website, www.immrama.online is available for those who can’t visit in person, or who want to explore Columba’s legacy more fully.

Our Rector, David Paton-Williams who was part of the working -group of members who created the exhibition, welcomed a large throng of guests from near and far. “We are rightfully proud of what we have achieved” he said. He thanked people who had contributed expertise  – Catherine Gillies (project facilitator), Andy McGregor (graphic designer), Michael Smith ( video-maker), Cat Outram and other artists, John Longley (soundscape-creator) and academics such as Dr Gilbert Markus.