Sunday links and other news...

Dear friends The links to our worship this week are below. Best wishes Anne Le Bas SUNDAY WORSHIP June 28 The Feast of St Peter & St Paul Morning Worship Podcast        Morning Worship Service sheet       Morning hymn words Evensong Podcast                    Evensong Service sheet                    Evensong hymn Words Seal Church Zoom meetings this week: email sealpandp@gmail.com for links Zoffee – Sunday chat at 11 am Wednesday Zoom Church – Wed  at 11 am Twenty minutes of informal worship with our friends at Lavender Fields. Everyone is welcome. email sealpandp@gmail.com for the link. Zoom Children’s Choir - Wed at 5pm AND Thurs at  4pm please contact sealpandp@gmail.com for the link. Any children are welcome for 30 minutes of fun songs. Zoom Adult Choir – Cancelled this week. Apologies - we'll be back next week Zoom home groups and Friday Group – email sealpandp@gmail.com for the links. The Feast of St Peter and St Paul: Our Patronal Festival Back in early March, before we were so rudely interrupted by coronavirus, we were in the middle of  a Lent course exploring the stories of our Patron Saints, Peter and Paul. Remember the days when we could do that sort of thing? Unfortunately we only got halfway through before the pandemic called time on it, but you can find the daily posts about their lives in here, and a short summary which I put together for Messy Church here.  The course was prompted partly by the time I spent last year on Sabbatical exploring the way communities celebrated their local saints. Philip and I were lucky enough to be able to visit Sardinia and Sicily, and be part of the grand procession to mark the feast of Sardinia’s patron saint, Efisio, an early 4th Century Roman soldier martyred by his Roman bosses when he became a Christian and refused to take part in the persecution of fellow Christians. It was an extraordinary experience. Cagliari’s streets were thronged with people watching the procession – hours long – of Sardinians from villages and towns all over the island dressed in the local costumes specific to their region, praying the rosary in Sardu. At the end of the procession, greeted with huge excitement and quite a bit of reverence, came the statue of St Efisio, in a gilded wagon, drawn by oxen with decorated horns. It was quite an experience, and though it was by far the largest, it wasn’t unusual. Churches around Sardinia and Sicily all seemed to have similar festivities, many around that time, and each church was immensely proud of their saint. Whole communities turned out, whether they were regular churchgoers or not, to be part of the celebration. Here in Seal, as in most Church of England churches, Patronal Festivals tend to be rather more sedate affairs. The Reformation is largely to blame, when devotion to the saints was discouraged, statues and paintings demolished or defaced, and many church dedications forgotten. There were valid reasons to criticise some of the behaviour which had sprung up around the shrines of the saints, but, as with so many reforming movements, it was easy to throw out the baby with the bathwater. The kind of rituals which we saw in Sardinia and Sicily often bound communities together, and helped people deepen and sustain their faith in very tangible ways. Those Sardinians we saw praying their rosaries were not play acting. For many of them it was clearly a very genuine act of worship. The commitment that Efisio had shown to them, in being martyred to protect them, clearly still moved them, seventeen centuries later. At its best, the act of remembering the saints draws us deeper into the love of God, reminding us that we are part of a community which is not limited by time and space. In the Creed, we say that we believe in “the communion of saints”; we don’t walk the way of faith alone, but in company with many others, living and departed. Christianity is not a solitary faith, even when we can’t gather together physically. God intended us to learn from each other and with each other, in all our rich diversity, whether that is through sharing in an act of worship – even if it is only online – by encouraging each other in small group meetings, and by making links with those who follow Christ across the world. The community of God isn’t limited by place, but nor is it limited by time. We also learn from and walk with those who have gone before us, people like Peter and Paul, who faced challenges, made mistakes, changed their minds but in and through it all bore witness to God’s love. All Age Ideas and Resources Roots at home https://www.rootsontheweb.com/i-am-looking-for/public-copies/worshipathome28jun St Peter’s symbol is a pair of keys, because Jesus said that he was giving him the “keys of the kingdom of heaven”. He would help open the way for other people to come closer to God. Find some old keys and see what you can make from them. You could make some playdough and press the keys into it to make patterns, or make some windchimes or a mobile from them. St Paul’s symbol is a sword, or sometimes a book. The sword refers to the way he died, or perhaps to the fact that he wrote about “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6.17). The book refers to the letters he wrote to the churches he founded, some of which are in the Bible.  Perhaps you could write some letters this week to encourage someone else. You can find the story of Peter and Paul, here, with pictures to colour.

Rembrandt : St Paul in Prison 1627 Antonio de Bellis, The Liberation of St. Peter, This dramatic painting captures the moment when Peter is woken out of sleep by an angel in his prison cell. He can’t believe his eyes, but the angel pulls at his clothing, almost as if he will drag Peter out to freedom. If you’d like to hear an introduction to the writings of St Paul, I can recommend this short talk by Paula Gooder Prayer of the week  A prayer of St Paul Throughout Paul’s letters he tells us that he is praying for those who will receive them. His ministry was undergirded with prayer. This prayer, from Philippians 1.9-11 is typical. Though he can’t be with those he is praying for, he knows they are held in the hands of God. “And this is my prayer, that your love may overflow more and more with knowledge and full insight to help you to determine what is best, so that on the day of Christ you may be pure and blameless, having produced the harvest of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ for the glory and praise of God.” Who prays for you? What do you hope they pray for? HYMN OF THE WEEK And can it be Charles Wesley’s (1707-1788)   great hymn was one of his earliest, and may have been written within hours of the time on May 21 1738 when he first really felt that his religious faith had come alive. His older brother John, followed suit a few days later, on the famous occasion when, while worshipping, he felt his heart “strangely warmed”. Together they went on to form the movement which eventually became the Methodist Church.  Charles was the 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and their youngest son. They had 19 children in all, though, to be fair, this was a small family compared to Susanna’s. She was the twenty-fifth child of her parents! Growing up as one of such a large brood seems to have energised Charles, though. This is just one of an estimated 6500 hymns he wrote, many of which are still sung – there are 21 in the hymn book we use at Seal, far more than any other author. He also gave us “Love Divine all loves excelling”, and “Hark the herald angels sing”. 1 And can it be that I should gain An int'rest in the Savior's blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued? Amazing love! how can it be That Thou, my God, should die for me? 2 'Tis mystery all! Th'Immortal dies! Who can explore His strange design? In vain the firstborn seraph tries To sound the depths of love divine! 'Tis mercy all! let earth adore, Let angel minds inquire no more. 3 He left His Father's throne above, So free, so infinite His grace; Emptied Himself of all but love, And bled for Adam's helpless race; 'Tis mercy all, immense and free; For, O my God, it found out me. 4 Long my imprisoned spirit lay Fast bound in sin and nature's night; Thine eye diffused a quick'ning ray, I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; My chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose, went forth and followed Thee. 5 No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him is mine! Alive in Him, my living Head, And clothed in righteousness divine, Bold I approach th'eternal throne, And claim the crown, through Christ my own.  Restarting public worship in the church building We are hoping to be able to start some sort of public worship in the church building again next Sunday, but we haven’t yet received the details of the government guidance which will enable us to decide whether this is practical. I will send an email as soon as we are able to make this decision. From the information we have received, however, we are assuming that We will have to maintain social distancing, which will put a limit of around 35 on the numbers who can come We won’t be able to sing The congregation may need to wear face coverings We may need to collect names and contact details of those who attend, in case there is an outbreak of Covid 19 linked to the church, so that people can be contacted by the track and trace sheme. We won’t be able to have refreshments or socialise after church. Anyone who is especially vulnerable will be encouraged not to come. My proposal is that I will essentially do the same sort of service as the weekly morning podcast (maybe adding a said Evensong in a few weeks, if that is manageable). The podcasts will continue as long as we need them, since there will be many people who will not be able to join us for a while (and should not do so). Worship in church may feel very different to the way it normally does, so please be prepared for some restrictions if you do come – you may prefer to continue to worship at home, and I would encourage you to do so if you are at all uneasy about coming to church, or feel it would not be sensible for you to do so. And finally... There are many things to think about in planning to reopen the church for public worship, not least, how to spread people out. Some churches are roping off entire pews. I sense that the church below anticipates that there might be challenges in persuading people not to sit in their usual seats. They have come up with every argument they can think of to put people off even thinking about it! Copyright © 2020 St Peter and St Paul, Seal, All rights reserved.

Sunday Worship Links and other news...

Dear friends The links to our worship this week are below. Best wishes Anne Le Bas SUNDAY WORSHIP June 21 Trinity 2 Morning Worship Podcast        Morning Worship Service sheet       Morning hymn words Evensong Podcast                    Evensong Service sheet                    Evensong hymn Words Seal Church Zoom meetings this week:  email sealpandp@gmail.com for the links Zoffee – Sunday chat at 11 am Wednesday Zoom Church – Wed 24th 11 am Twenty minutes of informal worship with our friends at Lavender Fields. Everyone is welcome. email sealpandp@gmail.com for the link. Zoom Children’s Choir - Thurs June 25th  4pm We are consulting on a possible change of day and time for this again. Families involved will be emailed on Monday. Any others wishing to join in, please contact me  sealpandp@gmail.com for further details and the link. Any children are welcome for 30 minutes of fun songs. Zoom Adult Choir – Wed June 24th  7.15pm. Sing some favourite hymns with us. Everyone except the hosts are muted, so it doesn’t matter how well (or otherwise!) you sing. Email Philiplebas@gmail.com if you’d like copies of the music and words. Zoom home groups and Friday Group – email sealpandp@gmail.com for the links. TRINITY 2 I’m delighted that Revd Adie McCall is preaching on our podcast today. Many of you will remember the kind and generous help she gave last year during my sabbatical (what a long time ago that seems, but I am VERY glad I took it last year and not this!), so it is very good to hear her voice once again. The readings in our Morning Worship today were obviously written by people who knew hard times. The Psalmist (Psalm 69) says. “I have suffered reproach…Zeal for your house has eaten me up”, and today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 10.24-39) speaks of Jesus’ call to his disciples to follow him, even though for many of them that would involve hard choices. They aren’t easy readings. They remind us that faith brings challenges. If what we believe really matters to us, then it should have an effect on our lives. Jesus also reminds his followers, though, that God cares for us. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.” The New Testament Reading at Evensong, which Vanessa Griffiths is introducing and reading, tells the story of the Great Banquet, from Luke 14, by contrast tells of a banquet in which the important guests decline an invitation to a party, so the host invites anyone and everyone to join in instead.  Looking for illustrations of this story I came across a great picture by Eugene Burnand, 1850-1921, a Swiss painter, who was known for his commitment to realism in his paintings. He often painted the rural landscapes around him, but as a devout Christian, also depicted Biblical scenes including a series on the parables Jesus told. His painting of the Great Banquet, below shows a bedraggled and rather surprised looking procession of people who have unexpectedly found themselves being invited to a feast. There are disabled people, people in rags, the old and the young. I wonder whether some of the children were modelled on Burnand’s own brood – he and his wife, Julia, had eight children, including two sets of twins – especially the two girls at the front of the procession, who look suspiciously alike in their blue dresses! All the readings today, then, in their own way, speak of the love of God for those at the bottom of the heap, those who feel themselves to be excluded or unloved, and call us to live as people who are change by the love of God for us.   Do you feel treasured and welcomed by God? If not, why not? How might that knowledge change you? All Age Ideas and Resources Roots on the Web activity sheet for children https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/20930/21-jun-2020-childrens-sheet.pdf Live your Faith Sheet with comments on the readings for Adults https://www.rootsontheweb.com/media/21005/liveyourfaith_107_21_june-lockdown-version.pdf Ideas for prayer and activity for Fathers’ Day https://www.rootsontheweb.com/i-am-looking-for/public-copies/fathers-day-ideas-and-prayers

My telling of the story of the Great Banquet, from Luke 14. Prayer of the week What could be more appropriate on Father’s Day but the Lord’s Prayer, a prayer so well known that it almost needs no introduction, and yet which bears so much meaning? This prayer was Jesus’ response to his disciples request to “teach us to pray”. It comes in two of the Gospels, Matthew 6:9 and Luke 11:2 in slightly different forms. In a way, there is nothing very revolutionary about it. It is modelled on similar prayers that would have been commonplace at the time, but that, in a sense, is Jesus’ point. Prayer isn’t rocket science – it is just us, as we are, coming before God as God is, and saying what is on our hearts. What is that? When we come before God, we are first aware of his greatness, and yet of his love too – he is a loving Father, but also the Holy One (hallowed). In the light of that loving relationship, we want to see the world reshaped by his love – “on earth as it is in heaven”. That brings our awareness to ourselves and our own needs, for daily bread, for forgiveness and the strength to forgive others, for help and protection in times of trouble. Jesus’ prayer wasn’t meant to be a mechanical formula or magic spell, but a pattern to help us to pray as we need to everyday. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Here's a setting of the Lord's Prayer, arranged by David Foster sung by Andrea Bocelli, with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  HYMN OF THE WEEK Thy hand O God has guided thy flock from age to age This hymn features in today’s Evensong service.  It was written by the Revd Edward Plumptre, a prolific writer, and one of the translators who worked on the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, the first widely used new translation of the Bible since the Authorised Version, which had been produced in the Seventeenth century. Plumptre was an academic, Professor of pastoral theology and chaplain at Kings College London, principal of Queen’s College, London and an early advocate of higher education for women. He became Dean of Well’s Cathedral, and was remembered as a man who had worked tirelessly for the good of all in the city, especially the poor. He was a busy man who worked tirelessly for the Gospel, as this hymn suggests. In it, he gives thanks for all those who have gone before him, guided by God, in trying to invite people to “share the great King’s feast”, “through many a day of darkness” and entrusts his own age into God’s keeping, whose “mercy will not fail us”. 1          Thy hand, O God, has guided             thy flock, from age to age;             their wondrous tale is written,             full clear, on every page;             our fathers owned thy goodness,             and we their deeds record;             and both of this bear witness;             one Church, one faith, one Lord. 2          Thy heralds brought glad tidings             to greatest as to least;             they bade men rise, and hasten             to share the great King's feast;             and this was all their teaching,             in every deed and word,             to all alike proclaiming             one Church, one faith, one Lord. 3          Through many a day of darkness,             through many a scene of strife,             the faithful few fought bravely,             to guard the nation's life.             Their Gospel of redemption,             sin pardoned, man restored,             was all in this enfolded:             one Church, one faith, one Lord.. 4          Thy mercy will not fail us,             nor leave thy work undone;             with thy right hand to help us,             thy victory shall be won;             and then, by men and angels,             thy name shall be adored,             and this shall be their anthem:             one Church, one faith, one Lord.  Edward Hayes Plumptre (1821-1891) GIVING TO SEAL CHURCH If you are on our electoral roll or regularly give to Seal Church through our planned giving scheme you should have received a letter this week, outlining the financial challenges Seal Church, along with many other charities is facing, because of the loss of income during lockdown. We know that many people are struggling at the moment financially themselves also, and cannot afford to give, but if you can, and haven’t received the letter, you can find it here giving you information about how you can help.  Would you like a visit (or to visit me)? Zoom (and phone and newsletters etc) are all very well, but there’s nothing like seeing someone face to face in the flesh! Now that we are allowed by law to meet with a small group of others outside in our gardens, it is possible for me to visit those who would like a face to face chat. I am more than happy to come to you if you have a suitable outdoor space (and I can get to you on my bike!) or you can come to the vicarage, or we can meet in the churchyard. It’s important to stick to social distancing rules, and because of that I will bring my own mug of coffee ( and encourage you to bring a mug of your own if you visit me!) and we’d need to be careful to stay two metres apart.  If you would like a visit, please get in touch to arrange a date and time for us to get together. And finally... Some people have had to work really hard during lockdown, putting in all the hours there are into their jobs, others have had an enforced rest. Some have done jigsaws or gardened, and then there is this young chap, who seems to have had way too much time on his hands! Copyright © 2020 St Peter and St Paul, Seal, All rights reserved.

Sunday Worship and other news...

SUNDAY WORSHIP June 14 Trinity 1 Morning Worship Podcast        Morning Worship Service sheet       Morning hymn words Evensong Podcast                    Evensong Service sheet                    Evensong Hymn Words Seal Church Zoom meetings this week: email the vicar for links Zoffee – Sunday chat at 11 am Wednesday Zoom Church – Wed 10th 11 am Twenty minutes of informal worship with our friends at Lavender Fields. Everyone is welcome. email sealpandp@gmail.com for the link. Zoom Children’s Choir - Thurs June 18th  4pm NOTE NEW TIME AND DAY Email sealpandp@gmail.com for the link. Any children are welcome for 30 minutes of fun songs. Zoom Adult Choir – Wed June 17th  7.15pm. Sing some favourite hymns with us. Everyone except the hosts are muted, so it doesn’t matter how well (or otherwise!) you sing. Email Philiplebas@gmail.com if you’d like copies of the music and words. Zoom home groups and Friday Group – email sealpandp@gmail.com for the links. TRINITY 1 In today’s reading Jesus sends his disciples out to preach and heal. It’s the first time they’ve gone out without Jesus. Luke names each one of them. What each does matters. It’s a challenge to all of us. What are we doing to build the Kingdom of God in the places where we are sent? What does our “mission” look like? We may never have thought we had one, but each one of us can make a difference, for good or ill. Some of us might travel the world (there’s not much of that happening in any physical sense at the moment, but we may be in contact with people on the other side of the world through the internet or on the phone, or by letter) , but even if we are stuck at home we have the power to affect the lives of others. The way we speak to, and of, others, the choices we make about what we buy and who from can all change the world in good or bad ways. Jesus call to us is to make sure we are proclaiming the Kingdom of God, making it possible for all to thrive, in the way we live. In today’s sermon I particularly ask how we might be part of problem or the solution to the painful issue of racism, and how we are challenged by the current wave of action by the “Black Lives Matter” movement in the wake of the killing of George Floyd. Think about the people you have met – physically or over the phone or internet – in the last week. What impression do you think you might have made on them? How might you have helped them (or not)? How do you feel about talking about your faith? What would you say to someone who asked you why you were bothering to read this, or listen to our worship podcasts? All Age Resources All Age resources from Reflectionary for Trinity 1 on Psalm 100 https://reflectionary.org/2020/06/13/together-apart-psalm-100/ Roots on the Web resources for Trinity 1 https://www.rootsontheweb.com/i-am-looking-for/public-copies/worshipathome14jun If you have children who are wondering or worried about what they are seeing on the television about racism at the moment, Blue Peter produced a very good short message to explain and reassure. Highly recommended.

Reopening Seal Church for private prayer The government have now decided to allow churches to reopen for private prayer. No services can take place yet, and we have no definite date for this to happen. The PCC and I have decided to reopen Seal Church from next Wednesday (17th June). We will be asking people to observe some common sense guidelines to make this as safe as possible for everyone. These will include: washing your hands in the sink in the corner of the church, or using hand sanitiser staying at least two metres from anyone else who might be in church at the same time. As far as possible we ask you to “look but don’t touch” while you are in the church. As this coincides with us being allowed to conduct small funerals in church again, I will have to make the proviso that, if a funeral is booked, the church will be closed for 72 hours before and after the service. HYMN OF THE WEEK All my hope on God is founded This well-loved hymn, like many others, has a long history. It was originally a German hymn  "Meine Hoffnung stehet feste" written in around 1680 by Joachim Neander, who also wrote “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”, but was translated into English by the poet, Robert Bridges, who was choir master at another St Peter and St Paul, in Yattendon. Originally it was sung to its original German chorale tune, but in 1930 the director of music at Charterhouse school asked a friend, the composer Herbert Howells, to compose a new setting for the school. He received the request over breakfast and said that a tune came to him on the spot “while I was chewing bacon and sausage”. He originally called the tune simply “A hymn tune for Charterhouse” but a few years later Howells' infant son, Michael, died, and Howells decided to rename the tune after him. It didn’t come to wider popularity until the 1960s when it was included in the supplement to Hymns Ancient and Modern, but since then has rapidly become a favourite, with its words of assurance that whatever else is happening around us, God’s love endures. A message from the Tuesday Home Group The Tuesday Home Group met on Zoom as usual. All of us found we were feeling anxious and worried, not only about things going on for us personally but also because of the death of George Floyd and the circumstances around this. We shared our outrage, our frustration and disbelief that this horrific thing could still happen. After spending some time talking and supporting each other we were quite drained emotionally and almost didn’t look at our bible passage suggested by Wivine. She felt the letter written to the Philippians when Paul was in prison would be helpful to us in our current situations of isolation. We read chapter 2 and actually found it immensely encouraging and positive. Despite his circumstances Paul sounds positive and almost joyful about the reports he has received about this church; he reminds the Philippians (who he calls ‘beloved’) that there is ‘encouragement in Christ’,  ‘consolation from love and sharing in the Spirit’ and ‘compassion and sympathy’ (verses 1-2). We particularly liked how he wanted them to ‘shine like stars in the world’ (verse 15). Whilst stars individually are just tiny pinpricks of light in the night sky together they shine out and light up the sky. Whilst we feel helpless in the face of things going on in our broken world our individual small acts of kindness and support make a big difference to those who share and receive them. Paul’s letter is full of warmth and compassion for the Philippians and we found ourselves feeling consoled and encouraged after our reading and discussions knowing we are together in Christ and we can bring our worries, concerns and burdens to him in prayer. Wivine, Mark, Babs and Vanessa Prayer of the week The prayer below was written by the Revd Canon Jeremy Blunden, the Bishop’s Adviser on Black and Minority Ethnic issues, in the wake of the killing of George Floyd  Would you like a visit (or to visit me)? Zoom (and phone and newsletters etc) are all very well, but there’s nothing like seeing someone face to face in the flesh! Now that we are allowed by law to meet with a small group of others outside in our gardens, it is possible for me to visit those who would like a face to face chat. I am more than happy to come to you if you have a suitable outdoor space (and I can get to you on my bike!) or you can come to the vicarage, or we can meet in the churchyard. It’s important to stick to social distancing rules, and because of that I will bring my own mug of coffee ( and encourage you to bring a mug of your own if you visit me!) and we’d need to be careful to stay two metres apart.  If you would like a visit, please get in touch to arrange a date and time for us to get together. And finally... While we haven't got a date yet for when public worship might be able to resume in some form in Seal Church, I am inspired (!) by the thought and care that Bethany Baptist Church have been putting into preparing for their post-lockdown worship...Some good ideas here for our Parochial Church Council to consider... Copyright © 2020 St Peter and St Paul, Seal, All rights reserved. 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Sunday Worship links and other news...

SUNDAY WORSHIP June 7 Trinity Sunday Morning Worship Podcast        Morning Worship Service sheet       Morning hymn words Evensong Podcast                    Evensong Service sheet                    Evensong Hymn Words Zoom sessions for this week: email sealpandp@gmail.com for links. Zoffee – Sunday chat at 11 am Wednesday Zoom Church – Wed 10th 11 am Twenty minutes of informal worship with our friends at Lavender Fields. Everyone is welcome. Zoom Children’s Choir - Wed June 10th  5pm Any children are welcome for 30 minutes of fun songs. Zoom Adult Choir – Wed June 10th  7.15pm. Sing some favourite hymns with us. Everyone except the hosts are muted, so it doesn’t matter how well (or otherwise!) you sing. Email Philiplebas@gmail.com if you’d like copies of the music and words. Zoom home groups and Friday Group – email sealpandp@gmail.com for the links and details. Trinity Sunday Today is Trinity Sunday, and I am very grateful to Kevin for preaching this morning, not just because I have spent most of the week interviewing candidates for ordained ministry by Zoom and writing reports on them, but also because, well, the Trinity is complicated, and most preachers are VERY glad to delegate it to someone else… As I write this, I don’t know what Kevin is going to say, but I know that, for me, the most important thing about this doctrine is to remember not to put the cart before the horse. The idea that God is three and one at the same time wasn’t an idea people came up so that philosophers would have a job for life trying to explain it. It grew out of the experience of the early Christians. They already had a well embedded belief in God who was Creator and Father, who cared for them and loved them. In Jesus, they felt they had met this God face to face. He embodied God for them. They didn’t have any kind of worked out view of what that meant in terms of his humanity and his divinity, but they knew that this man, living, growing, changing, learning, suffering, dying, raised from death and ascended into heaven, had somehow embodied God for them. After his ascension they experienced the presence of God through the Holy Spirit, with them wherever they went. It felt like having Jesus with them again. Only later did they start to try to puzzle out how this could be. Was Jesus God? If so, did that mean there were two Gods, or three if you counted the Holy Spirit as a separate “person”. Two thousand years later, Christians still haven’t sorted it all out in a way that is simple to explain or understand. But maybe that’s the point. As one early Christian writer, called Evagrius of Pontus, said, “God cannot be grasped by the mind. If he could be grasped, he would not be God”.   However we understand the idea of the Trinity, the most important thing is that we know that God is close to us, walking beside us. Whatever else the Trinity tells us is that at the heart of God there is a community of love, into which we are welcomed. If you would like to tie your brain in knots about the Trinity, there is a good edition of the Radio 4 programme “In our Time”, hosted by Melvyn Bragg on the Trinity, with Professor Janet Soskice, Professor of Philosophical Theology, Martin Palmer,Director of the International Consultancy on Religion, Education, and Culture, and The Reverend Graham Ward, Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Oxford. Don’t blame me if you end up more confused than when you started though! https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/b03xgl3m Anne Le Bas All Age Resources Find some ribbon or strips of fabric and make a three stranded plait. As you weave the three strips together, pray for those you love and know that they are woven into the love of the Trinity. You could write their names on the strips of fabric or attach labels with their names on them as you go along. Ministry at home ideas from Rochester Diocese. https://www.rochester.anglican.org/content/pages/documents/1591009850.pdf All Age resources from Reflectionary for Trinity Sunday https://reflectionaryb.files.wordpress.com/2020/06/trinity.pdf Roots on the Web resources for Trinity Sunday https://www.rootsontheweb.com/i-am-looking-for/public-copies/worshipathome7jun

HYMN OF THE WEEK This setting of the hymn “How can I sing that Majesty” is set to a tune by Ken Naylor. Coe Fen is the name of the small fen on the outskirts of Cambridge, and is crossed by The Fen Causeway, one of the major routes into the city.  Ken Naylor was music master and later Director of Music at Leys School from 1953-1980, which is next to this fen. The words were written many centuries before this modern tune, however, by John Mason (1646?-1694), a Church of England vicar who was said by a friend to be “a light in the pulpit, and an example out of it”. He was known for his poems, some of which seem to have been sung as hymns from an early stage, making him one of the earliest original hymn writers in the Church of England. Before this time, church music was generally limited to Psalms and other portions of scripture.  Another friend, the Puritan minister Richard Baxter to Baxter calls him "the glory of the Church of England," and said "The frame of his spirit was so heavenly, his deportment so humble and obliging, his discourse of spiritual things so weighty, with such apt words and delightful air, that it charmed all that had any spiritual relish.” The words of this hymn, very appropriate for the mysterious feast of Trinity Sunday certainly have that “delightful air” and “spiritual relish” about them. It isn’t in the hymn book we usually use at Seal, so we’re not very familiar with it, but I have included it in the Evensong Podcast for this Sunday if you’d like to sing along with it this week.   How shall I sing that Majesty. Which angels do admire? Let dust in dust and silence lie; Sing, sing, ye heavenly choir. Thousands of thousands stand around Thy throne, O God most high; Ten thousand times ten thousand sound Thy praise; but who am I? Thy brightness unto them appears, While I Thy footsteps trace; A sound of God comes to my ears, But they behold Thy face. I shall, I fear, be dark and cold, With all my fire and light; Yet when Thou dost accept their gold, Lord, treasure up my mite. Enlighten with faith's light my heart, Inflame it with love's fire; Then shall I sing and take my part With that celestial choir. They sing because Thou art their Sun; Lord, send a beam on me; For where heaven is but once begun There alleluias be. How great a being, Lord, is Thine, Which doth all beings keep! Thy knowledge is the only line To sound so vast a deep. Thou art a sea without a shore, A sun without a sphere; Thy time is now and evermore, Thy place is everywhere. Come Holy Ghost  Prayer of the week The prayer below is by Bishop Thomas Ken (who also wrote “Glory to thee my God this night”). This prayer, really a “Doxology” or expression of praise meant to be used at the end of a prayer, emphasizes that the essence of God, and at the heart of the Trinity, is love. The icon by Rublev, right, is sometimes called “The Hospitality of Abraham” but is also interpreted as an attempt to depict the Trinity. In the story in Genesis 18, Abraham welcomes three strangers, who tell him that he and his wife, Sarah, will finally have the son that God has promised them. Later theologians interpreted these strangers as personifications of the Father, Son and Spirit. The really important thing about this depiction is the way the fourth side of the table they are sitting around is open to us. We are invited to be a part of the love that is shared and the meal that is being offered. To God the Father , who first loved us and made us accepted in the Beloved; to God the Son , who loved us , and washed us from our sins in his own blood; to God the Holy Ghost, who sheddeth the love of God abroad in our hearts; to the one true God be all love and all glory for time and for eternity. Amen.  Would you like a visit (or to visit me)? Zoom (and phone and newsletters etc) are all very well, but there’s nothing like seeing someone face to face in the flesh! Now that we are allowed by law to meet with a small group of others outside in our gardens, it is possible for me to visit those who would like a face to face chat. I am more than happy to come to you if you have a suitable outdoor space (and I can get to you on my bike!) or you can come to the vicarage, or we can meet in the churchyard. It’s important to stick to social distancing rules, and because of that I will bring my own mug of coffee ( and encourage you to bring a mug of your own if you visit me!) and we’d need to be careful to stay two metres apart.  If you would like a visit, please get in touch to arrange a date and time for us to get together. 1,184 candles in Rochester Cathedral The Dean, Philip Hesketh, lit 1,184 candles in Rochester Cathedral on June 5, one for each person who had died at that point with Covid19 in the Kent and Medway area. And finally... This story either needs no explanation, or more explanation than any of us would probably want to hear. Mercifully the weather has turned a bit too nippy for this to be an appealing way of passing the time, but if the sun returns next week, please, just don’t do it… Police called to report of dead body on tracks find nude sunbather  " British Transport Police responded to reports of a lifeless body on train tracks in Essex, discovered a nude sunbather. Railway workers saw the protruding feet and no obvious signs of life, forcing them to call the emergency services. Upon arrival the police found a garment-less gentleman in his late 30s sunbathing on the tracks. Police have warned others to not sunbathe on railway tracks." https://www.itv.com/news/2020-06-02/police-called-to-report-of-dead-body-on-tracks-find-nude-sunbather/ Copyright © 2020 St Peter and St Paul, Seal, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: St Peter and St Paul, Seal Church Street Seal Sevenoaks, Kent TN15 0AR United Kingdom