Sunday Worship links and other news

 

Dear friends The links to our worship this week, and other news and resources for reflection are below. Best wishes Revd Canon Anne Le Bas September 27   Online Morning Worship   Morning service sheet         Hymn words (both services) Evensong                 Evensong service sheet     In Church Please note – face coverings must be worn in church unless you are medically exempt. 10 am              Holy Communion 4pm                 Outdoor Church in the churchyard 6.30pm            Evensong   Wednesday    9.15 am           Morning Prayer Friday             10.30 am         Friday Group on Zoom and in person- ask for details   Sunday Oct 4 Harvest 10 am              Holy Communion 4pm                 Outdoor Church in the churchyard 6.30pm            Evensong On Zoom this week  email sealpandp@gmail.com for links Zoffee – Zoom chat at 11.15 am every Sunday   Wednesday Zoom Church 11 am. An informal service including Bible reading, prayer and a short talk.   Zoom Children’s Choir  Wednesday 5pm & Thursday 5pm  Note new time for the Thursday group   Zoom Adult choir  Wednesday 7.15 pm contact philiplebas@gmail.com for the link. Trinity 16  Today’s Gospel passage (Matthew 21. 23-32) is set during the last week of Jesus’ life.  He has ridden into Jerusalem on a donkey, in a conscious echo of the Old Testament prophecy looking forward to the coming of the Messiah in Zechariah 9.9, “Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey.” He makes his way to the Temple, driving out the money changers and those who sold animals for sacrifice there. He is causing a huge stir, which the authorities worry is the precursor to an uprising against Rome, which will bring a backlash on them on. The Temple authorities come to him, wanting to know what authority he has to do this. Who does he think he is?  I explore Jesus’ answer in the sermon today.  The picture above, by James Tissot (1836-1902) is actually of Jesus being confronted by a group of Pharisees, who weren’t part of the official Temple authority structure, but the dynamics of the encounter would have been similar. They are offended that this carpenter, without any standing in the religious hierarchy, is taking it on himself to teach and preach. For those gathered around him, though, the words he speaks make sense and bring life.  Tissot was a prolific painter of Biblical scenes in his later life, following what seems to have been a profound spiritual experience. He was the son of a draper’s merchant from Nantes in France, and for the first part of his career mainly painted scenes from the everyday life around him and portraits of society figures. He was particularly known for the precision with which he painted the elaborate 19th century clothing his subjects wore – possibly being the child of a draper meant he had an eye for these details! He carried the same precision into his Biblical studies, however, and tried to make them as authentic as he could. He travelled to the Holy Land, and took great interest in the archeological digs which were taking place at the time, setting his pictures in the landscapes he saw around him. They are marked by a profound sense of empathy for those in them, capturing the significant moments in the life of Jesus and the reactions of those around him, both positive and negative.   In this episode, and in the picture above, the central question is who this man, Jesus, really is? •    How would you answer that question? What does Jesus mean to you? You can find some more of Tissot’s pictures, and information about him, at the links below:  https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/james_tissot http://www.jesuswalk.com/luke/tissot-artwork-new-testament.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Tissot All Age resources Come along and join us at our Outdoor Church at 4pm on Sunday in the churchyard for a story and prayers for all ages. No facemasks required! What story will we hear this week…? Reflectionary sheet for all age reflection on the Gospel story of the two sons. HYMN OF THE WEEK  - Glorious things of Thee are spoken This hymn, which is sung in today’s podcasts by the choir of St Martin in the Fields, was written by John Newton (1725-1807), who also wrote Amazing Grace, for a collection of hymns which he put together in his parish of Olney, working alongside William Cowper (whose hymn, Sometimes a Light Surprises, was featured in this newsletter on Aug 16). Newton was Rector of Olney at this point, but his life had been a roller-coaster of experiences, and he was probably as astonished as everyone else to find himself living the life of a Christian minister. His mother had been very devout, but she had died when he was just seven, and by the age of eleven, he had joined his father at sea, and was eventually pressed into the Royal navy; when he tried to desert he was flogged. He joined a slave ship, but was apparently so unpopular with the crew that he was abandoned in Sierra Leone in the company of a slave trader, who sold him to a high born woman of the Sherbro tribe in Sierra Leone who treated him as a slave. When he managed to free himself, however, despite this experience, he went back into the slave trade himself, captaining a slave ship. Eventually, however, he had a religious conversion, partly prompted by a desperate prayer when his ship was threatened with disaster in a storm, and eventually gave up his former life, gradually shedding his old beliefs and becoming an ardent abolitionist, supporting William Wilberforce in his struggle against slavery. There is another link to a figure featured previously in this newsletter, since one of the books which Newton said had been most formative in shaping his spiritual life was The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas a Kempis, whom I wrote about last week.   Glorious things of thee are spoken, is inspired by words from Psalm 87, a psalm of rejoicing in the city of Jerusalem. “On the holy mount stands the city he has founded; the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God” . Newton isn’t thinking of the literal city of Jerusalem, however, but the heavenly Jerusalem, the Kingdom of God, which we are all invited to be citizens of, both now and in the world to come, living according to its rules and patterns, learning to love one another in an new, equal community. Perhaps the words of the last verse of the  hymn reflect Newton’s own struggles as his life changed, and he had to give up the financial rewards of the life of a slaver. His conclusion though is that “let the world deride or pity,/I will glory in thy name;/fading is the worldling's pleasure,/all his boasted pomp and show;/solid joys and lasting treasure/none but Zion's children know.”   The tune traditionally associated with this hymn is called Austria, originally composed by Joseph Haydn for a patriotic anthem to the Austrian emperor Francis II, but it was re-purposed as a hymn tune set to many different words. Later it was used as the tune for the German National Anthem, and because of the painful associations of the anthem during the Nazi era, it understandably  rapidly fell out of favour in Great Britain. The BBC, wanting to continue to use Newton’s hymn in broadcasts during WW2, needed a new tune to use for it, so one of the producers of Religious Broadcasting, Reverend Cyril Vincent Taylor wrote a new tune in 1942 while he was stationed in North Somerset. His tune is called Abbots Leigh, after the village where he was living, and is now commonly sung to these words (and to other hymns in the same metre). It’s a tune with great sweeps in its melody – a joy to sing, but perhaps sometimes a challenge too! In the version below it is sung at the wedding of the Queen’s granddaughter, Princess Eugenie to Jack Brooksbank in 2018 in St George's Chapel, Windsor.       1 Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion, city of our God; he whose word cannot be broken formed thee for his own abode; on the Rock of Ages founded, what can shake thy sure repose? With salvation's walls surrounded, thou may'st smile at all thy foes.   2 See the streams of living waters, springing from eternal love, well supply thy sons and daughters, and all fear of want remove; who can faint while such a river ever flows their thirst t'assuage? Grace, which like the Lord, the giver, never fails from age to age. 3 Round each habitation hov'ring, see the cloud and fire appear for a glory and a cov'ring, showing that the Lord is near; thus deriving from their banner light by night and shade by day, safe they feed upon the manna which he gives them when they pray.   4 Saviour, if of Zion's city I, thro' grace, a member am, let the world deride or pity, I will glory in thy name; fading is the worldling's pleasure, all his boasted pomp and show; solid joys and lasting treasure none but Zion's children know.

Prayer of the week In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells a little story of two sons, asked by their father to work in his vineyard. The first says he won’t, but eventually does, the second says he will, but doesn’t. Which is the better son?, asks Jesus. The first, say the religious authorities who have come to challenge him. Jesus, and many of his followers, may not look like the kind of people God would call into his kingdom, but they are doing the kingdom’s work, obeying God’s call, unlike many who bore the title of leader, and had high standing in the religious establishment, but weren’t living lives of love and service. This prayer was written by Thomas Becon, 1511-1567, a clergyman and Protestant reformer from Norfolk whose fortunes waxed and waned through the turbulence of the English Reformation. He was alternately persecuted and promoted during the reigns of Henry VIII, Mary, and Edward, depending on how his Protestant opinions were viewed at the time. He was a trusted adviser to Edward VI, but then imprisoned in the Tower of London in the time of Queen Mary. His prayer asks for help not only to hear God’s word, but also to do it – to be like the first son in Jesus story, in other words, who is obedient, even if he didn’t really want to be!   Have you ever had to do something you really didn’t want to, but which you knew was right?   O Lord, we most humbly beseech thee to give us grace  not only to be hearers of the Word, but also doers of the same; not only to love, but also to live thy gospel; not only to profess, but also to practise thy blessed commandments, unto the honour of thy holy name. Amen CHURCH NEWS Harvest   Next week, the first Sunday in October, is the date when we traditionally celebrate Harvest. This year we can’t have a Harvest Supper, but we will still be focussing on the goodness of God’s creation in our worship next Sunday, and the generosity he calls us to. We usually support the Diocesan Poverty and Hope appeal at Harvest, which helps to fund work both overseas and in this country. You can find out more about the projects it supports here As we have been told to discourage cash donations generally in church to control the spread of Covid 19, if you want to give to this appeal, please do so online if you can. The link for more information about how to do this is here.   THE RULE OF SIX While the “rule of six” doesn’t apply to gatherings for worship, it does still apply before and after worship, so please do not linger inside or outside the church before and after services to chat, as it is difficult to make sure that people don’t interact with more than five others when we are doing this. The principle of the ruling is that we should minimise as far as possible our social interactions to prevent the spread of the virus, so we need to comply not only with the letter but also the spirit of the law, and help others to do so. It’s difficult in what is normally a friendly, chatty church, but we all need to play our part.   APCM and Electoral Roll Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting will take place on Sunday October 18th at 11.15 am. The meeting will have to be by Zoom, since we will not be able to accommodate all who may want to come, and the APCM is supposed to be open to any on the Electoral Roll. It is possible to phone into Zoom meetings, so this is a legal alternative to meeting face to face. More details to follow. If you are not on the Church Electoral Roll and would like to be, you can download an application form here . The privacy notice is here. You can return the completed forms to me at “The vicarage, Church Street, Seal, TN15 0AR. The deadline for applications is Friday October 2   We will also be electing 4 members of the PCC and 2 members of the Deanery Synod at this meeting. If you would like to consider coming onto the PCC please let me know.   And finally... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-54239180   "The mystery of why an entire village lost its broadband every morning at 7am was solved when engineers discovered an old television was to blame. An unnamed householder in Aberhosan, Powys, was unaware the old set would emit a signal which would interfere with the entire village's broadband. After 18 months engineers began an investigation after a cable replacement programme failed to fix the issue. The embarrassed householder promised not to use the television again. The village now has a stable broadband signal. Openreach engineers were baffled by the continuous problem and it wasn't until they used a monitoring device that they found the fault. The householder would switch their TV set on at 7am every morning - and electrical interference emitted by their second-hand television was affecting the broadband signal. The owner, who does not want to be identified, was "mortified" to find out their old TV was causing the problem, according to Openreach. "They immediately agreed to switch it off and not use it again," said engineer Michael Jones. Engineers walked around the village with a monitor called a spectrum analyser to try to find any "electrical noise" to help pinpoint the problem. "At 7am, like clockwork, it happened," said Mr Jones. "Our device picked up a large burst of electrical interference in the village. "It turned out that at 7am every morning the occupant would switch on their old TV which would, in turn, knock out broadband for the entire village." The TV was found to be emitting a single high-level impulse noise (SHINE), which causes electrical interference in other devices. Mr Jones said the problem has not returned since the fault was identified. Suzanne Rutherford, Openreach chief engineer's lead for Wales, said anything with electric components - from outdoor lights to microwaves - can potentially have an impact on broadband connections. "We'd just advise the public to make sure that their electric appliances are properly certified and meet current British standards," she said. "And if you have a fault, report it to your service provider in the first instance so that we can investigate."

Sunday worship and other news September 20

 

Dear friends The links to our worship this week, and other news and resources for reflection are below. Best wishes Revd Canon Anne Le Bas September 20   Online Morning Worship   Morning service sheet         Hymn words (both services) Evensong                 Evensong service sheet     In Church Please note – face coverings must be worn in church unless you are medically exempt. 10 am              Holy Communion 4pm                 Outdoor Church in the churchyard 6.30pm            Breathing Space Holy Communion   Wednesday    9.15 am           Morning Prayer Friday             10.30 am         Friday Group on Seal Recreation Ground in groups of six, socially distanced.   Sunday Sept 27 10 am              Holy Communion 4pm                 Outdoor Church in the churchyard 6.30pm            Evensong On Zoom this week  email sealpandp@gmail.com for links Zoffee – Zoom chat at 11.15 am every Sunday   Wednesday Zoom Church 11 am. An informal service including Bible reading, prayer and a short talk.   Zoom Children’s Choir  Wednesday 5pm & Thursday 5pm  Note new time for the Thursday group   Zoom Adult choir  Wednesday 7.15 pm contact philiplebas@gmail.com for the link. Trinity 13   Today’s gospel reading is the parable of the Labourers in the Vineyard. A landowner hires labourers from the market place, where they are standing around hoping to be hired and earn a day’s wage. He chooses some at the beginning of the day, but then, through the day, goes back to hire more until, at the “eleventh hour” – this is where we get that phrase from, he finds there are still some would- be workers there. They have been waiting all day, hoping that someone would give them some work, because they know that if they don’t work, they and their families might not eat. The landowner hires them, and after just an hour’s work pays them  exactly the same as he then goes on to pay those who’ve worked all day, a denarius, which was the normal day’s pay for a labourer. Those who have worked all day, despite the fact that they have been paid exactly what they were told they would be, and what they would normally have expected, are outraged. They thought, seeing their employer pay those who had only worked an hour a denarius, that he would surely now pay them more. It just didn’t seem fair. The landowner points out that they have got what they need – that “living wage” which the denarius represented – and that it is up to him what he does with his money, but they don’t get it. And perhaps we don’t either! In today’s sermon I will be exploring that sense of unfairness, where it might come from in us, and what happens if we try to look at the story, and our lives, differently.   Eugene Burnand, a Swiss artist, illustrated this, and many other parables, in the 19th Century. (I have featured several of his pictures in these weekly newsletters before, and wrote a bit about him here. http://sealpeterandpaul.blogspot.com/search?q=Burnand) In the illustrations for this parable, he captures the emotions that those involved might have felt. We can see the indignation in the gesture of the standing man who seems to be saying to the landowner "it's not fair!" The young man in the second picture is obviously very angry at what he perceives as an injustice. But it seems to me that this old man, and his friend, below, who were probably among those hired last, because they don’t seem as strong and fit as the others, are amazed that they have been treated with such generosity.  What do you think of Jesus’ story? How would you have reacted if you had been there?     All Age resources Come along and join us at our Outdoor Church at 4pm on Sunday in the churchyard for a story and prayers for all ages. No facemasks required! What story will we hear this week…? Divide up something fairly between you - something to eat, lego bricks etc. Talk about fairness. How do you make things fair in your family? Does "fair" always mean having exactly the same things as each other? HYMN OF THE WEEK  - LIGHT'S ABODE, CELESTIAL SALEM One of the choir, at our weekly choir zoom, asked about for some more information about this hymn, and particularly, what “Salem” was. The answer is that it isn’t anything to do with the new BBC series “Fort Salem” which the blurb says is a programme in which  “Three young witches must master their powers to defeat supernatural threats. As disaster looms, can they work together to keep the world safe?” Its title references the Salem witch trials in 1690s America, but the Salem of the hymn is another word for Jerusalem – Salem meant “peace”. In the book of Revelation, the writer sees a vision of “The holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” (Revelation 21.2) The hymn is a picture of heaven, which invites us to join in with its “unending alleluias”. The hymn is a translation by John Mason Neale of a medieval hymn by Thomas á Kempis, 1380-1471, who was originally a member of the Brethren of the Common Life at Deventer in the Netherlands. This wasn’t a formal religious order, but rather a group of men who held all their possessions in common and devoted themselves to prayer and service in their communities, rather like the Beguine communities of women, which were very common across Northern Europe.  There was some mistrust of these communities, though, because they didn’t take the permanent vows  the regular  monastic communities took, and gradually pressure grew for those in them to join  monasteries. Thomas á Kempis eventually joined the Augustinian priory  of Mount St Agnes. He   is believed to be the author of a famous spiritual book of the time called “ The Imitation of Christ”, among many other writings, including the work on which this hymn is based,  Jerusalem Luminosa.    John Mason Neale(1818-1866) was an affected by the Oxford Movement in the mid 1800s, which advocated the revival of some of the rituals and practices associated with Roman Catholicism, which had been swept away at the Reformation. He was influential in the foundation of one of the first Anglican religious orders of nuns, the Society of St Margaret, a nursing order which still works in many places around the world. He also translated many ancient Latin and Greek hymns. We owe him thanks for several popular carols, translated from Latin originals, like  “O Come , O come Emmanuel", "Of the Father's Heart begotten" and "Good Christian Men, Rejoice"   Light’s abode, Celestial Salem vision whence true peace doth spring, brighter than the heart can fancy, mansion of the highest King; O how glorious are the praises which of thee the prophets sing!   There for ever and for ever alleluia is out-poured; for unending, for unbroken is the feast-day of the Lord; all is pure and all is holy that within thy walls is stored.   There no cloud nor passing vapour dims the brightness of the air; endless noon-day, glorious noon-day from the Sun of suns is there; there no night brings rest from labour for unknown are toil and care.   Laud and honour to the Father, laud and honour to the Son, laud and honour to the Spirit, ever Three and ever One, consubstantial, co-eternal, while unending ages run.   Jerusalem luminosa Attributed to Thomas à Kempis (1379-1471) translated by John M Neale (1818-1866)

Prayer of the week The generosity of the vineyard owner in the Gospel story today, who must have spent much more than he had budgeted for by taking on extra workers (more than he needed) and paying them all a full day’s wage, no matter how long they worked, reminded me of this prayer by Archbishop Helder Camara, (1909-1999) a Brazilian Roman Catholic, who spoke and worked for peace and justice amidst the corruption of the Brazilian regime of his time. He is most famous for his comment that: "When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why they are poor, they call me a communist."   Lord, isn’t your creation wasteful? Fruits never equal The seedlings’ abundance. Springs scatter water. The sun gives out Enormous light. May your bounty teach me Greatness of heart. May your magnificence Stop me being mean. Seeing you a prodigal, And open-handed giver, Let me give unstintingly… Like God’s own.   Helder Camara, from “The Desert is Fertile” 1974 CHURCH NEWS Shielders I am very aware that some of our congregation, and others in the community, are continuing to have to shield, formally or informally, because underlying health conditions make coronavirus more of a risk to them. I am more than happy to bring communion at home if you are in this position and can’t get to church, in whatever way would make that safe for you, or to visit to chat or pray with you. If you have any ideas that we could implement to help you to feel more connected to the church and one another, please let me know, and I will see what we can do.    PCC meeting The PCC met on Zoom last week, and discussed a wide range of things, from the tea station project, which we hope will meet the deadline for the grant funding we were awarded (but continue to pray for this please!) to ways in which we might maintain and develop the church’s fellowship and worship during the coming months when it seems likely there will be a changing pattern of restrictions. I’m trying not to think about what Christmas will be like, but rest assured we celebrate it somehow!   THE RULE OF SIX Gatherings for worship are partially exempt from the “rule of six”, but only when we are actually worshipping. It still applies before and after worship, so please be careful not to gather in groups larger than six before or after church. The principle of the ruling is that we should minimise as far as possible our social interactions to prevent the spread of the virus, so we need to comply not only with the letter but also the spirit of the law, and help others to do so. It’s difficult in what is normally a friendly, chatty church, but we all need to play our part to keep one another safe!   APCM and Electoral Roll Our Annual Parochial Church Meeting will take place on Sunday October 18th at 11.15 am. The meeting will have to be by Zoom, since we will not be able to accommodate all who may want to come, and the APCM is supposed to be open to any on the Electoral Roll. It is possible to phone into Zoom meetings, so this is a legal alternative to meeting face to face. More details to follow. If you are not on the Church Electoral Roll and would like to be, you can download an application form here . The privacy notice is here. You can return the completed forms to me at “The vicarage, Church Street, Seal, TN15 0AR. The deadline for applications is Friday October 2   We will also be electing 4 members of the PCC and 2 members of the Deanery Synod at this meeting. If you would like to consider coming onto the PCC please let me know.     And finally... Seal School have been establishing a community farm over the summer to enrich the children’s learning. Sadly, at the moment, most of the community aren’t able to access it, of course, though it is hoped that we may be able to be more involved in the future. I thought you might like some photos of its inhabitants. There are bees, chickens, ducks, rabbits, quail and pigs, and – some of the latest additions – some pygmy goats, who are proving a source of endless entertainment…Here’s a short video. You can follow the progress of the farm on their facebook page “The Good Life Comes to Seal” here. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=322131205512659&extid=FH2N7g83jDGQsNzv and donate to the farm here. https://gf.me/u/ypr93n

Sunday Worship and other news

Dear friends The links to our worship this week are below. Apologies for those who looked for Morning Worship last week and only found Evensong... I am hoping that this week's links are right - but I will probably have made some other mistakes elsewhere! Best wishes Revd Canon Anne Le Bas September 13   Online Morning Worship       Morning service sheet         Hymn words (both services) Evensong                  Evensong service sheet     In Church Please note – face coverings must be worn in church unless you are medically exempt. 10 am              Holy Communion 4pm                 Outdoor Church in the churchyard 6.30pm            Evensong   Wednesday    9.15 am           Morning Prayer Friday             10.30 am         Friday Group on Seal Recreation Ground in groups of six, socially distanced.   Sunday Sept 20 10 am              Holy Communion 4pm                 Outdoor Church in the churchyard 6.30pm            Breathing Space Holy Communion On Zoom this week  email sealpandp@gmail.com for links Zoffee – Zoom chat at 11.15 am every Sunday   Wednesday Zoom Church 11 am. An informal service including Bible reading, prayer and a short talk.   Zoom Children’s Choir  Wednesday 5pm & Thursday 4pm   Zoom Adult choir  Wednesday 7.15 pm contact philiplebas@gmail.com for the link. Trinity 13   Today’s gospel reading includes Jesus' story of the Unforgiving Servant. A king’s servant owed a large amount to his master. When he couldn’t pay, the king ordered him to be thrown into prison, but the servant pleaded for mercy and the king forgave him. As he left, the servant met a fellow worker, who owed him a small amount, which he demanded back. When the man couldn’t repay the debt, the servant had him thrown into prison. This came to the ears of the king, he confronted the servant and withdrew his forgiveness. This picture, by the Flemish Renaissance painter, Jan van Hemmessen, (1500-1566) shows the moment when the king challenges his unforgiving servant, (holding the pen by the window). He and his fellow servants have obviously been in the process of counting money. They have moved on with their work, as if nothing has happened. The figure in the middle is focussed entirely on the cash in his hands. But through the window we can see the man who owed the small debt being dragged away into prison.   Jan van Hemmessen seems to be reminding us that the things we do have consequences which we can easily turn away from and miss, deciding not to see. The king’s pointing finger could be pointing to the record book, in which, perhaps, he had struck out the servant’s debt, or it could be pointing out of the window at the desperate scene which is taking place on the margins, as if to say “Look at what you have done!”   Has anyone ever showed you generous forgiveness? Have you ever struggled to forgive a small offence? What does this picture make you think and feel? All Age resources Come along and join us at our Outdoor Church at 4pm on Sunday in the churchyard for a story and prayers for all ages. No facemasks required! What story will we hear this week…?   Fill a jar with pebbles, buttons, pasta or something else small. Ask those who share your house with you to guess how many there are in the jar. Then tip them out and count them. Whose guess was nearest? In the Gospel reading Peter asks how many times he should forgive someone - as many as seven times? Jesus gives him a very big number - 77. It's a way of saying that we shouldn't keep a count of the times we forgive people. It would be very hard to keep track of so many times. Instead we should be generous to each other and forgive them. HYMN OF THE WEEK  PRAISE MY SOUL THE KING OF HEAVEN This well known hymn, based on Psalm 103, the set psalm for today, was written by Henry Francis Lyte, (1793-1847)who also wrote Abide with Me. Lyte wrote the hymn for his congregation at Lower Brixham in Devon. One branch of my family lived in Brixham at this time – they were trawlermen – and I like to think they may have sung some of Lyte’s hymns when they were first written! Whether that is so or not, it is a fine and rightly popular hymn. Lyte’s hymn encourages us to reflect on our lives, and find God within them, the one by whom we are “ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven” who cares for us “in distress” and tends our “feeble frames”. We can join with all creation in our praises, even the sun and moon and “dwellers all in time and space”. The tune was written by Sir John Goss (1800- 1880) specially for this hymn.   Does this hymn bring back memories for you – it is popular at weddings and at funerals, and many people will recall singing it at school too?

Prayer of the week A prayer for a forgiving spirit, by Christina Rosetti (1830-94)   O Lord, because being compassed with infirmities we oftentimes sin and ask for pardon: Help us to forgive as we would be forgiven; neither mentioning old offences committed against us, nor dwelling upon them in thought, nor being influenced by them in heart; but loving our brother freely, as thou freely lovest us; for Christ’s sake. Amen   Christina Rosetti is most often remembered as a poet (one of whose poems, In the Bleak Midwinter is an essential part of Christmas!), but she was also a considerable devotional writer. She was brought up by a devout and loving mother, of whom she said “Mother’s love patient, forgiving, all -outlasting cannot but be the copy and pledge of Love all-transcending.” Inspired by her example, she wrote many books which mixed poems and theological reflection, which were much admired in her time. This prayer reflects the reality of the experience of forgiveness for many of us. It is a struggle to forgive; we are often tempted to rake over the coals of resentment, which neither helps us, nor the one who we are trying to forgive. It is not always appropriate to forget an offence – there are situations where we need to remember in order to learn from what has happened, and we may need also to put a distance between us and the person we forgive for our own safety. But I am sure we also all know times when we have nursed grudges and allowed ourselves to be “influenced by them in heart”, poisoning any chance of healing in the future.   The Rule of Six – new government guidance You will have seen the new government guidance on gathering announced this week – the “rule of six” – prohibiting gatherings of more than six people from different households indoors or outdoors. We have been assured that this does not apply to services of worship. We can have as many people in church (or at our Outdoor Church) as we can safely accommodate, although people shouldn’t congregate after church in groups larger than six to chat or socialise. What isn’t so clear is how this law will apply to other church activities like Friday Group, Home Groups, or any choir practices we may have in the future etc. The Church of England is asking for clarification urgently from the government. As soon as we have an update (hopefully by the beginning of next week) I will pass it on to those who need to know it, and we will work out ways of doing what we need to do.   APCM and Electoral Roll Parishes were given an extension on the deadline to hold their Annual Parochial Church Meetings earlier in the year. This deadline – October 31 – is approaching, so we will need to have an APCM before then. We have fixed this date for Sunday October 18th at 11.15 am. The meeting will probably have to be by Zoom, since we will not be able to accommodate all who may want to come, and the APCM is supposed to be open to any on the Electoral Roll. It is possible to phone into Zoom meetings, so this is a legal alternative to meeting face to face. More details to follow. If you are not on the Church Electoral Roll and would like to be, you can download an application form here . The privacy notice is here. You can return the completed forms to me at “The vicarage, Church Street, Seal, TN15 0AR. The deadline for applications is Friday October 2   And finally... Here's a wonderful story from the New York Post...https://nypost.com/2020/09/05/man-saved-from-drowning-by-boat-full-of-partying-priests/ You couldn't make it up... Recovering addict saved from drowning by boat full of partying priests "It was a miracle on the lake. A drug counselor and recovering addict kayaking in Lake George, near Albany, had his prayers answered this week when he capsized in deep choppy water and was saved by a gaggle of priests partying on a Tiki boat. Jimmy MacDonald got separated from his wife and step kids while on the water after taking pictures on his new cellphone. As he tried to make his way back, MacDonald hit choppy water and capsized. Wearing an ill-fitting life jacket, he tried desperately to right his kayak and keep his $1,400 phone from getting wet. “That’s when I said, ‘Alright, I think I might die today. I think this might be it’,” MacDonald told local NBC affiliate WNYT. “I prayed to my lord and savior Jesus Christ for help.” Nearby, Greg Barrett, a captain for Tiki Tours, heard his call. “I turned the boat toward him, I realized his life preserver had been in the upper portion of his head and he was, he was hanging on for dear life,” Barret said. MacDonald was pulled out of the water by Barrett and his passengers — a boatload of priests and seminarians from the Paulist Fathers, a Catholic retreat on the lake. “How funny is it that I’ve been sober for seven years and I get saved by a tiki bar?” MacDonald laughed. As for being saved by a bunch of priests, Macdonald said: “I just take that as a sign from God that he’s got me here for a real reason.”

Sunday worship links and other news

 

Morning Worship     Morning service sheet         Hymn words (both services)   Evensong                     Evensong service sheet   In Church Please note – face coverings must be worn in church unless you are medically exempt. 10 am              Holy Communion 2.30pm            Baptism 4pm                 Outdoor Church in the churchyard 6.30pm            Evensong   Wednesday    9.15 am           Morning Prayer Friday             10.30 am         Friday Group on Seal Recreation Ground in groups of six, socially distanced.   Sunday Sept 13 10 am              Holy Communion 4pm                 Outdoor Church in the churchyard 6.30pm            Evensong On Zoom this week  - email sealpandp@gmail.com for links Zoffee – Zoom chat at 11.15 am every Sunday   There won't be any Wednesday morning prayer or Wednesday Zoom service this week, because the vicar is taking time off from Monday 7 - Saturday 12. Zoom children's and adult choirs are also cancelled this week.   Trinity 13 In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus talks to his disciples about how they should resolve conflict within their community and restore broken relationships. None of us can live completely solitary lives, even if we wanted to, and that means that along with the joys of living in community there will also be challenges. It is a theme to which Jesus returns again and again in the Gospels. His commandment to his followers was that they should “love one another” (John 13.34). This would – or at least should – be the way in which people would recognise them as his followers. The aspiration is one thing, the reality quite another, however, and we often fall short and need reconciliation – with ourselves, with one another and with God. Today’s collect, the special prayer for the day in our morning and evening worship, which “collects” its themes together, talks about God “in Christ reconciling the world” to himself. Nowhere is that idea more beautifully expressed than in the story of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15), in which the younger son takes his inheritance and blows the lot on wild parties, but eventually comes back to his father to ask forgiveness. His father gives it freely and joyfully, but the boy’s older brother is furious, refusing to accept that such a thing could happen. The moment when the younger son returns has been painted over and over again, most famously by Rembrandt, but here is a modern take on the story, by Ghislaine Howard. I like the detail of the son’s arms hanging by his side, unable to do anything other than accept the hug his father gives him, something he has not dared hope for.   Ghislaine said of her picture, “The idea of painting the Return of the Prodigal Son was an enormous challenge – how to recreate a subject already given such magisterial form by Rembrandt and the great Russian film director, Andrei Tarkovsky. It is a subject that is perhaps at the very centre of everything I do; it goes straight to the heart of what it is to be human – our weaknesses and our strengths. It embodies the silence of the moment of forgiveness, reconciliation and redemption – in a word, compassion.”  http://www.passionart.guide/return-of-the-prodigal/   All Age resources Come along and join us at our Outdoor Church at 4pm on Sunday in the churchyard for a story and prayers for all ages. No facemasks required! What story will we hear this week…?   In this Sunday's Gospel reading, Jesus tells his friends that when they fall out, they should talk to each other to make things right, not just gossip with their friends or gang up on each other. Think about your friends, and those who you aren't so friendly with. Write their names on strips of paper and make a paper chain out of them, praying for each person as you do.

Prayer of the week A prayer of penitence by Bishop Thomas Wilson 1663-1755   Forgive us our sins, O Lord; the sins of our present and the sins of our past, the sins of our souls and the sins of our bodies, the sins which we have done to please ourselves and the sins which we have done to please others, forgive us our casual sins and our deliberate sins, and those which we have laboured so to hide that we have hidden them even from ourselves. forgive us, O Lord, forgive us all our sins, for the sake of the Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen   Most of us find it hard to say sorry or to acknowledge when we have got things wrong or hurt others, but it is only when we do that we can find healing, both within ourselves and between ourselves and others. That’s why almost every service in church begins with an act of confession. It’s not because we think we should go about grovelling all the time, but because we need to be constantly reminded that we can be forgiven and loved, and that nothing we can do can destroy God’s love for us. This prayer, by Bishop Thomas Wilson, 1663 -1755, is a perceptive one, which recognises the many ways we can get it wrong, and the many reasons why we may do so. Wilson was Bishop of Sodor and Man, a tiny and very impoverished Diocese in his time. He was Bishop there from 1697 to his death, 58 years later. He was offered what was seen as the much richer and more prestigious Diocese of Exeter, but declined it, feeling that his call was particularly to the Isle of Man. He was much loved, and it is said that almost the entire adult population of Man came to his funeral.   HYMN OF THE WEEK 1 Ye holy angels bright, who wait at God's right hand, or through the realms of light fly at your Lord's command, assist our song, for else the theme too high doth seem for mortal tongue.   2 Ye blessèd souls at rest, who ran this earthly race, and now, from sin released, behold the Saviour's face, his praises sound, as in his sight with sweet delight ye do abound.   3 Ye saints, who toil below, adore your heavenly King, and onward as ye go some joyful anthem sing; take what he gives and praise him still, through good and ill, who ever lives.   4 My soul, bear thou thy part, triumph in God above, and with a well-tuned heart sing thou the songs of love; let all thy days till life shall end, whate'er he send, be filled with praise. This  joyful hymn  was written by Richard Baxter,  a  Puritan clergyman and writer who lived through the  English Civil war. It is commonly sung to Darwall’s 148th, originally written for a version of the 148th Psalm by John Darwall, (1731-1789) who was known for advocating that Psalms be sung “in quicker time than common”, which certainly suits this tune, which leaps about as joyfully as Baxter’s words. Baxter was chaplain to Cromwell’s army, but later argued for the restoration of the Monarchy. He was broadly Calvinist in his outlook, but had some differences of opinion with other Calvinists of the time as well as with the  Church of England, not fitting easily into any particular  “camp”. His most famous work is “The Saints’ Everlasting Rest”, in which he ponders heaven, and what it will be like. This hymn clearly draws on the same thoughts. The hymn was written in the same year as his much-loved wife, Margaret, died, and speaks of the unity of heaven and earth, in a way which was probably very comforting. I particularly love the last verse, with its invitation to sing “the songs of love” with a “well-tuned heart”.   What do you think a “well-tuned heart “is like? How “well-tuned” does yours feel like at the moment? SCARECROW TRAIL   Many thanks to all who made scarecrows, and to Barbara Martin and Janetta Critcher who organised our scarecrow trail. Here are some of the offerings. GREAT LITTLE GARDEN GATHERINGS During the summer, the Church is fund raising to help plug the financial gaps caused by this pandemic. We are looking for people to host small (maximum 6 people) garden tea/lunch/supper parties, with donations being made to the church. If you feel you could host such an event, please contact Rosemary on 01959 524914 or Chris on 01732 763585.You could also contact us by emailing sealchurchevents@gmail.com. A pack containing invitations, guidelines and a risk assessment is ready for your use. There have been several Gatherings so far – many thanks to those who have hosted them – and they seemed to go smoothly and safely, so do join in. How are things at Seal Church? Someone asked me last week to include some news of what is happening behind the scenes at church. Although many groups and activities are paused, that doesn’t mean that our hard-working churchwardens and PCC aren’t being kept busy. The PCC has met a couple of times on Zoom during lockdown and will next meet on Sept 17. In particular, we are trying as hard as we can to make some progress on the installation of the tea station at the back of church, even though we can’t actually serve teas and coffees at the moment! We have the approval of the Diocesan Advisory Committee, and are now going through the formal process of applying for a faculty to do the work associated with this. The timescale is quite tight, because a large part of the funding for this is coming from a grant, which we have to start spending in October or we will lose it…Please pray as hard as you can that we can meet the deadline for starting this! Progress has been frustratingly slow on this, because of various technical issues, as well as coronavirus, which is why time is so tight! Plans are also underway to do a small repair to the stained glass window in the Lady chapel. A pane of glass was broken in this somehow just before we reopened for worship which needs specialised work to repair.   The PCC (and I) have also been busy considering the raft of coronavirus regulations and guidance which we have to consider in regard to almost every aspect of the church’s life at the moment, trying to get the balance right between resuming activities and keeping people safe, especially those who are particularly vulnerable. I really appreciate the support and good will with which people have accepted the limitations there are in our common life at the moment, which makes the task much easier than it might have been. And finally... I am sure Dave Walker must creep into Seal Church while I’m not looking to get ideas for his Church Times cartoons. We haven’t got quite as many signs as this around the church, but it’s not far off…