Sunday podcast 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 Nov 22 Christ the King   Online Morning Worship podcast   Morning service sheet         Hymn words (both services) Evensong podcast  Evensong service sheet   On Zoom this week  email sealpandp@gmail.com for links Zoffee - Sunday chat on Zoom  Nov 22, 2020 11:15 AM  Wednesday Zoom Church 11 am. An informal service including Bible reading, prayer and a short talk.   Zoom Children’s Choir  Wed 5-5.30pm  Fun singing with Anne Le Bas   Zoom Adult choir  Wednesday 7.15 pm contact philiplebas@gmail.com for the link. Nov 22 Christ the King Today is the feast of Christ the king, the last Sunday of the Church’s year. Today’s sermon explores what kind of leader Christ is, and what we can learn from him. The feast of Christ the king was only instituted, by Pope Pius XI, in 1925, partly in response to growing secularism and nationalism in Europe. Above all the kingdoms of the world, he said, was the kingdom of God.   The imagery of Christ in majesty, Christ ruling, is far older though, like this manuscript illustration, dating from around 1220. It was natural for people to imagine Christ in much the same way as they saw their earthly rulers, sitting on a throne, wearing golden robes.   What do you think of images like these? What does it mean to you to think of Christ as a king or ruler? All Age ideas - looking forward to Advent As well as the ideas in the video below, there are lots of ideas at this link for making an Advent ring, to help you count down to Christmas. https://reflectionary.org/2020/11/16/advent-wreaths/?fbclid=IwAR1Rv4cezP4MgLoRl8e5kc_ty1rlNWz36aM7vbhAVQ_qzKyHua4-anhND_Y   You could make an Advent Angel and hide it around the house each day during Advent for others in the house to find. http://lifencanvas.blogspot.com/2013/12/creating-paper-angels.html   Advent is coming! While we still don’t know whether and when we will be able to start meeting in church again for worship, Advent and Christmas are most definitely not cancelled. There will be plenty of ways to share in worship and reflection, as ever, whatever happens to the R rate!   Advent Sunday is next week, Nov 29, and activities to help us reflect during Advent will include a series of blog posts reflecting on Christmas carols, an Advent colouring sheet and Advent windows to find around the village. Look out for links on the church website and in this newsletter next Sunday. The video below may help you to think of other ways in which we can make this season special.t other styles. Would you like us to pray for you? Email your prayer requests to: sealchurchprayer@gmail.com Your email will be read by Anne Le Bas and Kevin Bright, the Vicar and Reader of Seal Church who will hold you in their prayers.  HYMN OF THE WEEK Let all the world in every corner sing.   1 Let all the world in ev'ry corner sing, "My God and King!" The heav'ns are not too high, God's praise may thither fly; the earth is not too low, God's praises there may grow. Let all the world in ev'ry corner sing, "My God and King!"   2 Let all the world in ev'ry corner sing, "My God and King!" The church with psalms must shout: no door can keep them out. But, more than all, the heart must bear the longest part. Let all the world in ev'ery corner sing, "My God and King!"   This lovely hymn, written by the Poet and Anglican clergyman, George Herbert (1593-1633)  is one of my personal favourites. Philip and I had it at our wedding! I love it’s inclusivity. Everyone is invited. Every part of life is included. ‘No door can keep them out.’   George Herbert was born in Wales, to a wealthy and artistic family. He became Cambridge University’s Public Orator , and came to the notice of King James I, and served briefly in Parliament in the 1620’s.After the death of King James, however, Herbert decided to revisit an early calling to be ordained, and spent the rest of his short life as the Rector of Bemerton. He was a devoted and much loved parish  priest, but was never physically strong and died of TB at the age of 39. He was a prolific and much admired poet, however, and his poems, some of which have been sung, like this one, as hymns are still deservedly popular.  His only prose work, A Priest to the Temple (usually known as The Country Parson )  is a guide for rural clergy. It’s picture of tireless devotion is something clergy ever since have found a struggle to live up to, however!   The tune that this hymn is sung to, Luckington, was written by Basil Harwood (1859-1949) was brought up in a Quaker family, but was drawn to the music and ceremony of the Church of England, and became a noted organist and choirmaster at St Barnabas, Pimlico, and editor of the 1908 Oxford Hymn Book. His tune is a perfect fit for Herbert’s words. .

Prayer of the week   Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by you be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord.   This prayer – the collect, or special prayer for the last Sunday before Advent in the Book of Common Prayer is famous for its opening words. This Sunday is known as “Stir up” Sunday, and it is supposed to be the last day on which you should make Christmas puddings, if they are to mature in time for Christmas! Whether you make your own Christmas puddings or not, though, its sentiments are worth pondering. The prayer asks God to stir us up, so that we will be fruitful people – not bearing the fruit of raisins and sultanas, but of “good works”. It’s easy to become complacent, and shut our eyes and ears to the call of God to serve those around us.   What might God be stirring you up to do? CHURCH NEWS Check out the blog next weekend or follow us on social media to receive the Advent resources referred to in the video above and to find out where you can find the Advent Windows.  As far as possible they will also be made available in paper format to those who receive this newsletter by post. PCC The PCC met via Zoom last Thursday. Our main topics for discussion were the annual safeguarding update and financial planning for the future in a time when we, like many other churches and charities, are struggling because of Covid. We have been very grateful for those who have felt able to give more during this time, and we are making plans to make sure that we "cut our coat to suit our cloth" as we go forward.  We also had the good news that our Tea Station project is going ahead, and should be installed during hte coming month or so. It's just a pity we can't serve refreshments from it at the moment!   And Finally... I notice that Stonepitts Farm are now open for sales of Christmas Trees. I hope Martin Clews will be vigilant in distributing them so that there aren’t any unexpected “bonus items” in them when they are delivered, unlike the company which delivered the Rockerfeller Centre Christmas tree in New York. https://www.itv.com/news/2020-11-20/one-tiny-owls-big-adventure-as-hes-rescued-from-rockefeller-christmas-center-tree  “Never mind the Christmas robin, one tiny owl was determined to have its moment in the festive spotlight when it was discovered as a stowaway among the branches of the world-famous Rockefeller Center tree in New York City. The male saw-whet owl was found clinging to the 23 metre (75ft) Norwegian spruce on Monday after a three-day, 170 mile road trip to Manhattan.   Credit: Lindsay Possumato/Ravensbeard Wildlife Center via AP The bird, now called - what else - 'Rockefeller', was dehydrated and hungry, but otherwise unharmed. After x-rays to check for broken bones, the little (Rocke) fella was given fluids and "all the mice he could eat".   Credit: AP Ellen Kalish, director and founder of the Ravensbeard Wildlife Center in Saugerties, New York, where the bird was taken, said: "He was the little gift in the tree this year. I was thrilled that he was alert, and looking at me and not just a heap at the bottom of the box." Ms Kalish says the plan is to release him back to the wild this weekend after he's rested up at the centre following his big adventure.”