Sunday podcast worship links and other news: March 21

 

March 21     Lent 5 - Passion Sunday Online Morning Worship podcast   Morning service sheet       Hymn words (both services) Evensong podcast  Evensong service sheet In Church 10 am Holy Communion 6.30pm  Breathing Space Holy Communion   Numbers limited to 35 people. Facemasks required unless medically exempt. Services are said, with recorded music – sadly, no singing is allowed under current regulations.  On Zoom this week  email sealpandp@gmail.com for links Zoffee - Sunday morning chat Mar 21, 2021 11:15 AM  Wednesday Zoom Church 11 am. An informal service including Bible reading, prayer and a short talk.   Zoom Children's Choir - Wednesday 5pm Fun songs, led by Anne Le Bas and Rosemary Pattullo Zoom Adult choir  Wednesday 7.15 pm contact philiplebas@gmail.com for the link. Lent 5 This Sunday, called “Passion Sunday” in the Church of England’s calendar, marks the moment when we look towards Holy Week, which starts next week, on Palm Sunday. It’s readings hint at what is to come, as Jesus speaks of his coming death. It won’t be an end, though, but rather a beginning, like the “death” of a seed falling into the ground.   Have you sown any seeds yet? If not, this is a good moment to do so – a packet of cress or lettuce seeds will give you microgreens, even if all you have is a windowsill to grow them on. Dried peas – the sort you make mushy peas from – will grow too and give you pea shoots. If you can’t do that, then you can look for signs of growth around you, leaves and flowers starting to bud on the bare branches of trees, for example. All remind us of the life of God which can’t be destroyed.   Jean Francois Millet’s painting, entitled “Potato planters” from about 1861 shows a peasant couple sowing their seed potatos together. It is a hopeful act, and the outcome is important. Under the tree there is a baby in a basket – this little family will need this food later in the year if they are to survive.   ALL AGE IDEAS All age sheet for families from Rochester Diocese   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.  CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS   NATIONAL DAY OF REFLECTION IN SEAL Tuesday March 23rd marks a year since our country entered our first lockdown to address the spread of Covid 19. We are joining in with a National Day of Reflection organised by, among others, Marie Curie.   HERE IN SEAL, WE WILL BE MARKING THE DAY IN THE FOLLOWING WAYS:-   A video/podcast reflection, available from the church Youtube channel and all the usual church websites and social media feeds, lasting about 10-15 minutes. This will be released in time for the midday silence, and will include a video taken of Seal from the church tower. It will include reflections from local people, prayers and Bible reading.  The video will end with the Lord’s Prayer led by Seal School children.   Ribbons for remembrance, available now in the Church porch (or you can bring your own) to tie on the yew tree just inside the lychgate (not on the Green in  School Lane, as advertised last week)   A light in the window. At 8pm, it would be great to see lights of any sort, in your windows.    Marion Gilchrist and Jessica Heeb.   PLANS FOR HOLY WEEK We’re keeping it simple this year for Holy Week, as numbers at services will be limited to 35, and many won’t be able to join us in person at church. All services will be said, with recorded music and will take place in the main body of the church, so that we can be socially distanced.   ONLINE There will be podcast services of compline each evening during Holy Week, however, and a daily blog with ideas and resources for reflection (these are repeated from last year – there was no point in reinventing the wheel!) And of course, there will be the usual Sunday Podcasts on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday.   IN CHURCH – Facemasks & Social Distancing required. Sadly, no singing is permitted at services. Palm Sunday 10 am Palm Sunday communion, with distribution of Palm Crosses, but no procession (palm crosses available in the porch afterwards for any who want to pick one up). 6.30 Palm Sunday evensong. Weekdays - all services will take place in the main body of the church, not the Lady Chapel.  Mon, Tues, Wed, Fri, Sat, 8pm Compline  Maundy Thurs 8pm Holy Communion and Tenebrae Good Friday 2.30pm Good Friday service (no Messy Church or Reflective Stations this year.)   Easter Sunday 10 am Holy Communion (booking will be required for this service. Free tickets available from https://www.eventbrite.com/e/easter-sunday-communion-service-tickets-147249423991 6.30pm Evensong     SEAL VILLAGE FUND (from the Seal Village Association and Know Your Neighbours) Thanks to those of you who have given feedback regarding ideas of ways to spend the money in the Seal Village fund, to enhance our community life. We will continue to collate all the feedback, and there will be a further full Zoom meeting at 8pm on Thursday April 29th to make a decision. In April's edition of Your Local Advertiser, there will be a reminder of current ideas, and the opportunity to add further ideas of your own - both by email, or by completing and returning the form inside the paper.   Librarian Denise Retirement Collection Our lovely village librarian Denise retired during lockdown. Emily (Durling) thought it would be nice to put together a card and collection from the village as Denise was such a friendly, constant presence for so many of us.   To add a message to Denise's card fill in this form here https://forms.gle/Kc1nScDk9BhuqoCe8   If you'd like to donate to the present you can do so via paypal here https://paypal.me/pools/campaign/115573910627197616For more community news, please see the Know Your Neighbours blog here http://knowyourneighbours.blogspot.com/   HYMN OF THE WEEK  My song is love unknown This beautiful, meditative song, often sung during Holy Week was originally a poem by Samuel Crossman (1624-83). Crossman was a member of the clergy of Bristol Cathedral. This was one of a number of poems he wrote, and may have been sung as a hymn in his lifetime. It was only rediscovered, however, in the 20th Century, when it was set to music by John Ireland  just after WW1. Ireland was organist at a number of London churches, and reputedly composed the tune for this hymn in 15 minutes over lunch, prompted by a challenge from Geoffrey Shaw, who I wrote about last week.. The hymn observes the suffering and death of Jesus, and wonders how people could treat an innocent man so cruelly. It recognises that he didn’t deserve what happened, but that he willingly bore the brunt of the anger of the world out of love for humanity, love which was often “unknown” and unacknowledged.       1.My song is love unknown, My Saviour’s love to me; Love to the loveless shown, That they might lovely be. O who am I, That for my sake My Lord should take Frail flesh and die?   2.He came from His blest throne Salvation to bestow; But men made strange, and none The longed-for Christ would know: But O! my Friend, My Friend indeed, Who at my need His life did spend.   4.Sometimes they strew His way, And His sweet praises sing; Resounding all the day Hosannas to their King: Then “Crucify!” is all their breath, And for His death they thirst and cry.   5.Why, what hath my Lord done? What makes this rage and spite? He made the lame to run, He gave the blind their sight, Sweet injuries! Yet they at these Themselves displease, and ’gainst Him rise.   6.They rise and needs will have My dear Lord made away; A murderer they save, The Prince of life they slay, Yet cheerful He to suffering goes, That He His foes from thence might free.   7.In life no house, no home, My Lord on earth might have; In death no friendly tomb, But what a stranger gave. What may I say? Heav'n was his home; But mine the tomb Wherein he lay.   8.Here might I stay and sing, No story so divine; Never was love, dear King! Never was grief like Thine. This is my Friend, in Whose sweet praise I all my days could gladly spend.  •           Why do you think people find it so easy to treat the innocent with cruelty? Have you ever treated someone in a way which you were ashamed of afterwards?

The choir of St Martin in the Fields sing verses 1,2 and 8 of this lovely hymn. PRAYER OF THE WEEK   Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation: in your goodness you have given us this seed to sow. In it we perceive the promise of life, the wonders of your creative love. By your blessing, let this seed be for us a sign of your creative power, that in sowing and watering, tending and watching, we may see the miracle of growth, and in due course reap a rich harvest. As this seed must die to give life, reveal to us the saving power of your Son, who died that we might live, and plant in us the good seed of your word. Blessed be God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Blessed be God for ever.   This prayer, from the Church of England’s Common Worship book “Times and Seasons” is suggested for Plough Sunday, the first Sunday after Epiphany, in early January. It’s rather early for seed sowing then, however, so you might like to use it now if you are a gardener. It’s an ideal prayer to pray as you hold a seed in your hand. AND FINALLY... Llandudno goats cause chaos after skipping contraception thanks to Covid I shared some pictures of the wildlife that had made itself at home in our towns and cities last year during the first lockdown. It would appear that one thing has led to another, and that the problem is now escalating. Contraception for goats? Who knew? Here’s a report from ITV news (click on the headline or pic for the video…)   "When ITV News first reported on the wild goats of Llandudno that took the town by storm during Covid lockdown, it was all fun and games. But now they're back and in even greater numbers. The Great Orme goats are causing chaos, with kids roaming the streets and the neighbourhood gardens fair game for a spot of lunch. Part of the problem has been that the goats missed out on their annual contraceptive programme. Birth control, usually administered to the nanny goats each summer, went unheard of last year thanks to the pandemic - meaning numbers have climbed. Residents can only hope the herd heads for the hills soon."