Sunday Worship podcast links and other news: Palm Sunday

 

The links to our audio podcasts, Zoom sessions etc are below, as usual. DON'T FORGET THAT THE CLOCKS HAVE GONE FORWARD, IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO COME TO CHURCH! If you, or someone you know is in need of any kind, please let us know and we will do our best to help.   Stay safe and keep others safe! Best wishes Revd Canon Anne Le Bas March 28   Palm Sunday Online Morning Worship podcast   Morning service sheet       Hymn words (both services) Evensong podcast  Evensong service sheet Don't forget that you can also listen to a shortened version of the podcast by phoning 01732 928061 -  if you know someone who doesn't "do" the internet, please pass on the number to them. It costs the same as any phone call to a Sevenoaks number. In Church TODAY - PALM SUNDAY 10 am Holy Communion 6.30pm Said Evensong   MON, TUES, WED, FRI, SAT 8pm: Compline (Night Prayer) lasting about 15 minutes Compline Service sheet   MAUNDY THURSDAY 8pm: Holy Communion followed by Tenebrae readings   GOOD FRIDAY 2.30pm: Good Friday service – a quiet reflective service of readings, prayers and recorded music   EASTER SUNDAY 10 am Holy Communion Booking essential - https://www.eventbrite.com/e/easter-sunday-communion-service-tickets-147249423991)  If this service becomes fully booked, I will repeat the service at 11.15 am – check the church website for a new booking link - cleaning the pews between the services.   6.30pm Said Evensong   Numbers limited to 35 people. Facemasks required unless medically exempt. Services are said, with recorded music – there is no singing in church, but we do now have permission to sing outside, so there will be a congregational hymn at the end of the Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday services outside.   On Zoom this week  email sealpandp@gmail.com for links Zoffee - Sunday morning chat Mar 28, 2021 11:15 AM London Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81156017213?pwd=VThMS01PSGsvYW9QN2NMdko2STlDQT09 Meeting ID: 811 5601 7213 Passcode: 660221 You can also join the meeting by phoning  02034815237, and entering the Meeting ID and Passcode above when prompted to do so. 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 No  Zoom Adult choir this week   Palm Sunday   Today marks the beginning of Holy Week, when we travel through the events of the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry, discovering afresh what they mean to us each year. All human life is in these stories; sorrow and joy, cruelty and tenderness. We can find our own life experiences mirrored in the things that happen to Jesus; friendships falter and fail, dreams are shattered, but ultimately hope, love and life triumph. The week starts with the celebration of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.  It’s a piece of very deliberate political and religious theatre. Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah from the book of Zechariah said that the anointed leader God had promised , who would come to deliver his people from oppression would come “humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey”.(Zechariah 9.9) Jesus knew perfectly well what  he was doing, and what people would read into his actions. But he won’t turn out to be the kind of leader most of them are expecting, and within the space of a week, they will turn on him or away from him, just as we so often do to celebrities who don’t live up to our ideals of them today.   ALL AGE IDEAS On Palm Sunday we remember the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem. The crowd were pleased to see him. They pulled branches off the trees to wave in celebration. You could find some leaves (don't pull them off the trees!) and make a picture of the story with them. You could talk about what it feels like to be excited, and what would make you feel really happy right now. The crowd shouted "hosanna!", which means "God save us". What do you think they wanted to be saved from? What help would you like right now? Rochester Diocese Worship at home sheet for families Together at home worship sheet for families The story of Palm Sunday 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   Many thanks to those who put together the service for the Day of Reflection last week for the anniversary of the first lockdown. It was very moving and effective – thank you especially to Marion, Jess and Jonathan, to Martin for the guitar music, and to everyone who contributed in anyway.   PLANS FOR HOLY WEEK We’re keeping it simple this year with our worship in church in 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, though we hope there will be a chance to sing a hymn after the Palm Sunday and Easter Day services, as permission has just been given for congregations to sing outside. Details of services are below. PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU MUST BOOK FOR THE 10 AM SERVICE ON EASTER SUNDAY. If it becomes fully booked, I will repeat the service at 11.15am, cleaning the pews in between services.   ONLINE There will be podcast services of compline each evening during Holy Week,  and a daily blog with ideas and resources for reflection. And of course, there will be the usual Sunday Podcasts on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday, and we hope that videos of some of the Holy Week services will also be available.   IN CHURCH – Facemasks & Social Distancing required. We can’t sing inside, but will be including a hymn outside at the end of the Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday 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.   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, or by phoning 07510522292 if you don’t have internet access. 6.30pm Evensong   From the Know Your Neighbours network 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.   The fifth of our  fortnightly Zoom quizzes, organised by Frances and Annie Fish will take place via zoom on Friday April 2nd  at 7.30. These are free, and lots of fun. If you wish to join us, please contact Frances for your Zoom invitation. We would love to see you there. frances88@hotmail.co.uk  (This date may be amended).   An appeal from Emily Durling, regarding the retirement of Denise Larkin, our super librarian.   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/115573910627197616This appeal ends on Tuesday April 6th.   SEAL CHURCH FUND RAISERS   There are still some beautiful hand made Easter cards, as well as general cards available, plus some Easter gifts and chicks holding mini eggs.Photos are available. For chicks, please email marionjgilchrist@gmail.com For cards c_rampton@hotmail.com for gifts rsapattullo@gmail.com   DONATIONS OF LAPTOPS FOR SEAL SCHOOL, are still being sought. Remember, if you have a device you no longer use and would like to donate, please contact Marion Gilchrist, and I will collect for our IT guru, Derek, to cleanse and prepare for the use of one of Seal's pupils.   HYMN OF THE WEEK   All Glory , Laud and Honour   This hymn is, in origin, extremely ancient. It is  an English translation  of a Latin hymn by  St Theodulph of Orleans (d.821)  St Theodulph  was Bishop of Orleans at the time of the Emperor Charlemagne, who ruled over a large part of  what is now France, Germany , Belgium and the Netherlands. Theodulph was a theological writer and poet as well as being a bishop, and was a favourite of Charlemagne. After Charlemagne died , however, his son and successor, Louis the Pious, took against Theodulph and had him imprisoned ,  apparently thinking that  Theoldulph supported a rival to the throne (he may have been Pious, but was also , it seems, rather paranoid!)  According to legend it was while Theodulph was in prison that he wrote the Latin text  Gloria, laus et honor, as a Palm Sunday hymn  and Louis, somehow hearing him sing it,  decided not only to release him but to command  that it be sung every Palm Sunday . It’s always sung at Seal on Palm Sunday, so I like to think we are still keeping Louis’ command!   The hymn was first heard in English in a translation into Middle English by William Herebert , a Franciscan Friar in the early 14th century.  His translation began "Wele, herying and worshipe be to Christ that dere ous boughte,/ To wham gradden 'Osanna' children clene of thoughte."   It is probably just as well, therefore, that it was translated again in the 19th century by John Mason Neale, since I think we might struggle with Herebert’s text!   John Mason Neale (1818-1866), who wrote the  version we now sing, was  a leading member of the High Church  Oxford Movement. Ordained in 1842, he founded one of the earliest Church of England religious communities for women, the Society of St Margaret, which was devoted to nursing the sick.  It is still going strong, with houses in a number of places in the UK and abroad. John Mason Neale was a classicist, who  translated a number of ancient hymns from Latin or Greek into English. We also owe to him hymns like “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” and “Of the Father’s heart begotten”.   Theodulph’s original version – 78 lines long - would work out to be about 19 verses if they were all included , but mercifully Neale only used parts of it. Even so, there are 8 verses in Hymns A & M (plus the refrain). It was always intended to be a processional hymn and processions can be long! The version we usually use is 5 verses long, which takes us nicely from the lychgate to the back of the church! Although we won’t be having a palm procession this year, I have just heard that we will be allowed to sing outside from this weekend, so we will sing this hymn at the end of the service instead, as a processional hymn which can send us back out into the world!               All glory, laud and honour             to thee, Redeemer, King,             to whom the lips of children             made sweet hosannas ring.   1          Thou art the King of Israel,             thou David's royal Son,             who in the Lord's name comest,             the King and blessèd one:             Refrain   2          The company of angels             are praising thee on high,             and mortal men and all things             created make reply:             Refrain   3          The people of the Hebrews             with palms before thee went:             our praise and prayer and anthems             before thee we present:             Refrain   4          To thee before thy passion             they sang their hymns of praise:             to thee now high exalted             our melody we raise:             Refrain   5          Thou didst accept their praises,             accept the prayers we bring,             who in all good delightest,             thou good and gracious King:             Refrain   Theodulph of Orleans (c.750-821) translated by John M Neale (1818-1866)

PRAYER OF THE WEEK Pilgrim God By Annabel Shilson-Thomas (from “Let justice roll down” a Christian Aid/Cafod anthology)   You trod where others dared not tread You spoke for those whose voices were not heard And walked the way of the cross to lay claim to Golgotha. So lead us through the wilderness of apathy That our whimpers of despair become cries of protest, Our faltering footsteps become strides of purpose, and our blind eyes become visions of hope, That with the landless of the earth We may enter Golgotha to songs of resurrection, Feel its pains tourn to birth pangs, Watch its dry land burst forth and bloom And hear your pilgrim people rejoice and sing.   Annabel Shilson-Thomas is now a Tutor at Westcott House Theological College in Cambridge, but previously worked for Cafod, USPG and other aid agencies. Her prayer invites us to walk with Jesus to Golgotha, the site of Jesus’ crucifixion, not 2000 years ago, but in the daily struggle for justice and peace now.     AND FINALLY... As if our year of intermittent lockdowns wasn’t enough, a team of 15 human guinea pigs have just gone to live underground in the Pyrenees for 40 days, where they will live without watches, phones or natural light, or any connection to the "outside" world to see what happens to their sense of time and what effect it has on them physically and psychologically to live without any awareness of night and day. Most of us have had a hard enough time over this last year remembering what day it is without many of the normal markers of time to help us. You would have thought these intrepid researchers would have had enough, but evidently they hadn't! I won’t be volunteering... The whole story is here https://news.sky.com/story/timeless-cave-lockdown-examines-impact-on-human-guinea-pigs-12250476 Christian Clot/Twitter