Sunday Worship podcast links and other news: April 11

 

Dear friends The links to our audio podcasts, Zoom sessions etc are below, as usual. You will also be able to find details of the ways in which we are hoping to mark the death of HRH Prince Philip in the days leading up to his funeral next Saturday.  Stay safe and keep others safe! Best wishes Revd Canon Anne Le Bas April 11  Easter 2 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 10 am Holy Communion  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 Easter Sunday 10 am service outside.   On Zoom this week  email sealpandp@gmail.com for links Zoffee - Sunday morning chat  Zoffee Time: Apr 11, 2021 11:15 AM London Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82196686207?pwd=b0p5MnpaQ3VRZGg3N05obkx2c2QrQT09 Meeting ID: 821 9668 6207 Passcode: 332637 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 5 pm Fun singing with Anne Le Bas. Any child welcome. Zoom Adult choir  Wednesday 7.15 pm contact philiplebas@gmail.com for the link. Second Sunday of Eastertide   The news at the moment is dominated, of course, by the death of Prince Philip, and today’s sermon reflects a little on that, in the light of the Gospel reading set for today, John 20.19-end. Any death saddens us, but the death of such an important public figure, and one who has been part of the life of our nation for longer than most of us have been alive, stirs up emotions that can run deep, even though most of us will never have met Prince Philip, reminding us of our own losses. The story of Jesus’ first appearance to his disciples, who are adrift on a sea of grief, helps us to reflect on our feelings, and hear Christ’s words of reassurance for us at times of sadness, as I explore in today’s sermon.     ALL AGE IDEAS If your children are puzzled or worried by all the coverage of Prince Philip's funeral, you might like to use this very simple prayer with them. Loving God, We are sad that Prince Philip has died. Thank you for his long life and for his care for The Queen and our country. Amen. There are links to some activities to help children express their feelings on my Pinterest page for Holy Saturday Here is the story of Jesus appearing to Thomas, from today's Gospel reading. John 20.19-end. 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 Following the news of the death of the Duke of Edinburgh we are hoping to have the church open and supervised to allow people to light candles on Friday afternoon between 3 and 8pm. Please check the church website for details later in the week.    There will be no physical books of condolence anywhere nationally or locally. Thoughts and prayers can be left on online books of condolence at https://www.churchofengland.org/remembering-his-royal-highness-prince-philip, where there are also resources for prayer, and at http://royal.gov.uk/ The flag on the church tower will be flying at half-mast until the morning after the funeral, and some of you may have heard the church bell being tolled, as we were asked to do, on Saturday at noon.  The Royal Family have asked that people don't gather or lay flowers in the Duke's memory, as they might normally do, but that people give to a charity of their choice instead.   From the Know Your Neighbours network   SEAL VILLAGE FUND (from the Seal Village Association and Know Your Neighbours) We continue to receive feedback regarding ideas of ways to spend the money we have to enhance our community . 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 is 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. Please be as specific as you can. For instance, if you are voting for a Talking Village bench, or benches generally, please specify where you would like to see them. We need to get this right for the whole community.   Wildflower Verges There will be an illustrated talk via Zoom on Wed April 28th from 7.30-8.30pm, to teach us more about our native flowers and what we can do in the parish, to encourage more of these beauties in our roadside verges. To join the zoom, please contact Chris Tavare christavspc@btinternet.com   SEAL PARISH COUNCIL ANNUAL ASSEMBLY takes place via zoom at 7.30pm on May 5th. Please contact sealparishc@outlook.com for your invitation.   LOCKDOWN RECIPE BOOK - please send your favourite recipes which have got you and yours through this last year. We hope to have a book printed to remember this very strange year, in the next few months.   GET MOVING WITH LUCI'S DANCE FOR FUN CLASSES BY ZOOM - contact lucinapleton@gmail.com for more info.   FRIDAY GROUP - As mentioned earlier, this group is meeting weekly on Fridays from 11am on the recreation ground in groups of 6. When the weather is really bad (this is a very tenacious group) you can obtain a zoom invitation by contacting me on this email address.   HYMN OF THE WEEK    Jesus lives! Thy terrors now, can, O Death, no more appal us. This hymn was written originally in German by Christian Fürchtegott Gellert  (1715 - 1769) His father had been a Lutheran pastor, and Gellert junior was heading in the same direction, but the challenge of preaching from memory, which was demanded at that point by the Lutheran Church, who disapproved of preachers using scripts, defeated him – he was rather a shy man -  so he turned to writing, producing novels, folk tales, poetry and hymns – he also wrote “The heavens are telling the glory of God”. The hymn was translated into English by Frances Elizabeth Cox (1812-1897) a notable translator of German hymns. She also translated the Advent Hymn “Sleepers wake” along with many others. The words of the hymn lead us to meditate on what it means to say that “Jesus lives!”. The resurrection, it says, removes the reason to fear death, transforming it into “the gate to life immortal”. It assures us of God’s constant presence with us.   The tune to which “Jesus lives” is most often sung in England is St Albinus. It was written by Henry John Gauntlett, 1805 -1876 who began learning the  organ at the age of 9, when he probably couldn’t even reach the pedals – always a problem for young organists. He first learned on the organ in the church at which his father was the vicar in Olney, Buckinghamshire. His father insisted that he train as a lawyer, but, as is so often the case with those born to be organists (and organists are born not bred, in my experience!) he couldn’t be kept away from his true passion, and gave up the law in favour of music. Gauntlett became an organ builder and designer, and made various important (to organists!) improvements to organ design as well as playing in a number of churches in London. He was so well respected that Felix Mendelsohnn chose him to play the organ for the first performance of his famous oratorio Elijah in Birmingham in 1846.   Gauntlett’s tune is an apparently simple one, but it gradually opens out through the verse until  you come to the final, triumphant Alleluia!, matching the words to the music perfectly.     1 Jesus lives; thy terrors now Can, O death, no more appall us; Jesus lives: by this we know Thou, O grave, cannot enthrall us. Alleluia!   2 Jesus lives: henceforth is death But the gate to life immortal; This shall calm our trembling breath When we pass its gloomy portal. Alleluia!   3 Jesus lives: our hearts know well Nought from us his love shall sever; Life nor death nor pow'rs of hell Tear us from his keeping ever. Alleluia!   4 Jesus lives: to him the throne Over all the world is given: May we go where he is gone, Rest and reign with him in heaven. Alleluia!

PRAYER OF THE WEEK Support us, O Lord, all the day long of this troublous life, until the shades lengthen and the evening comes, the busy world is hushed, the fever of life is over and our work is done. Then, Lord, in your mercy grant us safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   This prayer, commonly used at funerals, is attributed to John Henry Newman, (1801-1890) a prominent figure in the Anglo-Catholic Oxford Movement, who eventually joined the Roman Catholic Church, becoming a cardinal and who was recently declared to be a saint. The prayer was included in the 1928 revision of the Book of Common Prayer. This prayer book was not  authorised by parliament, however – they rejected it twice when it was presented to them, but it was popular with many congregations and clergy, including the archbishops, so many churches used it anyway. Newman’s prayer became popular, despite not, officially, being part of the funeral liturgy, and it has remained so ever since. It’s imagery draws on John 14, where Jesus , on the night before he dies, tells his followers that “In my Father’s house are many dwelling places”.  It is especially appropriate for the funeral of those, like the Duke of Edinburgh, who have died after a long life of service, and can also be used at the end of the day, when “our work is done”. No one has to go on for ever, it tells us! We are allowed to rest in God. AND FINALLY... Many thanks to Maggie Fox, Sue Buddin (and maybe others, whose names I don’t know) who decorated the church so beautifully for Easter, filling it with daffodils and tulips. It looked splendid, just perfect for our Easter celebrations. I am hoping they didn’t gather their material with chainsaws, like this pair, however! (Copyright: Ron / Church Times)