Sunday worship podcast link and other news : August 29

 

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today. with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast        Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061 In the church building 10 am   Holy Communion 4pm      Outdoor Church in the churchyard (weather permitting) 6.30pm Evensong During the week Wednesday@10 am Good Book Club in the church hall                        2 pm  Funeral: The Revd. Keith Blackburn (places limited so booking essential if you would like to come - please see below)  Friday 9.30 am Morning Prayer in Church  Trinity 13 James 1.17-end, Mark 7.1-8, 14-15, 21-23,  Today's readings are both, in their different ways, about how we can know ourselves and love ourselves as God loves us.  The Letter of James was written by an early Christian leader, possibly one of Jesus' own brothers, who became the leader of the church in Jerusalem, though this is disputed. He urges people to look at themselves as God looks at them, in the light of his love.  In the Gospel, Jesus urges his hearers not to simply "play act" their faith. It is not about looking good on the outside, simply doing the things which were traditionally thought to be signs of purity and respectability, but about letting God change our hearts.  The picture on the right is by Caravaggio, and its subject is the Greek legend of Narcissus, a beautiful youth who saw his own reflection in a pool of water - the only kind of mirror many people would ever encounter - and promptly fell in love with himself. He couldn't tear himself away from his reflection, and eventually died still gazing at himself. In his place, the flower which bears his name sprung up - narcissus being the botanical name for the daffodil.  Caravaggio's picture might help us to think about what we feel when we look at ourselves, and how we feel about the whole business of self-reflection. Do we regard it as dangerous "navel-gazing", encouraging the "narcissism" which Narcissus embodied, or is it something which can be useful to us. How do we make sure that we are looking at ourselves with the eyes of God, neither judging ourselves too harshly nor overlooking the things which need our attention?  ALL AGE IDEA Look in a mirror and try to draw what you see.  Write under your self-portrait "God loves me". Talk about what it feels like when you know that people love you. STORY OF THE WEEK – Genesis 1 The stories of the week which I will be including here each week, will also feature in our Wednesday @10 sessions. These will alternate between Good Book Club (1st Wed in church hall), Zoom Church (2nd, 4th & 5th Weds online), and Lavender Fields Communion (3rd Wed), but you are welcome to follow along whether you can join us in person on Wednesdays or not. This month we’ll be looking at a selection of stories suggested for the season of “Creationtide” running up to harvest (Oct 10) We start with Genesis 1, one of several accounts of Creation in the Bible. It was not meant to be a scientific account of the beginning of the world, but rather a meditation on what kind of creator we believe in and about his creation. What do you notice about this story? What do you think it tells us about how we should live? More resources for Creationtide can be found here. https://bit.ly/38msy0o CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS   REVD KEITH BLACKBURN R.I.P Keith Blackburn's funeral will take place in Seal Church on Wednesday Sept 1 at 2pm. Numbers will be limited in order to make the service as Covid-safe as possible. If you would like to attend, please contact me, preferably by email, to let me know and I will add you to the list if there is still room.    SEAL CHOIR will be starting to rehearse again on Wed Sept 8th  at 7.30 pm in church. As we rebuild the choir after Covid we are keen to encourage any new members to come and join us. You don’t have to be a brilliant singer, or have any prior knowledge of music to join in – we welcome all comers and will help you learn to read music if that is something you struggle with. We also welcome those who can’t commit themselves regularly, but might be able to help out for special services. Please contact Philip Le Bas philiplebas@gmail.com to find out more. THE CHILDREN’S CHOIR will also be restarting its new term on Wed Sept 8th, at 5pm in the church hall.   PEWS FOR SALE As the Tea Station now occupies the area where the Children’s Chapel was, we are removing the pews in the North Aisle to re-establish a “pray and play” area there. This means we have some six-foot pews for sale! (We will be able to put folding chairs in the area if we need extra seating for special services.) If you would like to make an offer for one, we are asking £325 (or nearest offer) for each pew. Please contact Sally Thompson to find out more. They are being snapped up fast, so don’t delay if you want your little piece of Seal Church! SCARECROWS… We will be holding our scarecrow festival again this year, from mid- September to mid-October. It isn’t a competition, just a bit of community fun, and the more scarecrows we have the better!  If you have nowhere to display your scarecrow in the village, we can find you a space! Please contact Marion Gilchrist or  me if you want to know more. If you are going to display a scarecrow, please let Marion know where he or she will be residing for the month (or part of it). She will then circulate a list so that people can do a village walk and spot them all!   RIDE AND STRIDE The annual “Ride and Stride” in support of Kent’s historic churches (including our own) will be taking place on Saturday 11 Sept. A group will be doing a short walk to Kemsing Church, led by Andrew and Lise Michaelides, and there may be the possibility that I will lead a longer walk, continuing to Wrotham and Borough Green, and then returning by public transport (or your own private arrangements for lifts) if there is a demand. If you would like to join us on either the short or the long walk please let me know. SEAL HISTORY WALK SUN SEPT 26th There will be a history walk around Seal on September 26th. These guided walks, by local historian, David Williams, are very interesting. There are just a few spaces left on this walk, so if you would like to join in  and learn the history of some of our village buildings, please let Marion Gilchrist know soon. The cost is just £5 per head, but numbers are limited for safety reasons. Those of you that have already booked, will be contacted by the end of next week with starting venues, timings, etc. Revd Canon Anne Le Bas

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. Please tell us if you would like us to contact you.

Sunday Worship link and other news: August 22

 

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today. with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast        Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061 In the church building 10 am   Holy Communion 4pm      Outdoor Church in the churchyard (weather permitting - which it may not today!) 6.30pm Evensong During the week Wednesday 10 am Zoom Church - email sealpandp@gmail.com for the link Friday 9.30 am Morning Prayer in Church  Trinity 12 Joshua 24.1-2a, 14-18,  John 6.56-69 Today's Gospel reading is the last in a series  in the lectionary for this season which focus on John's version of the story of the Feeding of the 5000. It all started so well, with a free lunch provided in the middle of nowhere when Jesus multiplied a little child's gift of five loaves and two fishes, but then people started to realise that there was more to following him than just turning up for the bread. He was calling them to a radical new way of life, which would feed them with life forever.   In the Old Testament Reading, Joshua offers the people of Israel a radical choice too. Who will they follow? Whose laws will they obey? The God who has brought them across the desert, or the gods of the people they are now surrounded by.  Both readings challenge us to think about what gives us life, what really matters. ALL AGE IDEA Think about the things which help you to keep going when you feel down or discouraged. Draw a picture of them or make a list and keep it somewhere where you can see it. If there are people on your list, why not let them know how much they matter to you. CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWs   REVD KEITH BLACKBURN R.I.P I am sorry to have to pass on the news that Revd. Keith Blackburn, my predecessor as vicar here at Seal, died early last week at the College of St Barnabas, a retirement home for clergy in Lingfield. Many people will remember him, as I do, with fondness and appreciation for his ministry here. The date for his funeral, which will take place at Seal, has not yet been fixed, and there will be limits on numbers able to attend, as the family want it to be as Covid-safe as it can be, but I will let you know more about the arrangements when I have them. I am sure you will want to hold Keith’s family in your prayers at this sad time.   ARRANGEMENTS FOR WORSHIP We will sing a hymn at the beginning of the 10 am service inside the church. The final hymn will be sung outside as before, unless it is raining. Please keep your masks on to sing! I am also now offering the option of receiving a wafer which I will briefly dip in the communion wine immediately before giving it to you. If you would rather just have the wafer, please shake your head at me before I dip it. There is no pressure to receive the wine in this way if you would rather not!   SEAL CHOIR will be starting to rehearse again on Wed Sept 8th  at 7.30 pm in church. As we rebuild the choir after Covid we are keen to encourage any new members to come and join us. You don’t have to be a brilliant singer, or have any prior knowledge of music to join in – we welcome all comers and will help you learn to read music if that is something you struggle with. We also welcome those who can’t commit themselves regularly, but might be able to help out for special services. Please contact Philip Le Bas philiplebas@gmail.com to find out more. THE CHILDREN’S CHOIR will also be restarting its new term on Wed Sept 8th, at 5pm in the church hall.   SCARECROWS… We will be holding our scarecrow festival again this year, from mid- September to mid-October. It isn’t a competition, just a bit of community fun, and the more scarecrows we have the better!  If you have nowhere to display your scarecrow in the village, we can find you a space! Please contact Marion Gilchrist or  me if you want to know more.   RIDE AND STRIDE The annual “Ride and Stride” in support of Kent’s historic churches (including our own) will be taking place on Saturday 12 Sept. A group will be doing a short walk to Kemsing Church, led by Andrew and Lise Michaelides, and there may be the possibility that I will lead a longer walk, continuing to Wrotham and Borough Green, and then returning by public transport (or your own private arrangements for lifts) if there is a demand. If you would like to join us on either the short or the long walk please let me know. Revd Canon Anne Le Bas

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. Please tell us if you would like us to contact you.

Sunday Worship podcast link and other news Aug 15

Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today. Online Worship podcast        Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061 In the church building 10 am   Holy Communion 4pm      Outdoor Church in the churchyard (weather permitting - which it may not today!) 6.30pm Evensong During the week Wednesday 10 am Zoom Church - email sealpandp@gmail.com for the link Friday 9.30 am Morning Prayer in Church  The feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary Galatians 4.4-7, Luke 1.46-55 Today's sermon explores what the Bible has to say about the Virgin Mary, and how her story has been interpreted by later traditions. It asks what it might mean for us that Jesus was "born of a woman" as St Paul says in Galatians 4.4. One of my favourite pictures of the Annunciation, when Mary discovers she will bear the Son of God is this one, by Antonello da Messina. There's no angel, just Mary, reading the Scriptures and somehow, inwardly, realising that God is calling her.  ALL AGE IDEA Look at the picture on the right. What do you think Mary might be feeling or thinking? What do you think she would want to say to you? What do you want to say to her? Perhaps you could draw your own picture of Mary. I wonder what she would look like or be doing. CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWs   ARRANGEMENTS FOR WORSHIP FROM AUG 15. Having digested the responses to the survey I put out a few weeks ago (you can see the results on the noticeboard) and consulted with the PCC, I have decided that we should try singing a hymn at the beginning of the 10 am service inside the church. The final hymn will be sung outside as before, unless it is raining. Please keep your masks on to sing! The other change you will see today at communion is that I will be offering the option of receiving a wafer which I will briefly dip in the communion wine immediately before giving it to you. If you would rather just have the wafer, please shake your head at me before I do it! The responses to the survey indicate that on the whole, people want to proceed with caution in reinstating some other aspects of our worship, so we won’t be shaking hands at the Peace for a while and ask you still to wear a mask unless you are exempt and socially distance wherever possible. Arrangements for evening services will remain the same for the moment.  I will keep all arrangements for worship under consideration and we plan gradually to introduce more music and restart the choir from September.   FOODBANK DONATIONS Lise thanks everyone for their donations for the foodbank. Keep up the good work! Donations welcome of Tuna, Tinned peas, Tinned tomatoes , Tinned custard, Jars of curry sauce, Tinned beef casserole, Tinned corned beef. Please, nothing too close to the sell by date.” Please either leave food in church or deliver it to Lise at 2 Copse Bank, Seal. You can also donate cash – please drop it in to Lise or donate directly to the Foodbank bank account. The bank details are:  sort code 60-19-02 Account no 30272920.   FRIDAY GROUP - This group is meeting weekly on Fridays from  10.30 – 12 noon in the Church hall . Come along and join them for an informal natter. Anne Le Bas ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   From Marion at Know Your Neighbours  This week, we have a fund raising scheme for Seal Church to tell you about. Patrick Coffey, a very talented local cabinet maker, has some hand made Windsor chairs, he would like to sell, with the proceeds to go to the church. In all, there are 4 carvers and 2 side chairs. These chairs have never been used. They are made of locally resourced timber - mostly ash and a couple have natural elm seats. They are all finished in natural wax. We feel the fairest way to sell these, is to give as many as possible, the opportunity to bid for these, by email, and the person bidding the most for each item, will be able to purchase. The closing date for this 'silent auction', will be Friday September 3rd. Along with these chairs, , there is also a guidewheel for the tenor bell, which was replaced in the church approximately 20 years ago. So, you will be purchasing a piece of local church history. Please bid on these items by emailing marionjgilchrist@gmail.com , and I will give an update each week until September 3rd. There will be a reserve price on each item, so please do not bid below £50 per chair, or £100 for the guidewheel. I look forward to hearing from any interested party.   REMINDERS:- THE PAVILION RESTAURANT AT WILDERNESSE HOUSE, is now open as below:- These hours will change again, after the launch, but in the meantime - Their opening hours are as follows:- Mondays and Tuesdays - closed Wednesdays and Thursdays - 11am - 6pm. Fridays and Saturdays - 11am - 8pm Sundays - 11am - 3pm. Outside business hours, please email bookings@thepavilionrestaurant.co.uk, or leave a message on 01732 445690. There is a sample menu on the Wildernesse House website. HISTORY WALKS WITH DAVID WILLIAMS. If you would like to book a place on David Williams' history talk around Seal for September 26th, please contact me by emailing marionjgilchrist@gmail.com SEAL SCHOOL COMMUNITY FARM The open days are now available to book by using the following link. If you know of anybody who would love to visit the farm, but has no internet access, please put them in touch with Marion, and she will help them book. Book here https://www.sealcommunityschoolfarm.co.uk/ This is excellent value at just £4 per adult and £2 per child. A great way to get some insight into this amazing school project. Our library in Seal is back! We welcome Gillian, our new librarian, who is keen to get all the normal activities back up and running! Opening hours - Tuesdays 2pm - 5pm, Thursdays 10am - 1pm, Fridays 10am-3pm and Saturdays, 10am - 2pm. We are hoping to resume Talking Village from September, in Deniz's on the High Street every Monday afternoon from 2-3pm. Please come and buy and drink and join everybody there for a chat. More information to follow soon! If you were a host, and can no longer do this, please let me know, and equally, if you feel you could join up with one other person, to be present once every 6 weeks to welcome others, Marion would love to hear from you too! Any unused laptops for use of Seal School learners - please contact Marion and she will collect and deliver to Derek for cleansing and prep for use. (Thank you as always Derek). Church Hall bookings - Maggie Fox - 01732 762840 Village Hall bookings - Gerry Froggat - 01959 522545 Friday Group - Meets at 10.30-midday on Friday mornings in Seal Church Hall. Please pop in for a cup of tea or coffee and a chat. Masks still being worn unless exempt. Recipes for Lockdown Recipe Book - please send to me via this email address. Dance For Fun Classes - Village Hall - 10.30am - contact Luci 07748 008431. Short Mat Bowls Tuesday evenings Village Hall - contact Alan Davies jandadavies@hotmail.co.uk or call into the Village Hall at 6.15pm on a Thursday evening. If you are planning, or already running, some activity in Seal, that you would like to share with us, please contact me, and I will do my best to spread the word. We are hoping to get some welcome cards printed to welcome people into the village as they move in to their new homes. This may take a while, but as always -  If you have new neighbours, or are aware of new people moving into the village, please mention KYN and ask if they would like to be added to the circulation list. Meanwhile, have a great week. Best Wishes, Marion (On behalf of Seal Know Your Neighbours). marionjgilchrist@gmail.com

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. Please tell us if you would like us to contact you.

NO OUTDOOR CHURCH TODAY - AUG 8 - OWING TO THE WEATHER

 NO OUTDOOR CHURCH TODAY - AUG 8 -

OWING TO THE WEATHER

Sunday Worship podcast and other news Aug 8

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today. with best wishes Anne Le Bas Online Worship podcast        Order of service You can also access this podcast by phoning 01732 928061 In the church building 10 am   Holy Communion 4pm      Outdoor Church in the churchyard (weather permitting - which it may not today!) 6.30pm Evensong Trinity 10  1 Kings 19.4-8, John 6.35, 41-51 Today's Gospel reading continues the series of readings following the story of the Feeding of the 5000, but the Old Testament Reading, the focus of today's sermon, tells part of the story of the aftermath of the Old Testament Prophet Elijah's contest with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. Elijah - or, to be more precise, Elijah's God - won, but the victory created more problems than it solved.... CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWs OUTDOOR CHURCH TODAY. The weather forecast looks very wet for this afternoon, so it is unlikely Outdoor Church will take place today. Please check on the website at lunchtime, however, for any updates.   MATT BELL Some of you will know that Matt has been planning to move up to Yorkshire for some time, and this is now imminent. I know you will all want to join me in wishing Matt and Helen well for their move, and thank Matt for all the work he has done for Seal Church, as churchwarden, PCC Secretary, Parish Safeguarding Officer and as a much valued member of the choir. You will leave a large hole, Matt, and we will all miss you!   FOODBANK DONATIONS particularly needed. A message from Lise Michaelides. “The Foodbank in Sevenoaks is hoping that local churches, from whom comes most volunteers and donations, could have a school holidays drive for extra donations. We always run low in the summer just as families miss free lunches for their children. Donations welcome of Tuna, Tinned peas, Tinned tomatoes , Tinned custard, Jars of curry sauce, Tinned beef casserole, Tinned corned beef. Please, nothing too close to the sell by date.” Please either leave food in church or deliver it to Lise at 2 Copse Bank, Seal. You can also donate cash – please drop it in to Lise, or donate directly to the Foodbank bank account. The bank details are:  sort code 60-19-02 Account no 30272920.   ARRANGEMENTS FOR WORSHIP FROM AUG 15. I will be consulting with the PCC this week about arrangements for worship from next Sunday (Aug 15) but I hope that it may be possible to sing a hymn inside at the beginning of our service (so that anyone who feels anxious about singing in church can simply wait outside until the hymn is over. We will continue to sing our final hymn outside, so that all can join in. It may also be possible for us to begin to share refreshments after church, using our splendid new Tea Station at the back of church, but this will depend on those who man it feeling able to do so. As always we will proceed with caution, and I hope that we will all remain very aware of those who are more vulnerable to infection and ensure that everyone feels safe. While we can’t insist on people wearing face coverings we do ask people to continue to wear a face mask unless they are medically exempt, out of consideration for others, and we hope that people will still maintain a safe distance from one another.   FRIDAY GROUP - This group is meeting weekly on Fridays from  10.30 – 12 noon in the Church hall garden, or inside if necessary. Come along and join them for an informal natter in the sunshine (we hope…) Anne Le Bas ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   From Marion at Know Your Neighbours Hopefully you are managing to enjoy some summer activities now, despite our lack of summer weather. This morning, we held this month's 100 Club draw at Friday Group in the Church Hall. We were, once again, playing with 64 numbers, which gives a 1st prize of £100 and 2nd prize of £60, and puts £160 into the Seal Village Fund. Each number costs £5 each calendar month, which is generally paid by standing order. The winners are:- 1st prize no 6 Carol McColl 2nd prize no 62 Den Buddin Congratulations to them, and should you wish to take part in this monthly draw, please contact me via this email address, and I will send you the terms and joining instructions. Further to our update of last week - I served up some duff information (surely not)! I do believe I have it right now - SO -  THE PAVILION RESTAURANT AT WILDERNESSE HOUSE, isn't only open to the public on Sundays! These hours will change again, after the launch, but in the meantime - Their opening hours are as follows:- Mondays and Tuesdays - closed Wednesdays and Thursdays - 11am - 6pm. Fridays and Saturdays - 11am - 8pm Sundays - 11am - 3pm. Outside business hours, please email bookings@thepavilionrestaurant.co.uk, or leave a message on 01732 445690. There is a sample menu on the Wildernesse House website. HISTORY WALKS WITH DAVID WILLIAMS. As I explained last week, all places for the walk on September 12th are booked, but I am taking names for a provisional list for a walk on September 26th. Just email me, and I will add you to the list, and contact you in a few weeks time to confirm. SEAL SCHOOL COMMUNITY FARM The open days are now available to book by using the following link. If you know of anybody who would love to visit the farm, but has no internet access, please put them in touch with me, and I will help them book. We are open and live for booking! Please see the NEW farm website and book from there. https://www.sealcommunityschoolfarm.co.uk/ This is excellent value at just £4 per adult and £2 per child. A great way to get some insight into this amazing school project. REMINDERS:- Our library in Seal is back! We welcome Gillian, our new librarian, who is keen to get all the normal activities back up and running! Opening hours - Tuesdays 2pm - 5pm, Thursdays 10am - 1pm, Fridays 10am-3pm and Saturdays, 10am - 2pm. We are hoping to resume Talking Village from September, in Deniz's on the High Street every Monday afternoon from 2-3pm. Please come and buy and drink and join everybody there for a chat. More information to follow soon! If you were a host, and can no longer do this, please let me know, and equally, if you feel you could join up with one other person, to be present once every 6 weeks to welcome others, I would love to hear from you too! Any unused laptops for use of Seal School learners - please contact me and I will collect and deliver to Derek for cleansing and prep for use. (Thank you as always Derek). Church Hall bookings - Maggie Fox - 01732 762840 Village Hall bookings - Gerry Froggat - 01959 522545 Friday Group - Meets at 10.30-midday on Friday mornings in Seal Church Hall. Please pop in for a cup of tea or coffee and a chat. Masks still being worn unless exempt. Recipes for Lockdown Recipe Book - please send to me via this email address. Dance For Fun Classes - Village Hall - 10.30am - contact Luci 07748 008431. Short Mat Bowls Tuesday evenings Village Hall - contact Alan Davies jandadavies@hotmail.co.uk or call into the Village Hall at 6.15pm on a Thursday evening. If you are planning, or already running, some activity in Seal, that you would like to share with us, please contact me, and I will do my best to spread the word. We are hoping to get some welcome cards printed to welcome people into the village as they move in to their new homes. This may take a while, but as always -  If you have new neighbours, or are aware of new people moving into the village, please mention KYN and ask if they would like to be added to the circulation list. Meanwhile, I'm sure some of you are looking forward to the predicted heatwave for summer 2021! Best Wishes, Marion (On behalf of Seal Know Your Neighbours). marionjgilchrist@gmail.com

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. Please tell us if you would like us to contact you.