Podcast worship link and other news: Sept 5

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 Zoom Church (email sealpandp@gmail.com for the link) Friday 9.30 am Morning Prayer in Church  Trinity 14 Isaiah 35.4-7a, Mark 7.24-37 Today's Gospel reading is a puzzling and a tricky one to interpret. A Gentile Syro-Phonecian woman comes to Jesus to beg for him to heal her daughter. This all takes place in the Phonecian seaport of Tyre, a rackety and multi-cultural place, an unlikely place for a respectable Jewish man to be. Jesus seems taken aback by the woman's request, and at first seems to send her away. But she persists, and he quickly recognises that he should do as she asks.  This story is paired with another, in which Jesus heals a man who is deaf and has a speech impediment. In both stories, themes of hearing and speaking emerge. Who do we listen to and who do we fail to hear? Who do we allow to speak and who do we silence? ALL AGE IDEA Think about hearing. Be very quiet for a minute. What can you hear around you right now? What sounds do you like? What sounds don't you like? Think of something good to say about those who live with you (or about a friend) and say it to them!  STORY OF THE WEEK – Psalm 148 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. In this Psalm the Psalmist calls all creation to praise God. How do you think a “sea monster” might give praise to God? What might the praise of a “fruit tree” look like? How can we praise God not only in our words, but in the whole of our lives? More resources for Creationtide can be found here. https://bit.ly/38msy0o   CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS   RIDE AND STRIDE The annual “Ride and Stride” in support of Kent’s historic churches (including our own) will be taking place next 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 (about 7 miles), 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 and I will give you more details.   Refreshments. If anyone could contribute sandwiches, cakes or biscuits so that we can provide refreshments for anyone visiting Seal Church as part of the Ride and Stride, please contact Lise Michaelides 07570 125115   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. 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! For more community news from Marion Gilchrist, check out the Know Your Neighbours blog. https://knowyourneighbours.blogspot.com/ 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.