Sunday worship podcast link and other news: July 10

 

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 today - July 10 Trinity 4 10 am  All Age Worship 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion During the week Monday             2-3.30pm Talking Village in Deniz Cafe in the High Street Wednesday     10 am Zoom Church                                                    Friday                9.30am Morning Prayer in Church                            10.30-12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Saturday            1pm: Baptism  Next Sunday 10 am  Holy Communion 3-4.30pm Messy Church 6.30pm Evensong Trinity 4 Luke 10.25-37 Today's Gospel reading is the famous story of the Good Samaritan. The idea of a "good" Samaritan would have been a surprise to Jesus' mainly Jewish audience. Samaritans and Jewish people didn't get on at all. They were closely related, ethnically and religiously, but that only seemed to make the differences more prominent and significant to them. The idea of being helped by a Samaritan would not only have seemed unlikely, but may have been rather unpalatable to many people. But if you are in a desperate situation, then what matters is that you are helped, not who helps you.  Jesus story challenges us on many fronts, but in today's sermon, I suggest that there may be more to it than a simple, moral lesson... Van Gogh's picture (right)  shows the injured man being lifted onto the horse by the Samaritan, while in the background the shadowy figures of the Priest and the Levite are seen walking away into the distance. It is clearly an effort to lift the man up, and Van Gogh emphasizes the physical awkwardness of this act of compassion. This is no easy task, but the Samaritan is determined to help.  ALL AGE IDEAS The story of the Good Samaritan asks us to think about who we feel closest to. It is easy to love, and be loved by, people we like, who are like us - our family and friends, for example - but what about those who are different? What is it like to be them? What might they need from us, and what might we need from them? Who helps you? You could make a card to say thank you to them, or do something special for them. How do you feel about people helping you? Are there times when it is difficult to accept help?

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS   Many thanks to all who helped at our Strawberry Tea last week - it was a great success, and raised £379. Special thanks to Rosemary Pattullo for organising this event. MESSY CHURCH takes place next Sunday, from 3 -4.30pm, and will be in the vicarage garden on this occasion. Come and join us! It is for all ages, and is a very informal mix of craft, activity, worship and tea. COVID is still with us! As I am very aware, having just had it, Covid is still around, and there has been a surge in cases locally recently. While we believe that the measures we are taking to guard against transmission at Sunday services are adequate, we would like to remind people that it is really important not to come to church if you think you may have covid, even if you are on a rota for something! Mask wearing isn’t mandatory any more, but please feel free to wear one if you would like to to protect yourself and others. I will continue to wear a mask to distribute communion. TALKING VILLAGE Monday afternoons between 2pm and 3.30 in Deniz's on the High Street. Buy a cup of tea or coffee and join us on the Talking Village table, for a chat and to make new friends, or catch up with old ones! Saturdays - On the first Saturday of each month in Seal Library from 10.15-11.15am. Join us for a coffee whilst out browsing for your library books. At both these venues, there will always be two hosts to welcome you, and we look forward to meeting with you and getting to know each other better.   SEW TO PRINT Sew to Print - Summer Holiday Workshops in Seal for children 8years + 10.30 - 2pm at Seal Church Hall on:- 19th July and 5th August - Foraging and making botanical dyes 3rd August - Bookbind a sketchbook and make natural ink 4th August - Decorate a t shirt/bag or make a scrunchy. Places are limited so to book contact via Instagram or at sew2print@gmail.com Sophia - BA Hons Textiles, Montessori Teaching Diploma, Forest School Leader.OTHER COMMUNITY NEWS - For more community news from Marion Gilchrist, check out the Know Your Neighbours blog. https://knowyourneighbours.blogspot.com/ or email marionjgilchrist@gmail.com to ask to be put on her mailing list.