JOIN SEAL CHURCH CHOIRS

 It's almost time for the new term to start for Seal Church's choirs!

Why not come along and give it a go? Singing is good for our physical and mental health, and we have a lot of fun in both choirs too.

CHILDREN'S CHOIR meets in the church hall from 4.30 - 5pm every Wednesday in term time, and it is absolutely FREE! All children of primary school age are welcome, and parents/carers can stay if they want to (and join in!), or leave the children and come back to collect them at 5pm. Children don't need any musical knowledge to come along. We sing silly songs, and some serious ones too, play singing games and learn some musical basics. We occasionally sing in church if we have something we want to share, but there's no expectation that children will join our church choir. It's a great de-stressor after a busy day at school (for parents as well as for children!)

ADULT CHOIR rehearses every Wednesday in term time from 7.15-8.15. It's a help if you can read music, however basic your skill level is, but choral singing is a great way to learn to follow a line. We practice the hymns, and also prepare special music to sing in church. All voices are welcome - no auditions! - and we are a very friendly bunch. 

Worship Podcast link and other news from Seal Church: Aug 28

 

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 - Aug 28 10 am  Holy Communion 2pm      Baptism: Martha Boulton 6.30pm Evensong During the week Monday             No talking village on Aug 15, 22 or 29 as Deniz cafe is closed for a holiday. Wednesday       10 am Zoom Church - email sealpandp@gmail.com for the link                           Friday                10.30-12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Saturday            2.30pm Baptism: Toby Whiddett Next Sunday  10 am   Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong Trinity 11 Ecclesiasticus 10.12-18, Luke 14.1, 7-14 Today's Gospel story, like last week's, takes place on the Sabbath day, when Jesus is invited to a meal with the Pharisees. The Pharisees are often cast as the bad guys in the Gospel. In reality, they were the usual mix of good and bad who you find in any group, but some among them were forthright in their challenges to Jesus. The Pharisees were a prominent and relatively numerous religious faction in Judaism at the time of Jesus. Their particular focus was making sure that the laws of Moses were observed; they saw this not only as a sacred duty, but also as their political response to oppression, preserving the distinctive nature of Judaism. Phariseeism had arisen during times of savage persecution in the couple of centuries before Jesus. Pharisees weren't centred in and around the Temple, as some other groups were, but in the synagogues, the local places of gathering and worship. This meant that, just as every village would have a synagogue, every village would probably have a group of Pharisees, who would be likely to become prominent members of the synagogue because of their perceived expertise in understanding and explaining the law. This is probably why they were most frequently named as opponents of Jesus; they just happened to be the religious group he most often encountered as he travelled around the villages and towns of Galilee. Although Pharisees were often not particularly wealthy or powerful in national terms, they were often the "big fish" in the "small ponds" of their communities.  In the Gospel story, Jesus watches the powerplay at the dinner he has been invited to, the unspoken jostling for position among them, and tells them a story which would almost certainly have made them wince with embarrassment, just as it might do to us.    ALL AGE IDEAS In today's Gospel story, Jesus notices that the people at the dinner he is invited to all want to sit in what they think of as the "best" seats. Jesus tells them a story about a guest at a wedding feast, who sits in someone else's place - a place for someone more important than they are - and then feels very embarrassed when they are told to move.  Who sits where in your family when you eat or watch the television together? Do you always sit in the same seats? What would it feel like to swap around just for today? Try it and see! Do you ever have arguments with friends or brothers and sisters about who is most important, who should go first, who should have first choice at something? Why do you think people argue about these things and want to boss one another around? Think about the people in your family. What makes each of them special? Draw or write a card for each of them saying what you like about them and give it to them.

Music at Seal Church

Seal Church Children's choir starts its new term on Wednesday September 7th at the new, slightly earlier, time of 4.30pm. It's just half an hour of singing fun, which is a wonderful way for children to build confidence, and learn some musical basics as they go along. It's for any primary age children, and its completely free !

Save the date!  A forthcoming musical treat at Seal Church. Free, with a retiring collection and refreshments.

Some other dates for Sept Ride & Stride Saturday 10th September The church will be open as usual from 10am to 6pm. We hope to have a selection of cakes, sandwiches and drinks available for walkers and cyclists visiting us during the day. In addition a small group are planning to walk from Seal church to Borough Green, stopping at Seal St Lawrence, Ightham, having lunch and then returning by bus. If you can donate refreshments or would like to join the walk, get in touch with Lise Michaelides on 07570 125115 or liseshay1@gmail.com Sat 17 - Guided tours of the church, led by the vicar - 2.30 and 4pm, each lasting about 45 minutes, uncovering some of the history of the building and the people who have worshipped here. To mark Heritage Open Days. Free. Booking needed - email sealpandp@gmail.com - as there will be a limit on numbers. CHRISTMAS LIGHTS Can you help organising the putting up of the Christmas Lights in the village? I know Christmas is a long way off, but we really need some younger people to take on this task. It takes all of us to make a community, so if there's anything you can do to get involved, we'd love to hear from you. PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO MONDAY TALKING VILLAGE ON AUG 15th, 22nd or 29th as Deniz' cafe will be closed for a well-earned holiday. You can still drop in for a chat at Friday Group in the church hall each week though! SEAL LIBRARY  Storytime begins again on Friday Sept 2 from 10.30-11am, for pre-school children with an adult hosted by our own Jenni Pascoe. Sessions are free and you don't need to book.  The Library is looking for volunteer/s to help with the Home Library Service specifically with visits to Lavender House. If anyone is interested again, please either pop into the library, email the librarian, Jillian, at seallibrary@kent.gov.uk or give her a call 03000 413131   Kemsing walking group invites anyone to join them. They meet the last Thursday of the month at 10.30am , for a 4 mile walk then have a pub lunch. If you are interested contact francesfish1@gmail.com or phone 01732 760007 / text on 07749240456.  AND - FOR THOSE THAT WOULD PREFER A LITTLE LESS EXERCISE Another Kemsing group, EVERY STEP COUNTS, run by Martin and Yvonne Watt, takes place on Friday mornings from 10.30 each week (rain or shine)!. The group meets in the Kemsing village car park, and walk the common field, which takes about half an hour. They then take coffee in The Bell, where Yvonne passes around a jug for voluntary contributions. If this sounds more like your level, just turn up in Kemsing Village car park for 10.30am any Friday morning and you will be added to the group. All welcome, including dogs!

Sunday worship podcast and other news from Seal Church

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 - Aug 21 10 am  Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong During the week Monday             No talking village on Aug 15, 22 or 29 as Deniz cafe is closed for a holiday. Wednesday       No Zoom Church this week                           Friday                10.30-12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Next Sunday  10 am   Holy Communion 2pm      Baptism: Martha Boulton 6.30pm Evensong Trinity 10 Isaiah 59.9b-end, Luke 13.10-17 In today's Gospel story, Jesus heals a woman who has suffered from a disease that causes her to be bent over and unable to stand up straight for eighteen years. This would not only have been painful for her, but also made it difficult to live a normal life, to go about her day to day tasks, and even to look others in the eye when she spoke to them. As well as the physical and emotional burden of her illness, some people might have thought that her illness was a punishment from God - a common idea at the time of Jesus - so she may have found herself treated with contempt too.   Instead of rejoicing that she had been healed, though, all the synagogue leader seemed to care about was that the healing had happened on the Sabbath, and so, he thought, broke the Jewish law which forbade any work on the Sabbath. Today's sermon explores the idea of the Sabbath, and what it means to us.  Disabled people often face discrimination and abuse today - they are ignored, written off, or even blamed for their disability, and can't access the activities non-disabled people take for granted because no one thought of their needs. Often the barriers to living a full life have less to do with the illness than with the attitudes of society, just as the woman Jesus healed found.  If you are disabled and part of Seal Church (whether you worship in the building or online with us) what could we do to help you? ALL AGE IDEAS In today's Gospel story, Jesus heals a woman who had been ill for a long time. Some people were really happy about this, but others were angry because Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day, which was the day when the Bible said people shouldn't work. It was a day of rest. Some people said that healing was work, so it shouldn't happen then. Jesus said that healing people was the most important thing he could do on the Sabbath - just what the Sabbath was for - because it meant that this woman's life would be much easier - she would finally be able to rest and enjoy life as she should.  Jewish people celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday, but Christians celebrate it on Sunday, the day of Jesus' resurrection.  Draw a circle and divide it into seven sections, one for each day of the week. Draw or write what each day means to you - perhaps you do something special on some of those days? You could put a clock hand, or a marker that you can move each day, to make a "week clock" for yourself to mark the days of the week.  Sundays are still meant to be special days for Christians - a day when they take time to worship God together if they can, and to enjoy and care for the world he has made (and themselves). What do you do on Sundays? What could you do to make it special each week?  Jesus said that the Sabbath was a day that was meant to bring joy to people, as it did to the woman he healed. What could you do today to bring joy to someone else's life?

Like many Bible stories, today's Gospel reading poses important questions about living and worshipping with disability. If you'd like to know more, here are some links you might like to check out.  Disability and Jesus . Weekly Youtube service, made by disabled people. Barrier free belonging Church of England resources  https://www.oxford.anglican.org/environment-and-social-justice/disability-and-church/disability-and-church.php http://naomilawsonjacobs.com/  https://www.inclusive-church.org/topics/disability/ https://holding-space.org/ https://www.inclusive-church.org/2022/08/16/book-review-my-body-is-not-a-prayer-request-by-amy-kenny/ https://linktr.ee/heartedge_ Twitter feeds to follow @DisabilityJ,@lydimoo, @RevdJacquiT, @AmazingBrent, @KtTup, @billbraviner, @StThomasPriest, @create_ivish, @Strgl_St_Bible, @YouBelong_2019, @ErinRaffety , @HeartEdge_

THE CHURCH BUILDING WILL BE CLOSED except when there is a service for the next week or so, as we have had another visit from our local vandals. No real damage was done, but they left a mess which had to be cleared up, and we want to discourage them from making a return visit. The police have been informed and we are revisiting our security measures. Please let the vicar know if you see any suspicious activity in or around the church. We are sorry to have to close the building, and will reopen as soon as possible. NO ZOOM CHURCH THIS WEEK. There will be no Zoom Church this week, as I will not be available on Wednesday, but there will be one next week (31st). As always, if you would like to join us for this short, informal worship, just email sealpandp@gmail.com, and I will add you to the email list - an email will arrive on the morning of the Zoom Church with the link in it. ROAD CLOSURE The planned closure of School Lane for sewer repairs has been delayed (no firm date, but possibly not until next Spring), so access to the church should be straightforward! CHRISTMAS LIGHTS Can you help organising the putting up of the Christmas Lights in the village? I know Christmas is a long way off, but we really need some younger people to take on this task It takes all of us to make a community, so if there's anything you can do to get involved, we'd love to hear from you. PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO MONDAY TALKING VILLAGE ON AUG 15th, 22nd or 29th as Deniz' cafe will be closed for a well-earned holiday. You can still drop in for a chat at Friday Group in the church hall each week though! SEAL LIBRARY  Storytime begins again on Friday Sept 2 from 10.30-11am, for pre-school children with an adult hosted by our own Jenni Pascoe. Sessions are free and you don't need to book.  The Library is looking for volunteer/s to help with the Home Library Service specifically with visits to Lavender House. If anyone is interested again, please either pop into the library, email the librarian, Jillian, at seallibrary@kent.gov.uk or give her a call 03000 413131   Kemsing walking group invites anyone to join them. They meet the last Thursday of the month at 10.30am , for a 4 mile walk then have a pub lunch. If you are interested contact francesfish1@gmail.com or phone 01732 760007 / text on 07749240456.  AND - FOR THOSE THAT WOULD PREFER A LITTLE LESS EXERCISE Another Kemsing group, EVERY STEP COUNTS, run by Martin and Yvonne Watt, takes place on Friday mornings from 10.30 each week (rain or shine)!. The group meets in the Kemsing village car park, and walk the common field, which takes about half an hour. They then take coffee in The Bell, where Yvonne passes around a jug for voluntary contributions. If this sounds more like your level, just turn up in Kemsing Village car park for 10.30am any Friday morning and you will be added to the group. All welcome, including dogs! SEAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL FARM has various open days during August, with a chance to walk the goats around the woodland, stroke the pigs or talk to the chickens. See the website www.sealcommunityschoolfarm.co.uk for more information.

Sunday Worship podcast and other news: Aug 14

 

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 - Aug 14 10 am  All Age Worship 6.30pm Evensong During the week Monday             No talking village on Aug 15, 22 or 29 as Deniz cafe is closed for a holiday. Wednesday       10.30 am Lavender Fields Holy Communion (sorry residents only at the moment)                            Friday                9.30am Morning Prayer in Church                            10.30-12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Next Sunday  10 am   Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong Trinity 9 Psalm 82, Luke 12.49-56 Today's Gospel is a tough one, in which Jesus predicts that following his way will lead to division and trouble. He isn't saying that we should engineer conflict, however, but that it is inevitable if people challenge injustice. He points forward to his own crucifixion, which will be the inevitable result of him standing up for the poor and oppressed.  The reading asks us to consider how often we prefer to fit in with those around us if we feel that speaking out will make us isolated or unpopular.  Hieronymus Bosch's picture "Christ crowned with thorns" is also sometimes entitled "Christ mocked". He is surrounded by figures representing the powers of his age, as he is crowned with thorns. They are all focussed on him, caught up in their cruelty, encouraging one another, but he looks straight out of the picture at us. If he could speak to you, what would he be saying, and what would you respond?  ALL AGE IDEAS Today's Gospel reading tells us that sometimes doing the right thing might make us unpopular. Are there times when you have seen other people - perhaps your own friends - doing something wrong? What did you do about it?  How do you feel when someone challenges you and tells you you have done something wrong? Draw a picture of the world as you think God would want it to be. How can you help to make it like that?

ROAD CLOSURE KCC have said that School Lane will be closed to traffic from Aug 19 for 10 days. This may affect you if you are planning on driving to church next Sunday, so please be aware of this. There will be diversions in effect, but they may take you a long way around, so allow extra time to get here! Some Community news from Marion on behalf of Seal Know Your Neighbours Marion says: Thank you to those of you who have put your names forward offering your help throughout the year with various tasks that are community related. As you know (because I have banged on for some months now, requesting new blood), we are desperately looking for a team of people to take over the organisation of Christmas lights, among other tasks. I am making a list, and we will hold a little get together, probably after the summer holidays, as I'm aware many of you will have school aged children so will be busy before then! Please keep nagging your friends, and come along and join the working parties - just please let me know of names, email addresses and/or telephone numbers. PLEASE NOTE THERE WILL BE NO MONDAY TALKING VILLAGE ON AUG 15th, 22nd or 29th as Deniz' cafe will be closed for a well-earned holiday. You can still drop in for a chat at Friday Group in the church hall each week though! SEAL LIBRARY has various activities on for children and adults over the summer Among these are Animal origami next Thursday 10:30-12:15pm with Nicole. The Summer Reading Challenge for children with Gadgeteers is still going strong and it is not too late to sign up and take part.  Storytime begins again on Friday Sept 2 from 10.30-11am, for pre-school children with an adult hosted by our own Jenni Pascoe. Sessions are free and you don't need to book.  The Library is looking for volunteer/s to help with the Home Library Service specifically with visits to Lavender House. If anyone is interested again, please either pop into the library, email the librarian, Jillian, at seallibrary@kent.gov.uk or give her a call 03000 413131   Kemsing walking group invites anyone to join them. They meet the last Thursday of the month at 10.30am , for a 4 mile walk then have a pub lunch. If you are interested contact francesfish1@gmail.com or phone 01732 760007 / text on 07749240456.  AND - FOR THOSE THAT WOULD PREFER A LITTLE LESS EXERCISE Another Kemsing group, EVERY STEP COUNTS, run by Martin and Yvonne Watt, takes place on Friday mornings from 10.30 each week (rain or shine)!. The group meets in the Kemsing village car park, and walk the common field, which takes about half an hour. They then take coffee in The Bell, where Yvonne passes around a jug for voluntary contributions. If this sounds more like your level, just turn up in Kemsing Village car park for 10.30am any Friday morning and you will be added to the group. All welcome, including dogs! SEAL COMMUNITY SCHOOL FARM has various open days during August, with a chance to walk the goats around the woodland, stroke the pigs or talk to the chickens. See the website www.sealcommunityschoolfarm.co.uk for more information.

Worship podcast and other news: August 7

 

Dear friends Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today.  This is just a brief newsletter today, as I have just returned from holiday, so it will take me a while to catch up! 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 - Aug 7 10 am  Holy Communion  6.30pm Evensong During the week Monday             2-3.30pm Talking Village in Deniz Cafe in the High Street Thursday          11am Funeral: Simon Waite                           Friday                9.30am Morning Prayer in Church                            10.30-12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Next Sunday  10 am   All Age Worship 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion Trinity 8 Genesis 15.1-6, Luke 12.32-40 Today's readings focus our thoughts on the generosity of God. Can we trust his promise that it is our heavenly Father's "good pleasure to give us the kingdom."?  ALL AGE IDEAS In today's Old Testament story, Abraham looks up into the starry sky and God asks him to count the stars if he can. God says he will give him "as many descendants as there are stars in the sky" - that is what Abraham most longs for.   Make some stars, and write some prayers on them.