Sunday Worship Podcast and other news: Jan 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 today 10 am   Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong Next Sunday   10 am  Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong This week: Mon      2-3.30 Talking Village at Deniz Cafe in the High Street Wed     10 am Good Book Club in the vicarage (Judges ch 13-16, the story of Samson)              4.30-5pm Children's Choir in the hall (no Children's choir on Feb 8 & 15)              7.15-8.15 pm Adult choir Fri         9.30am Morning Prayer in church              10.30-12.30 Friday Group in church hall Candlemas (The Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple) Today marks the end of the Christmas/Epiphany season, so we'll be taking down the crib in church. We'll also be lighting candles to mark this festival which celebrates Christ, the Light of the World, who was recognised by Simeon as the "light to enlighten the Gentiles" when his parents brought him to the Temple six weeks after his birth to make the sacrifice prescribed by the law for the first born. Today's sermon explores the way in which, in this story, Luke brings to centre stage people who would often normally have been side-lined, a poor family, a tiny child, and the elderly Simeon and Anna, and the way we might need to ask ourselves who we side-line today.  The news stories I make reference to in the sermon can be found here and here. Rembrandt painted this story several times in different ways, bringing out the meaning of this story in the way he has portrayed the characters and the use of light and darkness. Three of them are pictured below, but there are others too. He was a master at portraying older people, capturing the impact of a lifetime of experience in their faces. Which is your favourite image?  The image I've used to illustrate the podcast shows Simeon kneeling with Jesus in his arms. Mary and Joseph kneel facing him, and Anna stands above them with her arms outstretched in praise. They are in what looks like a side aisle of the Temple, tucked away, but the light streaming through the window (we can just see the shadow of its glazing bars) lights up the scene, reminding us of the light Simeon acclaims in Jesus.  In the second picture, Simeon, pictured in extreme old age, with half-closed eyes and gnarled hands, holds the child. Behind him, Mary stands watching.  The third of Rembrandt's paintings of this scene, simply entitled "The Prophetess Anna", shows Anna on her own. She could be any elderly woman of Rembrandts own time - she is pictured in clothes contemporary to his time. It is a profoundly empathetic and tender image of old age, bringing out Anna's wisdom and love for the child who we might imagine she is looking at just beyond the picture.  All Age Ideas In today's Gospel story, two very old people, Simeon and Anna, recognise a very young person , Jesus, as someone special when Mary and Joseph bring him to the Temple six weeks after his birth.  What do you think is good and bad about being young, or old? Who are the youngest and oldest people you know? Can you find some photos of yourself as a baby and talk about them together. Today is called "Candlemas" because Simeon called Jesus a "light that lit up everyone".  You could decorate the outside of jam jar with tissue paper, cellophane, or draw on the glass with something like a sharpie pen, then put a tea light (a battery one is safest) inside it, and think about how light makes you feel. Or you could make a brightly coloured picture on some thin paper and stick it in the window to let the light shine in through it during the day, and out from it at night.  People used to bring candles to church at Candlemas to be blessed so they could use them through the year to light up their homes in the days before electric light. How many lights do you have in your home? What is it like if you switch them all off , then just sit with one small light.  How do you feel about the dark? Do you like it, or does it frighten you? Give thanks to God for the light - and for the darkness which helps us to rest.  CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS  RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch - thus weekend Jan 27-29 Many of us take an hour over the last weekend in Jan each year to count the birds that visit our gardens. This year, we're inviting anyone who'd like to do this in the churchyard to come along from 3-4pm today Sunday, Jan 29 - to do it together if you'd like to. As part of working towards our Bronze Eco-Church award, we'd like to survey the wildlife and plants in our churchyard. Churchyards are often really important undisturbed spaces for wildlife, and it's important that we know what's there, so we can value and look after it. If you are coming, wrap up warmly, and bring a warm drink with you! SEAL VILLAGE FUND: CALLING ALL ORGANISATIONS/CLUBS AND SOCIETIES THAT OPERATE IN SEAL VILLAGE Do you need some extra funding for a specific project or need? Then the Seal Village Fund may be able to help you! Successful fund raising events have resulted in excess funds being available to distribute to the groups that provide such wonderful opportunities and support in our friendly village. The Seal Village Fund will consider bids from any village organisation/club/society that benefits those that live, work or play in the village. The Rules of Engagement:- 1 - Only bids up to £250 please 2 - Submit a written proposal providing details of the project/initiative, how it will benefit the village, and the amount of funding being requested. Proposals need to be received by Friday February 24th 2023. 3 - You must be prepared to come and present your case at the Seal Village Fund AGM which will take place at the Know Your Neighbours Meet and Greet session on Saturday March 11th 2023 in Seal Village Hall at 11,30. 4 - All successful bids will be notified shortly after the AGM. Any questions and written proposals to be sent to Becky Watson (Seal Village Fund Secretary) at beckywatson@btinternet.com SAVE THE DATE - SAT MARCH 11TH 11.30-1.00 SEAL VILLAGE HALL  KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOURS MEET AND GREET PLUS SEAL VILLAGE FUND AGM. Come along, have a coffee, cake and a chat with members of local village organisations and find out what happens in our village. Also, let's have your ideas for what you would like to see in the future. CORONATION CELEBRATIONS We have been discussing the logistics of having one large village celebration, and in light of the lack of people keen to organise such an event, we were thinking, maybe some of you might prefer to organise a more localised celebration just for your immediate neighbours - a proper old fashioned street party - just for your street or direct neighbourhood. Of course, this will be more difficult for some roads than others, but there is always a solution to be found when getting together with others ! We will all have memories, however young or old, of royal celebrations, and it would be great to pass this legacy on to the very youngest of us. If you feel you want to do this, and may need some support, please let us know and we will help you to facilitate this in any way we can. For instance, if you would like to get together with others who are also planning something similar, we could have a get together to discuss how we can all move the plans forward and support each other. Again, we will have some funds to share, thanks to our 100 Club revenue, but, undoubtedly, more will be needed.   If you are planning, or already running some activity in Seal you would like to share with us, please contact marionjgilchrist@gmail.com, and we will do our best to spread the word. Also, please remember to tell any new neighbours about Know Your Neighbours, so that we can add them to our circulation list, or they can use the FaceBook page - search for Know Your Neighbours in Seal.