Sunday Worship podcast link 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 10 am   All Age Worship 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion Next Sunday   10 am Holy Communion for Mothering Sunday 3-4.30pm Messy Church 6.30pm Evensong This week: Mon      2-3.30 Talking Village at Deniz Cafe in the High Street              8pm Zoom Lent Group - email for link Wed      10.30 am Holy Communion in Lavender Fields              4.30pm Children's Choir in the hall              7.45 Choir in the hall  (note change of time this week) Thurs   NO  Lent Group in the hall this week - final session next Thursday Fri         9.30 am Morning Prayer in church             10.30-12.30 Friday Group in church hall Sat       18 Reflective walk with Babs Bartholomew from Seal to Kemsing  Lent 3 This week's Gospel reading tells the story of an encounter between Jesus and a Samaritan woman at a well outside the Samaritan city of Sychar. Samaria lay between Judea in the south, where Jerusalem was, and Galilee in the north. Jews and Samaritans had mistrusted one another, and many Jews would take a long route round Samaria, either up the coast to the west, or crossing the Jordan and travelling up its east bank.  The origin of this animosity is disputed, but seems to go back to the time when the Assyrians conquered the northern territory of Israel, and scattered most of the ten Israelite tribes who lived there around their vast empire. According to Jewish sources, those who remained intermarried with the surrounding ethnic groups, who had moved into the areas left vacant. They were regarded as less "pure" than the unconquered Israelites to the south. The Samaritans see it differently (there are still a few hundred Samaritans resident in the area), and claim that they are the ones who have maintained the true traditions, while the southern tribes, who were later deported to and returned from Babylon, had changed their faith.  As with most of these ancient disputes, the truth will probably never be known, but by the time of Jesus the arguments were entrenched. One of the main bones of contention was where God had commanded his people to worship. The Jewish people believed it was in the Temple in Jerusalem; the Samaritans insisted that it was on Mt Gerizim, in the centre of their territory. It probably seems like a rather pointless debate to us, but the worst disputes often start with small points of difference.  The verses just before today's Gospel starts (John 4.1-5), tell us, though, that Jesus "had" to go through Samaria. Geographically and practically, that isn't true. There were other, well-worn routes from Jerusalem to Galilee. But there was someone in Samaria who Jesus had to meet, even if she didn't know it yet, which is why, according to the Gospel account he set out on the long, hot, thirsty trek through a country where he was unlikely to be welcomed or trusted. This Gospel passage is surprising for more reasons than this ancient feud between Jews and Samaritans though. Jesus also finds himself (and is found by his disciples, more to the point) talking to a lone woman, which was not at all usual, and a woman who seems to have been held in low regard by her community. It is the longest conversation recorded between Jesus and another individual in the Gospels, and covered a lot of ground, and it is to her - a Samaritan woman of low repute - that Jesus discloses that he is the Messiah (and God himself - the I AM) for the first time.    All Age Ideas Jesus, who was Jewish, meets a Samaritan woman at a well in today's story. Jews and Samaritans didn't get along and were ancient enemies. It was also very unusual for men and women to talk to each other unless they were in the same family.  At the start of the story, Jesus is sitting by a well, feeling thirsty, but with no bucket to pull up water - there weren't any taps to bring water to people's houses then. When the woman comes along he asks her for water, and they get talking. He says he can give her "living water", something that means she won't ever be thirsty again. She isn't sure what he means at first, but as he talks to her and treats her with respect, something she wasn't used to, she realises that this is what he is talking about. He listens to her and takes her seriously and it changes her life. It is like water when you are thirsty, making you feel alive again.  What would it be like to have to go to a well and carry home all the water you need for a day. Some people still have to do this. It takes a lot of time and the water isn't always very clean or safe. A charity called Water Aid works to help people get safe water supplies. You can watch a video about their work below. Count the number of taps in your house and garden (if you have one). Every time you turn on a tap today, say a prayer for people who don't have water in their homes. It's important not to waste water. It costs a lot of money to clean and pipe to our homes, and sometimes there can be shortages of water. How could you save water at home - not leaving taps running, thinking about saving or collecting water to use on the garden etc. Water can be fun! What are your favourite ways to play with water? You could make boats and race them, or create waterfalls, or paint a picture and then spray or drip water on it to see what happens... Looking for something to do during Lent? Muddy Church have some great ideas.  https://www.muddychurch.co.uk/lent-40-moments-and-40-bags  https://www.muddychurch.co.uk/lent-challenge-sheets   A video from Water Aid - https://www.wateraid.org/uk/ CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS  SEAL CHURCH ECO GROUP  10.30am Saturday 18th March ’23: Lent Eco Walk 1: a gentle stroll from St P & P's, Seal, Churchyard, down to The Well, Kemsing, finishing with coffee & cake etc at the Italian Deli (we’ll buy our own, please!), with some guided meditation on the beauty of God’s creation, & some short prayers, with Babs. Two further Lent/Easter Walks, to take in the Daffodil Cross on the North Downs, Kemsing, near Oak Hall, and then the Bluebell Woods and Oak Hall’s Passion Trail, are also being planned for late March and April; details to follow.   MOTHERING SUNDAY CAKE/GIFT/PLANT SALE On March 19, after our Mothering Sunday service there will be a cake, gift and plant sale. If you happen to be dividing perennial plants in the next few weeks, as you get your garden ready for spring, and you have some spare plants,  we would be grateful for them. They can be brought to church on the day, or left on the vicarage doorstep before then. We will also be asking for cakes and small gifts, so please let us know if you can help. CONFIRMATION SERVICE Saturday May 27th 4pm in Westerham. Would you like to be confirmed? Please let me know if you would like to be prepared to make this commitment. SEAL CHURCH CLOCK Are you missing the chiming of Seal Church clock? So are we! The mechanism, which is over 150 years old, is badly in need of repair. It will cost around £6000 to do the job, which will involve dismantling the clock, getting it down the tower stairs and taking it to the clock repairers workshop, then doing the whole operation in reverse when it is complete. If you can help with raising the money for this you can donate here https://givealittle.co/campaigns/08d6ce0f-43b4-4d7a-aee7-b94c269b0555, or by cheque payable to Friends of St Peter and St Paul Church" or in cash delivered to The Vicarage, Church Street, Seal, TN15 0AR We're hoping the repairs can be started as soon as possible!

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