Sunday Worship podcast and other news from Seal Church: June 25

 

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 Patronal Festival - the Feast of St Peter and St Paul 10 am  Holy Communion followed by Festival refreshments, cake and gift stalls 6.30pm Evensong This week:  Mon     2-3.15 Talking Village in Deniz' cafe Wed     10 an Zoom Church              4.30-5pm Children's Choir              7.15-8.15  Adult Choir Thurs    8pm PCC meeting in the church hall Fri        9.30 am Morning prayer in church             10.30 - 12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Sat         3.30pm: Wedding Trinity 3   Today's readings aren't easy ones. In the Old Testament Reading, Jeremiah bemoans his calling to prophesy warning to his nation. The Babylonian armies are advancing on Jerusalem, but no one wants to believe that the nation will be conquered, despite the fact that they have no realistic prospect of standing up to them. Jeremiah has just spent a night in the stocks, put there by the Temple priest who wanted to shut him up. Jeremiah rails against him, and against God, for calling him to this task, but knows he can't walk away from it. Too much depends on it.  In the Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples that their task will be no easier than his. They will be maligned and attacked, just as he has been. Matthew is writing his Gospel for an early Christian community who probably knew all too well the reality of Jesus' words. Many had been cut off by families who did not approve of them following Christ, others had faced brutal persecution because of their faith. Jesus isn't, of course, suggesting that we should go out looking for trouble, or deliberately distance ourselves from our families, but sometimes doing the right thing brings division and opposition, and it can be hard to keep going when that happens.  Have you ever had to do something which was necessary and right, but which made you unpopular? What helped you? Have you ever shrunk from doing something you felt later you should have done? All Age Ideas In today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells his friends that sometimes they will have to do things that feel hard, but when they do, they should remember that God loves them. Jesus says that God notices every small bird that falls to the ground and cares about them. He knows how many hairs we have on our heads! If he sees and cares about these things, he will see and care about us too. Have you ever had to do something that felt really hard? What helped you to do it? Jesus says that God notices small things - you could go on a bug hunt in your garden or a park to see how many small things you can notice. CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS PATRONAL FESTIVAL Come and help us to celebrate our patron saints - Yes - Peter and Paul - at our Patronal Festival, on Sunday July 2nd. There will be a special service at 10am, followed by special festival refreshments at 11.15am - 12.15.. There will be some gifts and hand made cards for sale, along with a cake raffle. Please join us. We will be collecting donations for much needed Church funds. DO YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THE LOCAL FOODBANK? You may wish to use this link to see what foods are needed right now, and what there would appear to be a surplus of https://www.donation-genie.co.uk  This was featured in this bbc article https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65574441 CALLING ALL KNITTERS AND CROCHETERS AGAIN! So, now we have seen what some of the village talent can achieve, by way of our magnificent pillar box topper, Chris Rampton is making a request - well in advance - for anybody to come forward to make as many poppies as they possibly can please. She says the more the merrier, as we will be needing an awful lot of this this November, so if you get started now, we will be in with a chance of receiving sufficient. I believe these will be used on the pillar box, and to decorate our church for Remembrance Sunday too. Chris says, you can use any pattern you can find - always good to have some diversity - but abundance is the keyword. Sounds like this will be another terrific show.