Sunday Worship Podcast link and other news: July 16

 

Join us for worship online, on the phone or in the building today.  I will be taking time off on July 23 and 30, so there will be no podcasts or newsletters on those days - you can find the Church of England's recorded service here . 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 3-4.30pm Messy Church in the hall 6.30pm Evensong Next Sunday (Anne will be taking time off between July 20 and Aug 5. Kevin Bright will be leading services on those days)  10 am Service of the Word (not Communion) 6.30pm Evensong This week:  Mon     2-3.15 Talking Village in Deniz' cafe Fri        10.30 - 12.30 Friday Group in the church hall

Trinity 6    Jesus' famous "Parable of the Sower" is today's Gospel reading. It's very well known - perhaps so well known that we often don't really listen to it. In fact, it is a parable about listening, about hearing the Word of God, spotting where God is at work in the world.  Today's sermon explores that, and asks us to consider our own attitudes to how we decide where to put our efforts. Jean-Francois Millet's picture of a sower isn't, explicitly, a picture of this parable, but it draws us into the reality Millet saw around him. A peasant farmer sows seeds in the early morning - dawn is just breaking in the background, where we can see the figure of a ploughman, driving a plough drawn with a pair of oxen. The sower is following him, wrapped up against the weather, and striding through the field as quickly as he can, broadcasting the seed from the bag slung over his shoulder. They are doing what they can, but they can't make the seed grow. The harvest they get will depend on many things, like the threatening weather and the birds we can see in the sky, already swooping down on the fields. The picture captures the energy and commitment of the sower, but also the uncertainty of the harvest.

All Age Ideas Messy Church takes place this afternoon, when we will be exploring the parable of the sower. We meet in the church hall from 3-4.30pm and everyone is welcome.  Take a walk, or look in your garden. Can you find any plants that are bearing seeds at the moment. You could pick them and sow them in some soil in a pot, and see what happens. (Be very careful doing this, as some plants are poisonous. Collect seeds with an adult who knows what they are doing, never put seeds in your mouth, and wash your hands after you have handled them. Make a collage of the field in this story. Draw the different types of soil, or find things to stick to your picture to represent them. The parable is about listening - sometimes people hear what is being said to them, and respond, sometimes they don't. What does it feel like when you say something and people don't listen to you? The parable says that God will keep on sowing - saying - his words, and that he doesn't give up on us, even when we're not listening!

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS JESS AND JONATHAN HEEB At our 10 am service in church this morning, we will be saying thank you and farewell to Jess and Jonathan Heeb, as they leave us for Snodland, where Jess will serve as a curate when she is ordained in July (July 30. Please let me know if you would like to attend - places are limited, but Jess would love to see some friendly faces there!).  We have very much enjoyed, and benefitted from their presence here with us, and we pray for them as they take the next step on their journey.  MESSY CHURCH takes place this afternoon, July 16 from 3-4.30pm in the church hall. We'll be exporing the parable of the sower, with crafts, story, singing and tea. All ages welcome, so do come along and join us.  SERVICES JULY 23 AND 30. I will be taking a break from July 20 to Aug 5. Kevin Bright will be leading Services of the Word on July 23 and 30, so there will be no Holy Communion on these weeks. The services will be similar to the first part of the Holy Communion, but will end after the peace, with a prayer of thankgsiving and a hymn.  I am very grateful to him for being prepared to step in to cover these services.  DATES FOR YOUR DIARY FOR SEPTEMBER Sun Sept 10 -ANIMAL BLESSING SERVICE at 3pm.  Bring along your pets, in suitable containers, if they are happy to be out and about with others!, or a photo of your pet if that is easier, and join us for a simple service of blessing for them and all the creatures we share the world with. More details later. Sat Sept 16 - FREE GUIDED TOUR OF SEAL'S STAINED GLASS WINDOWS. Learn about Seal Church's fine Victorian stained glass, the stories it tells, the people who made it, donated it and are memorialized in it. This is an event which is part of the "Heritage Open Days" scheme. Tours at 11 am and 4pm, lasting about an hour. Numbers are limited, so please email sealpandp@gmail.com to book your place.   FABRIC AND MAINTENANCE TEAM We are forming a team to help us look after the fabric of the church (especially important as we currently have no churchwardens). Between them, the Fabric and Maintenance Team will: keep the Log Book and Terrier up to date. This records any work done on the church  prepare and present advice for the PCC and APCM about the state of the fabric of the church  liase with contractors etc for example to allow access to the church and check the quality of any work done, liaise with PCC with Diocesan Advisory Committee to discuss of work and check what faculties or permission might be needed.  seek quotes from contractors, plan work that needs doing, make sure bills are passed to Finance Team for payment There will be a need for someone to take on the role of coordinating the group, and reporting back to the PCC – this role could rotate among members. With a team of people, these tasks need not be overwhelming or too time-consuming. The team will need to have some PCC members on it, but it would be good if there were others who could help. You may be able to do some jobs, but not others, and that's fine too!  The team wouldn't necessarily have to meet in person on any regular basis, but would need to be able to communicate with each other via email or WhatsApp or something similar.  A few people have already volunteered to help with this, but we need some more, so if you can offer some time - working around your existing commitments - I would like to hear from you! The volunteer role description is here.  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  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.  For MUCH more community news, see the Know Your Neighbours blog, or, better still, email Marionjgilchrist@gmail.com and ask to be put on her email list to receive the KYN newsletter each week.

Sunday Worship podcast: July 9 2023

 

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 and Baptism: Willow Hedges 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion Next Sunday  10 am Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong This week:  Mon     2-3.15 Talking Village in Deniz' cafe Wed     10am Zoom Church              Children's Choir has now broken up for the summer              7.15-8.15  Adult Choir Fri        9.30 am Morning Prayer in church             10.30 - 12.30 Friday Group in the church hall Sat        2pm  Wedding: Joshua Novell and Fynley Young

Trinity 5    Today's Gospel reading invites all those who are "weary and carrying heavy burdens" to come to Christ. In him will we find true rest - not necessarily the absence of work, or the relinquishing of responsibility, but the knowledge that we are loved and valued, whatever we are doing. The picture I have chosen to illustrate today's podcast is called "Weary Travellers" by American artist Eugene Higgins (1874-1958), a member of what is known as the "Ashcan school" of painters, a loose grouping who were known for their depiction of the gritty realities of the life they saw around them. In Higgins' picture we see an old man and a small child, who look as if they are travelling away from a town. Their few possessions are contained in the bundle the man is carrying, but though he seems to have little to carry, he looks weighed down with sorrow.  The picture seems to invite us to ask what has happened, why they have left the town and where they are going.

All Age Ideas Look at the picture above. Make up a story to explain who the man and the child are, and what has happened to make them set out on the journey they are taking. I wonder what they are feeling, and what they might be saying to each other.  What would you like to say to them or do for them? In today's Bible story, Jesus says "Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." There are times when we are tired in a good way, because we have had fun or worked hard at something we have enjoyed, but there are also times when we feel tired because we are worried or upset about something. Have you ever felt like that?  What or who helps you when you feel like that?

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS MESSY CHURCH takes place next Sunday, July 16 from 3-4.30pm in the church hall. We'll be exporing the parable of the sower, with crafts, story, singing and tea. All ages welcome, so do come along and join us.  CHILDREN'S CHOIR has now broken up for the summer, and the ADULT CHOIR will have its last rehearsal this Wednesday. Both choirs will be back in September, though, so why not think about joining us then! DATES FOR YOUR DIARY FOR SEPTEMBER Sun Sept 10 -ANIMAL BLESSING SERVICE at 3pm.  Bring along your pets, in suitable containers, if they are happy to be out and about with others!, or a photo of your pet if that is easier, and join us for a simple service of blessing for them and all the creatures we share the world with. More details later. Sat Sept 16 - FREE GUIDED TOUR OF SEAL'S STAINED GLASS WINDOWS. Learn about Seal Church's fine Victorian stained glass, the stories it tells, the people who made it, donated it and are memorialized in it. This is an event which is part of the "Heritage Open Days" scheme. Tours at 11 am and 4pm, lasting about an hour. Numbers are limited, so please email sealpandp@gmail.com to book your place.   FABRIC AND MAINTENANCE TEAM We are forming a team to help us look after the fabric of the church (especially important as we currently have no churchwardens). Between them, the Fabric and Maintenance Team will: keep the Log Book and Terrier up to date. This records any work done on the church  prepare and present advice for the PCC and APCM about the state of the fabric of the church  liase with contractors etc for example to allow access to the church and check the quality of any work done, liaise with PCC with Diocesan Advisory Committee to discuss of work and check what faculties or permission might be needed.  seek quotes from contractors, plan work that needs doing, make sure bills are passed to Finance Team for payment There will be a need for someone to take on the role of coordinating the group, and reporting back to the PCC – this role could rotate among members. With a team of people, these tasks need not be overwhelming or too time-consuming. The team will need to have some PCC members on it, but it would be good if there were others who could help. You may be able to do some jobs, but not others, and that's fine too!  The team wouldn't necessarily have to meet in person on any regular basis, but would need to be able to communicate with each other via email or WhatsApp or something similar.  A few people have already volunteered to help with this, but we need some more, so if you can offer some time - working around your existing commitments - I would like to hear from you! The volunteer role description is here.  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  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.  For MUCH more community news, see the Know Your Neighbours blog, or, better still, email Marionjgilchrist@gmail.com and ask to be put on her email list to receive the KYN newsletter each week.

Sunday Worship podcast link: July 2 : Patronal Festival

 

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 followed by Patronal Festival refreshments 6.30pm Evensong Next Sunday  10 am  All Age Worship and Baptism 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion This week:  Mon     2-3.15 Talking Village in Deniz' cafe Wed     10am Good Book Club Bible study in the Vicarage (Acts 15)              4.30-5pm Children's Choir              7.15-8.15  Adult Choir Fri        9.30 am Morning Prayer in church             10.30 - 12.30 Friday Group in the church hall

Patronal Festival: The Feast of St Peter and St Paul   Today we celebrate our Patron Saints, Peter and Paul. The custom of dedicating churches to particular saints is an ancient one. People thought of it as a way of drawing on the inspiration and support of "friends in high places", just as they might do in life ("It's not what you know, but who you know that counts") Today's sermon explores what it might mean to be part of "the communion of saints", and looks at the way Peter and Paul both needed the help of others.    Is there anyone you remember having "taken you under their wing", helping and supporting you in your journey through life? Who do you support and help?  Do you think it matters to get together with other Christians when you can? How might it enrich our spiritual lives to be part of a church community, either in the flesh or online?

All Age Ideas Today we celebrate St Peter and St Paul. Our church is named after them.  St Peter was a fisherman who followed Jesus and was one of his closest friends. When Jesus was arrested, though, Peter got scared and said he didn't know him. After Jesus died, Peter was very sad, but then Jesus rose from the dead, and although that was good news, I expect Peter felt even more guilty - he hadn't been a good friend at all. But in the story we hear today from the Bible, Jesus forgave Peter and called him to look after other Christians.  St Paul messed up even more than St Peter. At first he hated Christians. He thought that Jesus had been wrong in the things he said, and that others were wrong to follow him. He had Christians arrested and thrown into prison. But when he was on his way to a city called Damascus to seek out any Christians he could find, he saw a bright light , which blinded him, and heard the voice of Jesus from heaven. He couldn't understand it. If Jesus had been wrong, why was he in heaven with God? Paul was led into Damascus, where one of the Christians, Ananias, was told by God to go and pray for him to be healed. Ananias was very brave - he didn't know whether it might be a trap, and Paul might just be pretending - but he went anyway. Paul was healed, and became a Christian too, and went on to spread Jesus message far and wide, writing letters which we still have in the Bible.  St Peter and St Paul weren't superheroes. They were ordinary people who often got things wrong, but learned that God loved them and could use them anyway. Their stories can help us when we make a mess of things, reassuring us that God calls all sorts of people to be saints, people who can shine with the light of Jesus. He even calls us!  Who helps and supports you? Are there people outside your family who have made a real difference to your life? Have a look at the picture on the podcast, which shows St Peter and St Paul together. You could draw a picture of them, or of someone who has been special to you and helped you in some way. What does it feel like when you have made a mess or done something wrong? What do you do if that happens to you?

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS We will be celebrating our Patron saints with special refreshments after the 10am service this morning. If you are coming to church, do stay for cake and other nibbles!    SHARING COMMUNION AT SEAL CHURCH The results of the little survey I asked you to fill in about how you felt about drinking wine from a shared cup and going back to receiving communion at the Altar rail are in.  Wafers dipped in wine vs. the common cup Only 4 out of the 38 people who responded wanted to drink from a shared cup, with the rest preferring to continue to receive a wafer dipped in wine. Having discussed it with the PCC, we have decided to continue to give wafers dipped in wine as standard, but also to have a chalice of wine available for those who want it - we are working out how we will manage the distribution of this, and how people can make it clear if they do want to drink from the common cup. This will start in August. The altar rail vs the chancel steps About two thirds of those who responded wanted to go back to kneeling or standing at the altar rail, with the rest preferring to continue to receive at the chancel steps, so it was much more evenly distributed than the question of the common cup. Before the pandemic, we used to have a slightly simpler service of communion once a month, using the portable nave altar at the chancel steps and receiving there, so it seems sensible to reinstate that, and to distribute communion at the altar rail on the other Sundays. Again, this will start in August, with the portable altar at the chancel steps on the first Sunday of each month.  Whether the distribution is at the chancel steps or at the altar rail, if people need communion brought to them in their pews, that will be fine - just let me know this is what you want.  FABRIC AND MAINTENANCE TEAM We are forming a team to help us look after the fabric of the church (especially important as we currently have no churchwardens). Between them, the Fabric and Maintenance Team will: keep the Log Book and Terrier up to date. This records any work done on the church  prepare and present advice for the PCC and APCM about the state of the fabric of the church  liase with contractors etc for example to allow access to the church and check the quality of any work done, liaise with PCC with Diocesan Advisory Committee to discuss of work and check what faculties or permission might be needed.  seek quotes from contractors, plan work that needs doing, make sure bills are passed to Finance Team for payment There will be a need for someone to take on the role of coordinating the group, and reporting back to the PCC – this role could rotate among members. With a team of people, these tasks need not be overwhelming or too time-consuming. The team will need to have some PCC members on it, but it would be good if there were others who could help. You may be able to do some jobs, but not others, and that's fine too!  The team wouldn't necessarily have to meet in person on any regular basis, but would need to be able to communicate with each other via email or WhatsApp or something similar.  A few people have already volunteered to help with this, but we need some more, so if you can offer some time - working around your existing commitments - I would like to hear from you! The volunteer role description is here.  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  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.