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.