Sunday Worship podcast link and other news: May 26 Trinity Sunday

 

Dear Friends Listen to today's worship podcast by clicking on the picture above.  Anne Le Bas Worship Online Worship podcast - Click on picture above Order of service (I am having problems with the phone-in version of this podcast, so have had to suspend it. Spotify is also playing up, so if you subscribe on Spotify,  this week's and future podcasts can be found here. Access to past podcasts here. It is simpler to use the Youtube link in the picture above, however!) DONATE TO SEAL CHURCH HERE - all contributions gratefully received to keep the church thriving! In the church building today 10 am  TRINITY: Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong (said, with hymns) This week:  Wed                        No Choir (Half-term)                                2-4pm Eco church activity in the churchyard Sow seeds, explore the churchyard.                                   See below for more detail Friday                     9am Morning prayer in church                                10.30am Friday Group in the Church Hall                                Next Sunday  10 am  Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong (said, with hymns) TRINITY SUNDAY The idea of the Trinity is one which most of us struggle to understand intellectually, but, in a way, that is the point. You wouldn't make it up! It springs not from intellectual curiosity, but from the lived experience of Jesus' first disciples, who believed that they had met the God they had always known as Father in Jesus, and in the experience of the Holy Spirit in their lives. Putting all this together, the only explanation they could come to was that Father, Son and Holy Spirit were one God, but three distinct persons. Jesus' had spoken of the relationship of love he had with his Father, and the doctrine of the Trinity emphasized that at the heart of God there was a loving relationship, not an isolated and distant divinity. More than that, it is a relationship in which we are all invited to share, as we learn to love and be loved by God and one another. We can't exist on our own either.  In Matthias Stom's painting, Jesus and Nicodemus are surrounded by darkness. Nicodemus comes to Jesus "by night", according to the Gospel. He is a prominent religious leader, and doesn't want to be seen coming and asking theological questions of a carpenter from Nazareth. The darkness also symbolises his own sense of confusion. Jesus shouldn't be able to teach and act with the authority he does, and yet Nicodemus sees he has genuine power. For all his 'book learning' - he not only has the book on the table, but a servant carrying a second volume - he can't make sense of what is happening in Jesus. The only source of light in the room is a single candle, to which Jesus points. It reminds us of the beginning of the Gospel of John, which identifies Jesus as "the light that was coming into the world".  We meet Nicodemus once more, at the end of the Gospel, when he comes to help bury Jesus' body, bringing spices to anoint him. He has finally decided to identify himself with Jesus, even if, at that point, it must seem too little, too late. The fact that his story, and his name, were preserved suggests that he became part of the early church community after the resurrection, when he discovered that he was not too late to follow Jesus after all. If you could pull up a chair and join the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus, what questions would you want to ask? All Age Ideas Today is Trinity Sunday, when we think especially about the idea that God is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It's hard to understand how God can be three people, but one God, but the idea grew up because Jesus first followers were convinced that in Jesus they were meeting God. It is a hard idea to understand, but it reminds us that God isn't on his own. At God's heart is a loving relationship, and we are invited to be part of that.  Do you know how to make a plait? If you don't, ask a grown up to show you how.  Take three ribbons, or pieces of string, or strips of cloth and plait them together. Take a fourth ribbon and write your name and the names of those you love on it. Thread it into your plait as you pray for those you have named, asking God to help them know that they are woven into his love. CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS SOW SEEDS TO TAKE AWAY, ECO CHURCH ACTIVITY Wednesday 29th May 2-4pm (School May holiday), to celebrate World Bee Day & No Mow May?   We shall focus on bees and butterflies (art & craft activities) and bless seeds (mostly pollinating flower seeds), make biodegradable pots & sow into these to take home to family's own green spaces/window sills. We'll have some herb activities /tasting/salad to top, too, ahead of starting with herbs in the new planter for a multisensory experience for passers-by.  Also amphibian & reptile themed activities in celebration of Stone Street's Toad Patrol & our wildlife area slowworms. We'll have litter pickers available & depending on who comes along, hope to do some churchyard tidying & logpile construction.  An appeal: we are looking for bee & butterfly-friendly plant seeds to be donated for our seeds sowing, and some old small pots or seed trays for reuse & rehoming, ahead of 29th May.  These can be handed to Lise or Babs or put under the Eco Church display table for our collection, thank you.Any donations of biscuits or cake would also be much appreciated!  GARDEN PARTY AT 17 ZAMBRA WAY SEAL IN AID OF SEAL CHURCH SATURDAY JUNE 22nd . Garden Party 22nd June 17 Zambra Way Starts at 10.00 till 3.00 Stalls Plants, Cakes, Grifts& Bric-brac Light Lunch Menu Tea & Coffee And Maggie's Famous Quiche HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE PARISH GIVING SCHEME? Back in the Autumn we signed up for the Parish Giving Scheme which is a simple system to replace Standing Orders as a way of giving to the church, and automates the collection of Gift Aid for those who are tax payers, which saves a great deal of time and effort on the part of the volunteers who help to look after the churches finances and means we get the Gift Aid very quickly.  It would be great if more people could give through this scheme, as it simplifies the administrative burden so much! If you are a regular giver to Seal (or would like to become one!) please would you consider using this route for your donations. You can find out more here, or contact us if you would like to know more, by emailing financesealpandp@gmail.com

Copyright © 2024 St Peter and St Paul, Seal, All rights reserved.

Sunday Worship podcast link and other news: May 19 2024 Pentecost

 

Dear Friends Listen to today's worship podcast by clicking on the picture above.  Anne Le Bas Worship Online Worship podcast - Click on picture above Order of service (I am having problems with the phone-in version of this podcast, so have had to suspend it. Spotify is also playing up, so if you subscribe on Spotify,  this week's and future podcasts can be found here. Access to past podcasts here. It is simpler to use the Youtube link in the picture above, however!) DONATE TO SEAL CHURCH HERE - all contributions gratefully received to keep the church thriving! In the church building today 10 am  PENTECOST: Holy Communion 3 - 4.30pm Messy Church in the church hall 6.30pm Evensong (said, with hymns) This week:  Wed                        4.30pm Children's Choir in the hall (this will be our last session)                                 7.15pm Choir Friday                     9am Morning prayer in church                                10.30am Friday Group in the Church Hall Saturday                    2pm Wedding: Maria Miles and Christopher Carcary                                Next Sunday  10 am  Holy Communion 6.30pm Evensong (said, with hymns) PENTECOST The story of the Holy Spirit coming on Jesus' disciples in Jerusalem is a puzzling and mysterious one. It was plainly hard to describe; the sound of a rushing wind, but no wind, flames of fire, but no one getting burnt. But perhaps we can all recognise moments when we have felt inspired, excited, or moved in ways we didn't expect, so we have some way of identifying with this experience of the Spirit. All this is simply the beginning of the story, though. The disciples feel the presence of God with them, and it is this which propels them out onto the streets of Jerusalem where they begin telling people about Jesus, and find, to everyone's astonishment that visitors from all corners of the world can understand them, hearing their words in their own native language. I explore this strange phenomenon in today's sermon. I can't explain it, of course, but explaining it isn't the point. It is the symbolism which matters, the sense that everyone discovers that God is at home in their language and culture. Have you ever heard your own native language when you are abroad and not expecting to hear it? What did that feel like? Have you ever felt that you were "far from home", either geographically, socially or emotionally? What helped you, or might have done, to feel "at home"? What might we be able to do to help others who are far from home? All Age Ideas DON'T FORGET - MESSY CHURCH THIS AFTERNOON AT 3PM IN THE CHURCH HALL. THIS WILL BE THE LAST MESSY CHURCH BEFORE THE SUMMER BREAK. Messy Church will be back in September, led by Helen Davies and the rest of the Messy Church team! Today is the feast of Pentecost. This was originally a feast that celebrated the crops that were starting to ripen in Israel, and was marked by people bringing a basket of those crops to the Temple in Jerusalem. The story in the Acts of the Apostles we hear today tells of Jesus' disciples waiting on the Day of Pentecost as they try to work out how they will do what Jesus has told them to do; to take his message of God's love out into all the world. Suddenly they feel a sense of excitement and confidence, which feels like a rushing wind or flames of fire and realise that God is with them through his Holy Spirit. They rush out into the streets and start telling people about Jesus. Many people in Jerusalem came from other countries and spoke different languages, but everyone understood what they were saying, just as if they spoke their own language. It was a reminder that God is at home everywhere in the world and loves everyone.  Later on, people thought about those baskets of fruit that were presented at Pentecost. St Paul wrote that being filled with God's Spirit had helped them to bear the fruit of  love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, which helped others to know about God's love. There is a song about those "fruits of the Spirit" to sing along with below. Watch Aline's story here. It is also embedded in today's podcast. CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS THANK YOU to all those who stood for election to the PCC last week at our APCM. We welcome Simon Bull, Marion Gilchrist, newly elected, and welcome back Mark Turner for a further three year term. We also thank Rosemary Pattullo and Georgina Taylor who stepped down from the PCC at this meeting.  MESSY CHURCH - TODAY, May 19 3-4.30pm  Craft, fun and food with a Pentecost theme. This will be the last Messy Church I will lead (There will be no Messy Church in June or July) Helen Davies has said she will  run Messy Church from the autumn, along with the rest of the Messy Church team, so put September 15th in your diaries! SOW SEEDS TO TAKE AWAY, ECO CHURCH ACTIVITY Wednesday 29th May 2-4pm (School May holiday), to celebrate World Bee Day & No Mow May?   We shall focus on bees and butterflies (art & craft activities) and bless seeds (mostly pollinating flower seeds), make biodegradable pots & sow into these to take home to family's own green spaces/window sills. We'll have some herb activities /tasting/salad to top, too, ahead of starting with herbs in the new planter for a multisensory experience for passers-by.  Also amphibian & reptile themed activities in celebration of Stone Street's Toad Patrol & our wildlife area slowworms. We'll have litter pickers available & depending on who comes along, hope to do some churchyard tidying & logpile construction.  An appeal: we are looking for bee & butterfly-friendly plant seeds to be donated for our seeds sowing, and some old small pots or seed trays for reuse & rehoming, ahead of 29th May.  These can be handed to Lise or Babs or put under the Eco Church display table for our collection, thank you.Any donations of biscuits or cake would also be much appreciated!  HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE PARISH GIVING SCHEME? Back in the Autumn we signed up for the Parish Giving Scheme which is a simple system to replace Standing Orders as a way of giving to the church, and automates the collection of Gift Aid for those who are tax payers, which saves a great deal of time and effort on the part of the volunteers who help to look after the churches finances and means we get the Gift Aid very quickly.  So far, though, only 13 people have transferred from giving by Standing Order to giving through this Scheme. It would be great if more people could give through this scheme, as it simplifies the administrative burden so much! If you are a regular giver to Seal (or would like to become one!) please would you consider using this route for your donations. You can find out more here, or contact us if you would like to know more, by emailing financesealpandp@gmail.com

Copyright © 2024 St Peter and St Paul, Seal, All rights reserved.

Sunday worship podcast and other news from Seal Church: May 12 2024

 

Dear Friends Listen to today's worship podcast by clicking on the picture above.  Anne Le Bas Worship Online Worship podcast - Click on picture above Order of service (I am having problems with the phone-in version of this podcast, so have had to suspend it. Spotify is also playing up, so if you subscribe on Spotify,  this week's and future podcasts can be found here. Access to past podcasts here. It is simpler to use the Youtube link in the picture above, however!) DONATE TO SEAL CHURCH HERE - all contributions gratefully received to keep the church thriving!

In the church building today 10 am  All Age Worship followed by Annual Parochial Church Meeting 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion This week:  Wed                        10.30am Lavender Fields Holy Communion                                 4.30pm Children's Choir in the hall                                 7.15pm Choir Friday                     9am Morning prayer in church                                10.30am Friday Group in the Church Hall                                Next Sunday  10 am  Holy Communion 3-4.30pm Messy Church in the hall  6.30pm Evensong (said, with hymns)

Easter 7 Today is the start of Christian Aid Week, focussing this year on the story of one woman Nigobora Aline. You can read more about Aline's story here. It's also the day of our Annual Parochial Church Meeting (the annual reports are here ). It's also the Sunday between Ascension Day and Pentecost. In the sermon today, I explore what might be a link between all three things - Jesus' prayer for us that we might be one, as he and his Father are one, which we hear in our Gospel reading. Do we feel as if we are part of something bigger - the family of the church, our local communities, the worldwide community of humanity, all created things, and God himself? What difference might it make if we did feel that sense of connection?

All Age Ideas Today is the beginning of Christian Aid week, when we think about our connection to other people in the world, and how we might help them if they are in need.  It's easy for us to feel that only the people we know really matter, but God says everyone matters to him, so they should matter to us too. Everything we do affects other people, and the natural world too, and God wants us to make sure that we have a good effect on them, not a bad one. There is a video below about a woman called Aline, and her three sons. Aline was once very poor. She didn't have a home and lived on the streets, but Christian Aid helped her learn how to earn a living, and soon she was able to get back on her feet again. She lives with her three sons, grows food, runs a grocery business, and is not only building a house for them all, but also baking the bricks to make its walls. She has even installed a solar panel on her home so that they have light to do their homework in the dark evenings. She is helping her neighbours by running a community fund to lend them money when they need it. She sounds like a very strong and brave lady, and her sons are lucky to have her as a mum! Aline is making a huge difference to those around her, and her story reminds us that we can make a difference too.

Watch Aline's story here. It is also embedded in today's podcast.

CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS Annual Parochial Church Meeting -  May 12th at 11.15am We will gather for our APCM after the service at 11.15am in church, to elect new PCC members (and churchwardens if anyone volunteers - contact me if you would like to know more!) and to receive the reports and accounts for the last year. Everyone is welcome, but only those on the church electoral roll are allowed to vote. Reports and Accounts are available here. MESSY CHURCH - May 19 3-4.30pm  Craft, fun and food with a Pentecost theme. This will be the last Messy Church I will lead (There will be no Messy Church in June or July) Helen Davies has said she will  run Messy Church from the autumn, so watch out for dates then! FESTIVAL ON THE FIELD, ST LAWRENCE SCHOOL, Stone Street, Friday 17th May 5.30pm.  The church’s very own Martin Clews and Emily Durling are playing at Festival on the Field - an evening of popular and folk music at St Lawrence School, Stone Street on Friday 17th May 2024 5.30-8.30pm.  There are some great bands - bring a picnic, bring some friends. We would love to see you there! Tickets are £6 for adults and £3 for children and can be bought here https://buytickets.at/stlawrencepta SOW SEEDS TO TAKE AWAY, ECO CHURCH ACTIVITY Wednesday 29th May 2-4pm (School May holiday), to celebrate World Bee Day & No Mow May?   We shall focus on bees and butterflies (art & craft activities) and bless seeds (mostly pollinating flower seeds), make biodegradable pots & sow into these to take home to family's own green spaces/window sills. We'll have some herb activities /tasting/salad to top, too, ahead of starting with herbs in the new planter for a multisensory experience for passers-by.  Also amphibian & reptile themed activities in celebration of Stone Street's Toad Patrol & our wildlife area slowworms. We'll have litter pickers available & depending on who comes along, hope to do some churchyard tidying & logpile construction.  An appeal: we are looking for bee & butterfly-friendly plant seeds to be donated for our seeds sowing, and some old small pots or seed trays for reuse & rehoming, ahead of 29th May.  These can be handed to Lise or Babs or put under the Eco Church display table for our collection, thank you.Any donations of biscuits or cake would also be much appreciated!  HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE PARISH GIVING SCHEME? Back in the Autumn we signed up for the Parish Giving Scheme which is a simple system to replace Standing Orders as a way of giving to the church, and automates the collection of Gift Aid for those who are tax payers, which saves a great deal of time and effort on the part of the volunteers who help to look after the churches finances and means we get the Gift Aid very quickly.  So far, though, only 13 people have transferred from giving by Standing Order to giving through this Scheme. It would be great if more people could give through this scheme, as it simplifies the administrative burden so much! If you are a regular giver to Seal (or would like to become one!) please would you consider using this route for your donations. You can find out more here, or contact us if you would like to know more, by emailing financesealpandp@gmail.com UPDATE ON SEAL CHURCH CLOCK THE PROBLEM The clock was installed in 1854 and has been regularly maintained by Gillett andJohnson (G&J) of Edenbridge. During 2022 it became increasingly temperamental, and G&J advised that some bearings had become worn and some teeth were damaged. They recommended that the clock be removed, repaired and reinstalled. Permission for this from the Diocese of Rochester is required, and was first requested in January 2023. WHERE ARE WE NOW? Unfortunately the Diocesan Clock Adviser, whose advice is required for approval to be given, died just before Christmas 2022. This caused long delays as the work had to be covered by the person holding the equivalent role in Southwark Diocese We were required to obtain several quotes, which was a time consuming process as there are few church clock maintenance specialists in the country. In the event their quotes differed widely, and there were concerns expressed by the Diocese that the possible scale of the work might escalate. It has taken a while to resolve this and to come to a sensible view of what is really needed. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The Diocese has today confirmed that in the next few days it will send the paperwork confirming approval to the works being carried out by G&J, and they have been asked to advise when the work will be completed. Hopefully this long running saga is near its end, and it won’t be long before we have a working clock chiming the hours once again! Many thanks for your patience and understanding! Paul Thompson     12 April 2024 SATURDAY MAY 11TH SEAL VILLAGE ALLOTMENTS MIDDAY - 3PM   Plant Sale and Refreshments - ALL WELCOME! SEAL VILLAGE HALL NEWS The feedback regarding the idea of a pop-up cinema, has been phenominal - clearly a popular idea, and one that the Friends of Seal Village Hall, look forward to getting set up. If you haven't already, please let me know if you would be interested in coming along to such an event, AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ABLE, to help with the organisation of it. We all look forward to further responses. SEAL PARISH ANNUAL ASSEMBLY THURSDAY MAY 15TH Seal Pavilion at 7.30pm. All welcome.

Sunday Worship podcast links and other news: May 5

 

Dear Friends Listen to today's worship podcast by clicking on the picture above.  Anne Le Bas Worship Online Worship podcast - Click on picture above Order of service (I am having problems with the phone-in version of this podcast, so have had to suspend it. Spotify is also playing up, so if you subscribe on Spotify,  this week's and future podcasts can be found here. Access to past podcasts here. It is simpler to use the Youtube link in the picture above, however!) DONATE TO SEAL CHURCH HERE - all contributions gratefully received to keep the church thriving! In the church building today 10 am  Holy Communion, including a presentation of a book containing a detailed record of the fabric and furnishings of the church, made by the Sevenoaks Decorative and Fine Arts Society. 6.30pm Evensong (said with hymns) This week:  Wed                        10 am Zoom Church (This will be our final Zoom Church)                                 4.30pm Children's Choir in the hall                                 7.15pm Choir Thurs                     ASCENSION DAY 8pm Breathing Space Holy Communion Friday                     9am Morning prayer in church                                10.30am Friday Group in the Church Hall Saturday                 12.30 Baptism                                Next Sunday  10 am  All Age Worship followed by Annual Parochial Church Meeting 6.30pm Breathing Space Holy Communion Easter 6 In today's Gospel reading, Jesus tells his followers to 'abide' in his love. It follows on from the passage we heard last week in which he compares himself to a vine, and his disciples to the branches, which need to abide in the vine in order to receive the sap which enables them to bear fruit. The sermon today explores what it means to "abide". Today's first reading is the end of the account of Peter's visit to Cornelius, a Roman soldier who asked Peter to come to talk to him and his household about Jesus. This seemingly straightforward request opened up a huge can of worms for Peter. Cornelius was a Gentile, and while he seems to have been a good man, who was interested in the Jewish faith, he wouldn't have been brought up to obey the Jewish laws around, for example, food, and might also have had statues of Roman deities in his house - most households had a shrine with their household gods in a prominent place. But, inspired by a vision he had from God, Peter went, and found that God had got there before him, and was already at work in the lives of Cornelius and his household, abiding with them, so Peter was able to abide with them too.   All Age Ideas The story behind the first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles (10.44-end) is of a visit St Peter made to a Roman Centurion called Cornelius. Peter wasn't sure whether he should go, because he had been brought up not to mix with people who weren't Jewish, like him, because Jewish people weren't allowed to eat some of the things that other people did, like pork, and because he knew that Cornelius might have statues of Roman gods in his house. Jewish people only worshipped one God, and weren't allowed to make pictures or statues of God.  But God had told Peter that it was ok to go, and so Peter went. When he got there, he found that God was already there, inspiring and helping Cornelius.  The story helps us to think about times when we might feel uncomfortable being with people who are different from us, and it reminds us that God loves everyone. There's a video of the story below. CHURCH AND COMMUNITY NEWS Ascension Day is this Thursday. There will be a service of Holy Communion at 8pm in the Lady Chapel to mark this important time when we think of Jesus' Ascension into heaven.  Annual Parochial Church Meeting -  May 12th at 11.15am We will gather for our APCM this year on May 12 at 11.15am in church, to elect new PCC members (and churchwardens if anyone volunteers - contact me if you would like to know more!) and to receive the reports and accounts for the last year. Everyone is welcome, but only those on the church electoral roll are allowed to vote. Reports and Accounts are available here. HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE PARISH GIVING SCHEME? Back in the Autumn we signed up for the Parish Giving Scheme which is a simple system to replace Standing Orders as a way of giving to the church, and automates the collection of Gift Aid for those who are tax payers, which saves a great deal of time and effort on the part of the volunteers who help to look after the churches finances and means we get the Gift Aid very quickly.  So far, though, only 13 people have transferred from giving by Standing Order to giving through this Scheme. It would be great if more people could give through this scheme, as it simplifies the administrative burden so much! If you are a regular giver to Seal (or would like to become one!) please would you consider using this route for your donations. You can find out more here, or contact us if you would like to know more, by emailing financesealpandp@gmail.com UPDATE ON SEAL CHURCH CLOCK THE PROBLEM The clock was installed in 1854 and has been regularly maintained by Gillett andJohnson (G&J) of Edenbridge. During 2022 it became increasingly temperamental, and G&J advised that some bearings had become worn and some teeth were damaged. They recommended that the clock be removed, repaired and reinstalled. Permission for this from the Diocese of Rochester is required, and was first requested in January 2023. WHERE ARE WE NOW? Unfortunately the Diocesan Clock Adviser, whose advice is required for approval to be given, died just before Christmas 2022. This caused long delays as the work had to be covered by the person holding the equivalent role in Southwark Diocese We were required to obtain several quotes, which was a time consuming process as there are few church clock maintenance specialists in the country. In the event their quotes differed widely, and there were concerns expressed by the Diocese that the possible scale of the work might escalate. It has taken a while to resolve this and to come to a sensible view of what is really needed. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? The Diocese has today confirmed that in the next few days it will send the paperwork confirming approval to the works being carried out by G&J, and they have been asked to advise when the work will be completed. Hopefully this long running saga is near its end, and it won’t be long before we have a working clock chiming the hours once again! Many thanks for your patience and understanding! Paul Thompson     12 April 2024 SATURDAY MAY 11TH SEAL VILLAGE ALLOTMENTS MIDDAY - 3PM   Plant Sale and Refreshments - ALL WELCOME! SEAL VILLAGE HALL NEWS The feedback regarding the idea of a pop-up cinema, has been phenominal - clearly a popular idea, and one that the Friends of Seal Village Hall, look forward to getting set up. If you haven't already, please let me know if you would be interested in coming along to such an event, AND ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ABLE, to help with the organisation of it. We all look forward to further responses. SEAL PARISH ANNUAL ASSEMBLY THURSDAY MAY 15TH Seal Pavilion at 7.30pm. All welcome.

Copyright © 2024 St Peter and St Paul, Seal, All rights reserved.