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Sunday 20th September 2020 Trinity 15 United Benefice of Sissinghurst with Frittenden

Sermon: Meeting Jesus means doing God’s will - Hubert Ashton

Accessible online or phone 01580 234185 (local rate) Collect: God, who in generous mercy sent the Holy Spirit upon your Church in the burning fire of your love:

grant that your people may be fervent in the fellowship of the gospel that, always abiding in you, they may be found steadfast in faith and active in service; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen

A very warm Welcome We sing God’s praise Bless the Lord oh my soul, oh my soul Worship his Holy Name Sing like never before oh my soul I’ll worship your Holy Name

1. The sun comes up it’s a new day dawning It’s time to sing your song again Whatever may pass And whatever lies before me Let me be singing when the evening comes

Bless the Lord, oh my soul...

2. You’re rich in love and you’re slow to anger Your name Is great and your heart is kind For all your goodness I will keep on singing Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

Bless the Lord oh my soul...

3. And on that day when my strength is failing The end draws near and my time has come Still my soul will sing your praise unending Ten thousand years and then for evermore Bless the Lord oh my soul…

[Music: 10,000 Reasons, Matt Redman] We declare our belief in God

Do you believe and trust in God the Father? I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ? I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead.

On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit? I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. We confess our sins to God

O King enthroned on high, filling the earth with your glory: holy is your name, Lord God almighty. In our sinfulness we cry to you

to take our guilt away, and to cleanse our lips to speak your Word, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. We sing God’s praise

1. I need thee every hour, most gracious Lord; no tender voice like thine can peace afford. I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee! O bless me now, my Saviour, I come to thee. 2. I need thee every hour, stay thou near by; temptations lose their power when thou art nigh. I need thee, O I need thee….

3. I need thee every hour, in joy or pain; come quickly, and abide, or life is vain. I need thee, O I need thee…

4. I need thee every hour; teach me thy will, and thy rich promises in me fulfil. I need thee, O I need thee…

[Music: Top 100 Modern Hymns & Classic Songs, Maranatha!]

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Prayers Izzy Mehrabian

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and for ever. Amen.

We hear God’s Word: Micah 6:6-8 James Booth

-Clibborn

6 With what shall I come before the Lord

and bow down before the exalted God?

Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? 7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands

of rams, and ten thousand rivers of oil?

Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? 8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.

And what does the Lord require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy

and to walk humbly with your God.

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God

We praise God as we sing

1. O for a closer walk with God,  a calm and heavenly frame,  a light to shine upon the road  that leads me to the Lamb!

2. What peaceful hours I once enjoyed! How sweet their memory still! But they have left an aching void The world can never fill.

3. Return, O holy Dove, return,  sweet messenger of rest;  I hate the sins that made thee mourn,  and drove thee from my breast.

4. The dearest idol I have known,  whate'er that idol be,  help me to tear it from thy throne,  and worship only thee.

5. So shall my walk be close with God,  calm and serene my frame;  so purer light shall mark the road  that leads me to the Lamb.

[Music - The Best Hymns Album In the World - St. Michael's Singers]

We hear God’s Word: Mark 3:20-35 Vicky Bray 20

Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.

21 When his family

heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, ‘He is out of his mind.’ 22

And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, ‘He is possessed by

Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.’ 23

So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: ‘How can Satan drive out Satan?

24 If a kingdom is divided

against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25

If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

26 And if Satan opposes himself

and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come.

27 In fact, no one can enter a strong

man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.

28 Truly

I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter,

29 but whoever

blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.’ 30

He said this because they were saying, ‘He has an impure spirit.’

31 Then Jesus’ mother and

brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.

32 A crowd was sitting

round him, and they told him, ‘Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.’ 33

‘Who are my mother and my brothers?’ he asked.

34 Then he looked at those seated in a

circle round him and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers!

35 Whoever does God’s will is

my brother and sister and mother.’

This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God

Sermon: Meeting Jesus means doing God’s will - Hubert Ashton

Home-United groups start up again this week via Zoom or dial in, a chance to chat with others about how these verses relate to us. New folks welcome - it’s not too late to let Pete know you’re interested.

HUGS Question Selection, or to think through maybe when you

meet up or chat with someone else who’s heard the sermon.

- What struck you or surprised you from these verses,

and/or from Hubert’s sermon? What was most helpful?

- How easy or difficult is it to know God’s will for our lives?

Why so, and how could we help each other in this area?

- How easy or difficult is it to obey God’s will for our lives?

Why so, and how could we help each other in this area?

Ask God to help you apply the things you’ve been learning.

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We praise God as we sing

1. Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart, be all else but naught to me, save that thou art; be thou my best thought in the day and the night, both waking and sleeping,

thy presence my light.

2. Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word, be thou ever with me, and I with thee, Lord; be thou my great Father, and I thy true son; be thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.

3. Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight; be thou my whole armour, be thou my true might; be thou my soul's shelter, be thou my strong tower: O raise thou me heavenward, great Power of my power. 4. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise: be thou mine inheritance now and always; be thou and thou only the first in my heart; O Sovereign of heaven, my treasure thou art.

5. High King of heaven, thou heaven's bright Sun, O grant me its joys after victory is won; great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, still be thou my vision, O Ruler of all.

[Music: The Hymns Album, Wallingford Parish Church Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]

God’s blessing, then Virtual Coffee

til 11:30 - all warmly welcome!

The love of the Lord Jesus draw you to himself, the power of the Lord Jesus strengthen you in his service,

the joy of the Lord Jesus fill your hearts; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.

Music played in the recording in accordance with PRS for Music, www.prsformusic.com

Words from Common Worship: Services & Prayers for the Church of England (2000). Used by permission

Bible passages NIVUK biblegateway.com

Coming up in October…

* Sundays at 10am - services in alternating churches * Sundays at 11am - virtual tea and coffee via Zoom * Sundays at 4pm - Families @ Four in alternating churches (see over) * Wednesday 7th and 21st - SPACE at St. Mary’s * Thursdays at 7:30pm - Prayer Hub via Zoom - New time: join if you can!

Each week the bible readings and sermon will be available each week on the website, under the Audio tab, and also available to listen to by phoning 01580 234185 whenever suits you best.

The churches will also be open for private prayer as advertised.

Bishop Rose is inviting all parishes into a

‘prayerful conversation’ around 3 questions

below. See canterburydiocese.org/listening

or speak to Pete for more details. If you’d

like to explore this together do join us via

Zoom 10am Tuesday or 7:30pm Thursday.

From Pete and the Churchwardens...

“Following discussion with both PCCs, from

October we hope to resume main services

back in our buildings, of course continuing to

follow Government and Diocese guidelines.

To begin with, please let Penny 712612 for

Trinity or Joanna 852312 for St Mary’s know

when you plan to attend. The sermon and

readings will be recorded and available online

and via the 234185 phone line each week.

SPACE, our Midweek Communion resumes

(at St Mary’s but open to all), the first and

third Wednesday of each month.

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Notice Sheet

Zoom Meeting Details For After Church Coffee and Tuesday Prayer Hubs,

the number is 352 987 984 To join by phone dial 0330 088 5830,

then enter the meeting number followed by #. Password if required is 333.

Upcoming church services:

Sunday 20th September - Said Communion at Frittenden 6pm please advise Joanna 852312

Sunday 27th September - Compline at

Sissinghurst 6pm

September Planner:

Sundays

10am Online service followed by virtual tea or coffee, dial in details above.

Tuesdays

10-10:45am Prayer Hub and online evening Compline service.

Fridays

Online evening Compline service.

Face coverings in church are now compulsory for

worshippers (unless are exempt for health reasons). We are required to exit the church once the service is over, and keep to social distancing and the Rule of Six

KiCKiNG-OFF NeXT MoNTH iN ouR CHuRCHeS...

Family-focussed Sunday 4pm services - 30 min max - fun, safe, friendly, for those with Primary children. Siblings welcome too!

4th

October (Sissinghurst - Beginnings)

18th

October (Frittenden - Harvest)

8th

November (Sissinghurst - Remembrance)

29th

November (Frittenden - Advent) 13

th December (Sissinghurst - Christmas)

10th

January (Frittenden - Epiphany). More info from Pete or Claire on 852275, or email deavesclaire@gmail.com to book your family space. If we’re full up then no big deal, we’ll run the session twice - 3pm & 4pm.

Annual Parochial Church Meeting (APCM) St Mary's 7:30pm Wednesday 21

st October,

and Trinity 7:30pm Thursday 22nd

October. Both are likely to be via Zoom/Dial-in rather than in person, but watch this space for details...

Last Saturday 9

intrepid riders between

them pedalled to an impressive

21 churches and have so far

pulled in an even more incredible

£1800! Thanks for all donations

so far, half of which our churches

receive! Do talk to Fraser McKie,

James Highwood or Pete

if you missed out and

want to donate.