Isaiah 55:10-13
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
As the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there until they have watered the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose
and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
For you shall go out in joy
and be led back in peace;
the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song,
and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle,
and it shall be to the Lord for a memorial,
for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.
Romans 8:1-11
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
There is now no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus.
For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus
has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
For God has done what the law,
weakened by the flesh,
could not do:
by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh
and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,
so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us,
who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
For those who live according to the flesh
set their minds on the things of the flesh,
but those who live according to the Spirit
set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
To set the mind on the flesh is death,
but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.
For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God;
it does not submit to God’s law—indeed, it cannot,
and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
But you are not in the flesh;
you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you.
Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.
But if Christ is in you,
then the body is dead because of sin,
but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.
If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies
also through his Spirit that dwells in you.
Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
Hear the gosple of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the lake.
Such great crowds gathered around him
that he got into a boat and sat there,
while the whole crowd stood on the beach.
And he told them many things in parables, saying:
“Listen! A sower went out to sow.
And as he sowed, some seeds fell on a path,
and the birds came and ate them up.
Other seeds fell on rocky ground,
where they did not have much soil,
and they sprang up quickly,
since they had no depth of soil.
But when the sun rose, they were scorched,
and since they had no root, they withered away.
Other seeds fell among thorns,
and the thorns grew up and choked them.
Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain,
some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.
Let anyone with ears listen!
Hear, then, the parable of the sower.
When anyone hears the word of the kingdom
and does not understand it,
the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart;
this is what was sown on the path.
As for what was sown on rocky ground,
this is the one who hears the word
and immediately receives it with joy,
yet such a person has no root
but endures only for a while,
and when trouble or persecution arises
on account of the word,
that person immediately falls away.
As for what was sown among thorns,
this is the one who hears the word,
but the cares of this age and the lure of wealth
choke the word, and it yields nothing.
But as for what was sown on good soil,
this is the one who hears the word and understands it,
who indeed bears fruit
and yields in one case a hundredfold,
in another sixty, and in another thirty.”
Another glorious day for our all age service. Fr Chris used his visual display and talked about how Jesus wants us to be child like. He showed some beautiful paintings by Raphael and a self portrait by Picasso, aged 17 and 90, showing his change in style. He said it took him 4 years to learn to paint like Raphael and much longer to learn to paint like a child.
Volunteers are desperately needed to the Summer Fete, before, during and after. There are sign up sheets at the back of the church.
Don't forget the concert next Sunday, 3pm in aid of both the church and The Mission to Seafarers. £10 a ticket, from Hilary after 10 am service or on the door.
A reading from the book of the prophet Zechariah.
Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion!
Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you;
triumphant and victorious is he,
humble and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim
and the war horse from Jerusalem;
and the battle bow shall be cut off,
and he shall command peace to the nations;
his dominion shall be from sea to sea
and from the River to the ends of the earth.
As for you also, because of the blood of my covenant with you,
I will set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope;
today I declare that I will restore to you double.
Romans 7:15-25a
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
I do not understand my own actions.
For I do not do what I want,
but I do the very thing I hate.
Now if I do what I do not want,
I agree that the law is good.
But in fact it is no longer I who do it
but sin that dwells within me.
For I know that the good does not dwell within me,
that is, in my flesh.
I can will what is right,
but I cannot do it.
For I do not do the good I want,
but the evil I do not want is what I do.
Now if I do what I do not want,
it is no longer I who do it
but sin that dwells within me.
So I find it to be a law that, when I want to do what is good,
evil lies close at hand.
For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self,
but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind,
making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.
Wretched man that I am!
Who will rescue me from this body of death?
Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Matthew 11:16-19. 25-30
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ accordiing to Matthew.
At that time, Jesus said:
“To what will I compare this generation?
It is like children sitting in the marketplaces
and calling to one another,
‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we wailed, and you did not mourn.’
“For John came neither eating nor drinking,
and they say, ‘He has a demon’;
the Son of Man came eating and drinking,
and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”
“I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because you have hidden these things
from the wise and the intelligent
and have revealed them to infants;
yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father,
and no one knows the Son except the Father,
and no one knows the Father except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.
Come to me, all you who are weary
and are carrying heavy burdens,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
A beautiful summer morning but lacking the intensity of the last week. Fr Roger officiated. In his sermon he talked of our two saints celebrated today. St Peter, was one of the apostles, St Paul never got to meet Jesus. Peter was a fisherman, who was used to hard work and unsociable hours, Paul was a tent maker and had been educated, hence his writing of most of the New Testament. St Peter was crucified for his belief upside down as he felt he could be crucified in the same was as Jesus, Paul was beheaded as befits a Roman citizen.
The children had also been learning about our two saints and had shields which they had made with the various emblems of the two saints.
St Mary Our Lady, Sidlesham
Presents
The Selsey
Consort
on behalf of St Mary's and
Sea Sunday
3pm 12th July 2026
Tickets from Hilary Platts after 10am service or on the door.
Tea and cake afterwards in the Parish Rooms
Don't forget the summer fete is fast approaching. Sign up sheets for various help needed before, during and after. Donation for the stalls can be left during Mary's Place and also in the mornings the week before the fete. Please support us.
Acts 12:1-11
A reading from the Acts of the Apostles.
About that time
King Herod laid violent hands upon some who belonged to the church.
He had James, the brother of John, killed with the sword.
After he saw that it pleased the Jews,
he proceeded to arrest Peter also.
(This was during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.)
When he had seized him, he put him in prison
and handed him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him,
intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover.
While Peter was kept in prison,
the church prayed fervently to God for him.
The very night before Herod was going to bring him out,
Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers,
while guards in front of the door were keeping watch
over the prison.
Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared,
and a light shone in the cell.
He tapped Peter on the side and woke him,
saying, “Get up quickly.”
And the chains fell off his wrists.
The angel said to him,
“Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.”
He did so. Then he said to him,
“Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”
Peter went out and followed him;
he did not realize
that what was happening with the angel’s help was real;
he thought he was seeing a vision.
After they had passed the first and the second guard,
they came before the iron gate leading into the city.
It opened for them of its own accord,
and they went outside and walked along a lane,
when suddenly the angel left him.
Then Peter came to himself and said,
“Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel
and rescued me from the hands of Herod
and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”
2 Timothy 2:19-26
A reading from the secon letter of Paul to Timothy.
But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this inscription:
“The Lord knows those who are his,”
and, “Let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord turn away from wickedness.”
In a large house there are utensils not only of gold and silver
but also of wood and clay,
some for special use, some for ordinary.
All who cleanse themselves of the things I have mentioned
will become special utensils,
dedicated and useful to the owner of the house,
ready for every good work.
Shun youthful passions and pursue righteousness,
faith, love, and peace,
along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.
Have nothing to do with stupid and senseless controversies;
you know that they breed quarrels.
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome
but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient,
correcting opponents with gentleness.
God may perhaps grant that they will repent
and come to know the truth
and that they may escape from the snare of the devil,
having been held captive by him to do his will.
Matthew 16:13-19
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
When Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi,
he asked his disciples,
“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
And they said, “Some say John the Baptist
but others Elijah
and still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Simon Peter answered,
“You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
And Jesus answered him,
“Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah!
For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you
but my Father in heaven.
And I tell you, you are Peter,
and on this rock I will build my church,
and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.
I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven,
and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven,
and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
The heat is back again. So anyone who went to Stedham to join the family camp for the Open Air Eucharist would have had superb weather.
In Sidlesham, we celebrated Matins. The readings were read clearly and Chris Blanchard read Fr Chris's reflections on the readings beautifully. The choir sang "God So Loved The World" by Stainer as the anthem and all the psalms were to chants, no special setting this week.
Don't forget the concert on 12th July, 3pm by The Selsey Consort, half of whom are members of this church. Tickets from Hilary after 10am service or on the door, but it would be a big help if we had an idea of numbers so there will be planty of cake!
St Mary Our Lady, Sidlesham
Presents
The Selsey
Consort
on behalf of St Mary's and
Sea Sunday
12th July 2026
A reading from the book of the prophet Jeremiah.
O Lord, you have enticed me,
and I was enticed;
you have overpowered me,
and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughingstock all day long;
everyone mocks me.
For whenever I speak, I must cry out;
I must shout, “Violence and destruction!”
For the word of the Lord has become for me
a reproach and derision all day long.
If I say, “I will not mention him
or speak any more in his name,”
then within me there is something like a burning fire
shut up in my bones;
I am weary with holding it in,
and I cannot.
For I hear many whispering:
“Terror is all around!
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!”
All my close friends
are watching for me to stumble.
“Perhaps he can be enticed,
and we can prevail against him
and take our revenge on him.”
But the Lord is with me like a terrifying warrior;
therefore my persecutors will stumble,
and they will not prevail.
They will be greatly shamed,
for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonor
will never be forgotten.
O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous;
you see the heart and the mind;
let me see your retribution upon them,
for to you I have committed my cause.
Sing to the Lord;
praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
from the hands of evildoers.
Romans 6:1b-11
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
Should we continue in sin in order that grace may increase?
By no means!
How can we who died to sin go on living in it?
Do you not know
that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?
Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
so we also might walk in newness of life.
For if we have been united with him in a death like his,
we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
We know that our old self was crucified with him
so that the body of sin might be destroyed,
so we might no longer be enslaved to sin.
For whoever has died is freed from sin.
But if we have died with Christ,
we believe that we will also live with him.
We know that Christ, being raised from the dead,
will never die again;
death no longer has dominion over him.
The death he died, he died to sin once for all,
but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin
and alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 10:24-39
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Jesus summoned the twelve
and sent them out with the following instruction:
“A disciple is not above the teacher
nor a slave above the master;
it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher
and the slave like the master.
If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul,
how much more will they malign those of his household!
"So have no fear of them,
for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered
and nothing secret that will not become known.
What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light,
and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.
Do not fear those who kill the body
but cannot kill the soul;
rather, fear the one who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground
apart from your Father.
And even the hairs of your head are all counted.
So do not be afraid;
you are of more value than many sparrows.
“Everyone, therefore, who acknowledges me before others,
I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven,
but whoever denies me before others,
I also will deny before my Father in heaven.
“Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth;
I have not come to bring peace but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law,
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.
“Whoever loves father or mother more than me
is not worthy of me,
and whoever loves son or daughter more than me
is not worthy of me,
and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me
is not worthy of me.
Those who find their life will lose it,
and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.
A lovely sunny day, but not too hot. Fr Chris preached about the apostles. The word apostle means to go out and he told us that Christ told his disciples to "go" more than to "come". The children had also been learning about the apostles.
The choir sang Gounod's Ave Verum as today's motet.
Next week is the family camp at Stedham. You can join in the Eucharist there, but if you don't fancy travelling, join us in church for a more quiet and contemplative Matins service.
2nd July is the Selsey Consort concert in church, 3pm. Tickets from Hilary after the 10am service. Also available on the door, but if you can buy in advance we can ensure there is more than enough cake to go around afterwards. Proceed to be shared between St Mary's and The Mission to Seafarers as the 12th is Sea Sunday. Expect some watery inspired songs as well as sacred and secular music.
Exodus 19:2-8a
A reading from the book of Exodus.
The Israelites had journeyed from Rephidim,
entered the wilderness of Sinai,
and camped in the wilderness;
Israel camped there in front of the mountain.
Then Moses went up to God;
the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying
“Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob
and tell the Israelites:
‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians
and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.
Now, therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant,
you shall be my treasured possession
out of all the peoples.
Indeed, the whole earth is mine,
but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.’
These are the words
that you shall speak to the Israelites.”
So Moses came, summoned the elders of the people,
and set before them all these words
that the Lord had commanded him.
The people all answered as one,
“Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
Romans 5:1-8
A readiing from the letter of Paul to the Romans.
Since we are justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand,
and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.
And not only that,
but we also boast in our sufferings,
knowing that suffering produces endurance,
and endurance produces character,
and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us,
because God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
For while we were still weak,
at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—
though perhaps for a good person
someone might actually dare to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
Matthew 9:35-10:8
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages,
teaching in their synagogues
and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom
and curing every disease and every sickness.
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them
because they were harassed and helpless,
like sheep without a shepherd.
Then he said to his disciples,
“The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few;
therefore ask the Lord of the harvest
to send out laborers into his harvest.”
Then Jesus summoned his twelve disciples
and gave them authority over unclean spirits,
to cast them out,
and to cure every disease and every sickness.
These are the names of the twelve apostles:
first, Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew;
James son of Zebedee and his brother John;
Philip and Bartholomew;
Thomas and Matthew the tax collector;
James son of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus;
Simon the Cananaean and Judas Iscariot,
the one who betrayed him.
These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions:
“Go nowhere among the gentiles,
and enter no town of the Samaritans,
but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
As you go, proclaim the good news,
‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’
Cure the sick; raise the dead;
cleanse the lepers; cast out demons.
You received without payment;
give without payment.
Today being Corpus Christi, Fr Christ discussed (mainly) with the children why Jesus chose bread as his symbol, rather then the more costly gifts he had been given by the Three Kings.
A rather reduced choir sang the Alleluia of St James as the morning anthem, and at Evensong, when much enhanced in numbers the anthem was O Salutris Hostia (more information on the Music Blog)
In two weeks, there will be no Crafty Church as Fr Chris is with the family camp. He says you are welcome to join them for the Eucharist service there, or join the folk in St Mary's for Matins.
A note for your diary. July 12th, Sea Sunday, the Selsey Consort will be performing in St Mary's at 3pm. Tickets £10 available from Hilary after 10 am service. If you can buy your ticket in advance, we will have a better idea of numbers for the tea and cake afterwards. Proceeds will be shared between St Mary's and the Mission to Seafares. The repertoire will be a mix of sacred and secular with a watery theme on many of the pieces.
A reading from the book of Genesis.
And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine;
he was priest of God Most High.
He blessed him and said,
“Blessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth,
and blessed be God Most High,
who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”
And Abram gave him one-tenth of everything.
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
A reading from the first book of Paul to the Corinthians.
For I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you,
that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread,
and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said,
“This is my body that is for you.
Do this in remembrance of me.”
In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying,
“This cup is the new covenant in my blood.
Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.”
For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup,
you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
John 6:51-58
Hear the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to John.
I am the living bread that came down from heaven.
Whoever eats of this bread will live forever,
and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.”
The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying,
“How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”
So Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you,
unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood,
you have no life in you.
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life,
and I will raise them up on the last day,
for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.
Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me
and I in them.
Just as the living Father sent me
and I live because of the Father,
so whoever eats me will live because of me.
This is the bread that came down from heaven,
not like that which the ancestors ate, and they died.
But the one who eats this bread will live forever.”
A duller day today than we have had this week, but a pleasant respite from the heat. Today being Trinity Sunday, Fr Chris preached on the Three in One. Before the children left for Sunday School, he asked "What does one plus one plus one equal?" The answer was "Three". He asked again at the end of the service and the answer was correctly "One", although he did say that was not the answer in a Maths class!
Put in your diarys Sunday July 12th, which also happens to be Sea Sunday. The Selsey Consort will be singing in Church at 3pm. Tickets are £10 each. Proceeds are to be divided between St Mary our Lady and the Mission To Seafarers. There will be an eclectic mix of sacred and secular choral music with a leaning to water, of course. The concert will be followed in true St Mary's style with tea and cake. Tickets can be bought after 10am services from Hilary. You can buy on the door,, but it would be good to know numbers to ensure there is enough cake to go around.
A reading from the boook of the propht Isaiah.
Who has measured the waters of the sea in the hollow of his hand
and marked off the heavens with a span,
enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure
and weighed the mountains in scales
and the hills in a balance?
Who has directed the spirit of the Lord
or as his counselor has instructed him?
Whom did he consult for his enlightenment,
and who taught him the path of justice?
Who taught him knowledge
and showed him the way of understanding?
Even the nations are like a drop from a bucket
and are accounted as dust on the scales;
see, he takes up the isles like fine dust.
Lebanon would not provide fuel enough,
nor are its animals enough for a burnt offering.
All the nations are as nothing before him;
they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness.
Why do you say, O Jacob,
and assert, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the Lord,
and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
He gives power to the faint
and strengthens the powerless.
Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted,
but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
2 Corinthians 13:11-13
A reading from the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians.
Brothers and sisters,
pit things in order, listen to my appeal,
agree with one another;
live in peace;
and the God of love and peace will be with you.
Greet one another with a holy kiss.
All the saints greet you.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God,
and the communion of the Holy Spirit
be with all of you.
Matthew 28:16-20
Hear the gosple of our Lord Jesus Christ according to Matthew.
The eleven disciples went to Galilee,
to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them.
When they saw him, they worshiped him,
but they doubted.
And Jesus came and said to them,
“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you.
And remember, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.”
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