16 July 2023
10:00 | 
Posted by
Dr Platts |
Having survived a wild windy night, with the wind still pretty strong, we made our way to church for Matins. The Psalm set for today was Psalm 65 which recounts the joy of the earth in the growing crops and animals. Often used at Harvest it went well today with our readings from the King James version of the Bible.
The Choir sang the Benedictus in the setting by CV Stanford in B flat. And as the anthem they sang 'Thou Visitest the Earth' by Greene, Hilary Platts sang the solo and we were accompanied by Joanna on the electric piano in harpsicord mode.
Father Chris spoke about the Gospel readings from St Matthew which we will be using over the next few weeks. They are Parables told by Jesus, today the Sower of the seed. These stories have many layers, and carry a universal message which we probably shouldn't over analyse
There was coffee after the service.
The Fete is fast approaching only 12 days to go! Help of all kinds still needed and entry forms for the Mini Show should be given to the church Wardens! Most importantly do come along on July 29th at 2pm in the Vicarage field!!
Isaiah 55:10-13
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Thus says the Lord:
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 therefore 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,
though the body is dead because of sin,
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 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 Gospel 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 the 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 the world 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.’
