The Lord is my Shepherd blog

The Anglican Church in Greece 4th Sunday of Easter (May 3rd 2020)

Welcome to our Eastertide Sunday worship brought to our homes by Zoom.  After the worship we can have a short chat together. The hymns and other shared texts you might know by heart, or you can print out this service, or you may have a hymn book at home, or you may be happy to listen in silence.

 

From the week beginning 4th May there will be a weekly Bible Study and a mid-week evening quiet reflection service. The login address for these will appear on our website. The Sunday worship login address remains the same throughout May.

 

Priest: Alleluia! Christ is risen

      All:     He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

 

O praise ye the Lord! praise Him in the height;
Rejoice in His Word, ye angels of light;
Ye heavens, adore Him by Whom ye were made,
And worship before Him in brightness arrayed.

 

O praise ye the Lord! Praise Him upon earth,
In tuneful accord, ye sons of new birth;
Praise Him Who hath brought you His grace from above,
Praise Him Who hath taught you to sing of His love.

 

O praise ye the Lord! All things that give sound;
Each jubilant chord re-echo around;
Loud organs, His glory forth tell in deep tone,
And sweet harp, the story of what He hath done.

 

O praise ye the Lord! Thanksgiving and song
To Him be outpoured all ages along!
For love in creation, for Heaven restored,
For grace of salvation, O praise ye the Lord!

 

The priest then welcomes the people of God and the deacon leads us into Confession.

Silence

Deacon: Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life.

Kyrie eleison

All:          Kyrie eleison

Deacon: Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins.

Christe eleison

All:          Christe eleison

Deacon:  Lord Jesus, you feed us with the living bread.

Kyrie eleison

All:          Kyrie eleison

 

Absolution: May the God of love and power forgive you and free you from your sins, heal and strengthen you by his Spirit, and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord.   Amen.

 

Gloria:  Glory in the highest to the God of heavens:

              Peace to all your people through the earth be given.

              Mighty God and Father, thanks and praise we bring,

              Singing Alleluia! To the heavenly King.

 

              Jesus Christ is risen, God the Father’s Son;

              With the Holy Spirit, you are Lord alone.

              Lamb once killed for sinners, all our guilt to bear,

              Show us now your mercy, now receive our prayer

             

              Christ the world’s true Saviour, high and holy one,

              Seated now and reigning from your Father’s throne:

              Lord and God, we praise you! Highest heaven adores:

              In the Father’s glory, all the praise be yours!

 

Collect:  Let us pray TOGETHER    (Collect of the Day) 

Risen Christ, faithful shepherd of your Father’s sheep; teach us to hear your voice and to follow your command, that all your people may be gathered into one flock, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.

 

First Reading                                                                 Acts 2, 42-end.

 

They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.  All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

 

This is the word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!

 

Gospel Psalm  23 (we say together)

 

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
    he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.

 

Gospel Reading           

 

Deacon:     Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Lord is risen. Alleluia!

All:             Alleluia              

Deacon:   The Lord be with you

All:            and also with you

Deacon: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John    (Luke 24, 13-35)

All:          Glory to you, O Lord

“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

 At the end of the Gospel

Deacon:  This is the gospel of the Lord, Alleluia!

All:           Praise to you, O Christ.           Alleluia

 

Sermon   Fr. Leonard

 

Affirmation of Faith

 Priest:  Do you believe and trust in God the Father?

All:        I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

Priest:   Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?

All:        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.

 Priest:  Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?

All:        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.

 

Intercessions:  (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer

(Intercessor: –  pray your own prayers also – if you have someone to be mentioned please email Fr. Leonard before Sunday morning.)                

 

Peace:  Alleluia! Alleluia! The risen Lord came among his disciples and said, ‘Peace be with you’. Then were they glad when they saw the Lord! Alleluia!

Priest: Alleluia! Alleluia! The peace of the Lord be always with you.

All:     And also with you. Alleluia! Alleluia!

 You might like to scroll along the gallery of the participants to see who you are sharing the peace with.

 Hymn        (you might now like to put aside your collection for today, but also the collections for previous Sundays when we have not been able to meet as a church)

1 The Lord’s my Shepherd, I’ll not want;
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.
2 My soul He doth restore again,
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
E’en for His own name’s sake.
3 Yea, though I walk in death’s dark vale,
Yet will I fear no ill;
For Thou art with me, and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.
4 My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.
5

 

 

Goodness and mercy all my life

  Shall surely follow me

And in God’s house forevermore

My dwelling-place shall be.

 

Closing Prayers

The Lord’s Prayer:  (to be prayed in your own language)

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

 

Merciful Father, you gave your Son Jesus Christ to be the good shepherd, and in his love for us to lay down his life and rise again: keep us always under his protection, and give us grace to follow in his steps; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

1 Now thank we all our God
with heart and hands and voices,
who wondrous things has done,
in whom his world rejoices;
who from our mothers’ arms
has blessed us on our way
with countless gifts of love,
and still is ours today.

 

2 O may this bounteous God
through all our life be near us,
with ever joyful hearts
and blessed peace to cheer us,
to keep us in his grace,
and guide us when perplexed,
and free us from all ills
of this world in the next.

 

3 All praise and thanks to God
the Father now be given,
the Son and Spirit blest,
who reign in highest heaven
the one eternal God,
whom heaven and earth adore;
for thus it was, is now,
and shall be evermore.

 

Priest:     God the Father, by whose love Christ was raised from the dead, open to you, who

believe, the gates of eternal life.

All:          Amen

Priest:     God the Son, who in bursting from the grave has won a glorious victory, give you

joy as you share the Easter faith.

All:          Amen

Priest:     God the Holy Spirit, who filled the disciples with the joy of the risen Lord,

empower you and fill you with Christ’s peace.

All:          Amen

Priest:     And the blessing….

 

Deacon:  Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!

All:           Thanks be to God.             Alleluia! Alleluia!

 

Next Week’s Readings (5th Sunday of Easter: Acts 7 55-end; John 14, 1-14)

 

Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday  (in emergencies contact Deacon Christine)

Home tel :  210 72 14 906;  email anglican@otenet.gr

Deacon Chris: 22950 53164: Day off – Friday

Swedish Church: contact Fr. Bjorn on  694 607 2428

 

Notices: Please stay indoors, safe, and follow Government regulations during this month – it is a crucial month! Nothing is changed in Greece until April 4th. At the time of preparing this service we await further information.

 

Check the website for information about logging on the mid-week evening service, and for the Bible Study.

 

 

 

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