Zoom Service for the 3rd Sunday after Epiphany – 24th January 2021: St Paul’s Conversion
The priest then welcomes the people of God and the assistant leads us into Confession.
The assistant leads us into a short period of silence, followed by Confession.
Assistant: God be gracious to us and bless us, and make your face to shine upon us:
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Assistant: May your ways be known on the earth, your saving power among the nations
Christe eleison
All: Christe eleison
Assistant: You, Lord, have made known your salvation, and reveal your justice in the sight of the nations:
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Priest: 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 (tune Skye Boat Song)
Glory to God in the heaven above, peace to his friends on earth.
Lord God of hosts, and our heavenly King, Father and mighty God.
We worship you, we give you thanks, praise to your holy name.
‘Glory to God’ heaven declares ‘Glory’ creation sings.
Refrain: Glory to God in the heaven above, peace to his friends on earth.
God, ever three, yet eternally one, glorious Trinity.
Son of the Father, and Lord of us all, holy eternal Lamb,
Christ, who has carried the sin of the world, mercy on us, we pray.
Jesus our God, Saviour and Judge, answer us when we cry;
Seated on high, reigning with God, hear and receive our prayer. Refrain.
You, Jesus Christ, are the Lord, the Most High, you are the Holy One.
You, only you, with the Spirit divine, reign in the Father’s love.
Blessed are you, Father and Son, Spirit of grace and truth;
Myst’ry profound, veiled yet revealed, hidden in depths of light. Refrain
Collect: Let us pray (Collect of the Day)
Almighty God, who caused the light of the gospel to shine throughout the world through the preaching of your servant Saint Paul: grant that we who celebrate his wonderful conversion may follow him in bearing witness to your truth; 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 forever. Amen
First Reading Acts 9, 1-22
Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” The men who were traveling with him stood speechless because they heard the voice but saw no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; so they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. For three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas look for a man of Tarsus named Saul. At this moment he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who invoke your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is an instrument whom I have chosen to bring my name before Gentiles and kings and before the people of Israel; I myself will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on your way here, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and his sight was restored. Then he got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All who heard him were amazed and said, “Is not this the man who made havoc in Jerusalem among those who invoked this name? And has he not come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” Saul became increasingly more powerful and confounded the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Messiah.
This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
A sung Alleluia.
Gospel Reading
Assistant: Alleluia, alleluia. You did not choose me, but I chose you and I send you out to be my disciples.
All: Alleluia.
Assistant: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Assistant: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew (Matthew 19, 27-30)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
Then Peter said in reply, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.
Assistant : This is the gospel of Christ
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon Fr. Leonard
Creed
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father; through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Intercessions: (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer (Intercessor: Lynn Stavrou)
Peace: God has made us one in Christ. He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come, he has given us the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you.
You might like to scroll along the gallery of the participants to see who you are sharing the peace with – remember to put your Sunday collection aside or send it by bank transfer.
1 In our day of thanksgiving one psalm let us offer
for the saints who before us have found the reward;
when the shadow of death fell upon them, we sorrowed,
but now we rejoice that they rest in the Lord.
2 In the morning of life, and at noon, and at evening,
they were gathered to heav’n from our worship below;
but not till God’s love, at the font and on the altar,
had clothed them with grace for the way they should go.
3 These stones that have echoed their praises are holy,
and dear is the ground where their feet have once trod;
yet here they confessed they were strangers and pilgrims,
and still they were seeking the city of God.
4 Sing praise, then, and thanks that God’s love here has found them
whose journey is ended, whose perils are past;
they believed in the light; and its glory is round them,
where the clouds of earth’s sorrows are lifted at last.
The Lord’s Prayer: (to be prayed in whichever language you chose)
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.
All: Lord God, the source of truth and love, keep us faithful to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, united in prayer and the breaking of bread, and one in joy and simplicity of heart, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
1 Your hand, O God, has guided
your flock from age to age;
your faithfulness is written
on history’s open page.
Our fathers owned your goodness,
and we their deeds record;
and both to this bear witness:
one church, one faith, one Lord!
2 Your heralds brought the gospel
to greatest and the least;
they summoned men and women
to share the great King’s feast.
And this was all their teaching
in ev’ry deed and word,
to all alike proclaiming:
one church, one faith, one Lord!
3 Your mercy will not fail us
nor leave your work undone;
with your right hand to help us
the vict’ry shall be won.
And then by earth and heaven
your name shall be adored;
and this shall be our anthem:
one church, one faith, one Lord!
Priest: God grant you grace to follow his saints in faith and hope and love and the blessing…..
All: Amen.
Assistant: The Lord will be your everlasting light and your God will be your glory. Go in peace to love and
serve the Lord.
All: In the name of Christ. Amen.
Notices – more information is on the website including Zoom login details.
Epiphany Bible Studies: Fridays at 19.00. Jan 15th, Jan 22nd, Jan 29th, Feb 5th. Texts for study are on the website, or email Fr. Leonard and he will send them to you.
Book of Common Prayer Evensongs: Wednesdays at 19.00 from 13th Jan-24th March. Order of service is on the website or email Fr. Leonard in good time and he will send it. Same format each week. A chance to use the 1662 Book of Common Prayer!
Lent Study Group: Limited to 12 people. We will study Rowan Williams Book Meeting God in Paul. Copies will be on sale from Fr. Leonard when they arrive. Fridays at 19.00 – Feb 19th, Feb 26th, Mar 3rd, Mar 12th, Mar 19th.
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
The Anglican Church in Greece (including St. Paul’s) is self-financing, and receives no income other than from the generosity of those who worship here. We are a legal body and we pay tax. Our tax number is 997073090. If you wish to donate direct to our bank (IBAN) the account with Piraeus Bank is: The Anglican Church in Greece, St. Paul’s Athens GR 820172 0500 0050 5008 6327 479 Swift code is PIRB GRAA
No Comments