Lent 1 Blog

Zoom Service for the Fourth Sunday in Lent – 11th April 2021

St Paul’s Athens

 

We have permission from our bishop to follow the Greek calendar date for Easter (this year only) so today is Lent 3. Καλή ΣαρακοστήAfter the worship we can have a short chat together.

 

The Sunday worship login is the same for April 18th, THEN IT WILL CHANGE. There will be a NEW link including Palm Sunday through Holy Week and Easter Sunday. This will be for 10.00hrs.  Always double check for information on our website.

 

Fr. Leonard will lead the worship today, and preach. Deacon Christine will assist.  Christina Antoniadou is playing the keyboard. Please see ‘Chat’ on the day, to see the pieces Christina is playing.

 

Priest:         Blessed be the Kingdom of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

All:              Now and forever.

Priest:         Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

All:              and also with you.

 

There will now be a minute’s silence to remember HRH the Duke of Edinburgh.  After this we will sing a verseof the National Anthem.

 

God save our gracious Queen

Long live our noble Queen,

God save the Queen:

Send her victorious

Happy and glorious

Long to reign over us:

God save the Queen.

 

1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;                                       (tune  Slane)
naught be all else to me, save that thou art.
Thou my best thought, by day or by night,
waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.

 

2 Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word;
I ever with thee, and thou with me, Lord.
Born of thy love, thy child may I be,
thou in me dwelling and I one with thee.

 

3 Be thou my buckler, my sword for the fight.
Be thou my dignity, thou my delight,
thou my soul’s shelter, thou my high tow’r.
Raise thou me heav’nward, O Pow’r of my pow’r.

 

4 Riches I heed not, nor vain empty praise;
thou mine inheritance, now and always.
Thou and thou only, first in my heart,
Ruler of heaven, my treasure thou art.

 

5 High King of heaven, when vict’ry is won
may I reach to heaven’s joys, O bright heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

Deacon:      Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against him. Let us then renounce our wilfulness and ask his mercy by confessing our sins in penitence and faith.

There follows a short period of silence and stillness

 Deacon:       Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin

Kyrie eleison

     All:                Kyrie eleison

     Deacon:       Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me

                           Christe eleison

     All:                Christe eleison

Deacon:       Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me

                           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.

 

Traditionally in Lent we do not sing or say the Gloria

 

Collect:  Let us pray     (Collect of the Day) 

Merciful Lord, you know our struggle to serve you: when sin spoils our lives and overshadows our hearts, come to our aid and turn us back to you again, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

 

First Reading                                                                                                        Ephesians 2, 1-10 (Jane Mandalios)     

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

This is the word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God.

 

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 none 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.

 

Gospel Reading          

 

Deacon:               Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory. Blessed are those who have endured temptation:

they have stood the test and will receive the crown of life.

All:                        Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.

Deacon:               The Lord be with you

All:                        and also with you

Deacon:               Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John                       (John 3, 14-21)

All:                        Glory to you, O Lord

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. “Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

 

Deacon:               This is the gospel of Christ

All:                        Praise to you, O Christ.

 

Sermon                Fr. Leonard

 

 Creed

Deacon:   Do you believe and trust in God the Father, source of all being and life, the one for whom we

exist?

All:           We believe and trust in him.

Deacon:   Do you believe and trust in God the Son, who took our human nature, died for us and rose again?

All:           We believe and trust in him.

Deacon:  Do you believe and trust in God the Holy Spirit, who gives life to the people of God, and makes

Christ known in the world?

All:           We believe and trust in him.

Deacon:   This is the faith of the Church.

All:           This is our faith. We believe and trust in one God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

 Admission of Churchwardens

 (Duties of a Warden)  Churchwardens should:

  • care for and support the parish priest, and be people to whom the incumbent can turn to for advice and support
  • try to ensure that the incumbent is relieved of superfluous administrative, and other, tasks
  • provide feedback, as a ‘critical friend’, for the parish priest
  • care for the congregation and encourage people in their Christian faith
  • help to resolve disputes or disagreements amongst the congregation or with the parish priest, or with the local community
  • When any concerns arise, they should consult the Area Dean and/or Archdeacon.

 

Trevor and Lynn, you have been duly chosen as churchwardens of this chaplaincy /congregation for the coming year.  Before you can be admitted to that office you must make the appropriate declaration.

The churchwardens say one after the other:

I,Trevor / I, Lynn,

having been chosen to the office of churchwarden for the chaplaincy of St. Paul’s Athens, do declare that I will faithfully and diligently perform the duties of my office. So help me God.

Fr. Leonard says:

As the duly appointed substitute for the Bishop in Europe, I hereby admit you, Trevor and Lynn, as churchwardens of this chaplaincy for the next year, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

Peace:     Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us access to his grace.  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. Also – as a special Easter donation you can ‘fill the basket with eggs’ (See website) and you can make a donation for an Easter lily in memory of a loved one (see website)

 

 

Ye that know the Lord is gracious,                  (tune   Hyfrydol)
Ye for whom a cornerstone
Stands, of God elect and precious,
Laid that you may build there-on,
See that on that sure foundation
Ye a living temple raise.
Towers that may tell forth salvation,
Walls that may re-echo praise.

 

2
Living stones by God appointed
Each to his allotted place,
Kings and priests, by God anointed,
Shall you not declare His grace?
Ye, a royal generation,
Tell the tidings of your birth,
Tidings of a new creation
To an old and weary earth.

 

3
Tell the praise of Him who called you
Out of darkness into light,
Broke the fetters that enthralled you,
Gave you freedom, peace, and sight:
Tell the tale of sins forgiven,
Strength renewed and hope restored,
Till the earth, in tune with heaven,
Praise and magnify the Lord.

 

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.

 

We offer prayers for the church, the nations, the sick and departed then together we pray:

 

All:  Merciful Lord, grant your people grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh and the devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow you, the only God; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

1 Ye holy angels bright,                                      (tune   Darwall’s  184th)
who wait at God’s right hand,
or through the realms of light
fly at your Lord’s command,
assist our song,
for else the theme
too high doth seem
for mortal tongue.

 

2 Ye blessèd souls at rest,
who ran this earthly race,
and now, from sin released,
behold the Saviour’s face,
his praises sound,
as in his sight
with sweet delight
ye do abound.

 

3 Ye saints, who toil below,
adore your heavenly King,
and onward as ye go
some joyful anthem sing;
take what he gives
and praise him still,
through good and ill,
who ever lives.

 

4 My soul, bear thou thy part,
triumph in God above,
and with a well-tuned heart
sing thou the songs of love;
let all thy days
till life shall end,
whate’er he send,
be filled with praise.

Priest:        Christ give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your cross and follow him….

Deacon:     Go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

All:              In the name of Christ. Amen.            

 

NOTICES

Next Sunday Zoom is the same login address, but THEN IT WILL CHANGE to a new login address, and a NEW TIME of 10.00hrs. The order of service is also on the website each week. The church is still closed. Look out for new regulations. We pray for better news as we move towards Holy Week and Easter.

  • Saturday Weekly Meditations – 0900 on Deacon Chris’s Facebook.
  • Easter Eggs in a basket – a lovely project that allows you to make a special Easter donation to St. Paul’s Church. Please see the website for all the details.
  • Easter Lilies – to remember a loved one this Easter please order a lily ‘online’ and make a donation. See the website for details.
  • Lent Bible Studies: looking at the Letter to the Galatians. Fridays –  April 16th, 23rd.  All at 19.00hrs. See Zoom link or contact Fr. Leonard.
  • Lent Night Prayer: Wednesdays at 21.00. April 14th, 21stOrder of Service and Login details will be put on the website nearer the time.
  • Easter Cards – Anne Dedes has a supply of her beautiful Easter cards for sale. She will display some each week on the screen. Order direct through Anne please.

Celebrating Easter in a time of COVID

 

Palm Sunday   April 25th    New Zoom login for the WHOLE WEEK.   Please join before 10.00hrs

Monday 26th April:        Facebook at 09.00hrs  (Deacon Chris)

                                           Zoom at 10.00hrs

Tuesday 27th April:         Facebook at 09.00hrs

                                           Zoom at 10.00hrs

Wednesday 28th Apr:    Facebook at 09.00

                                           Zoom at 10.00hrs

Holy Thursday  29th        Facebook at 09.00hrs

                                            Zoom at 10.00hrs       

Good Friday 30th             Facebook at 09.00hrs

                                            Zoom at 10.00hrs 

Holy Sat/day May 1st      Facebook at 09.00hrs

                                            Zoom at 10.00hrs

Easter Sunday May 2nd   Zoom at 10.00hrs

                   

 

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

 

 

 

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