A Service for Remembrance Sunday – 8 November 2020

Welcome to our Zoom service, especially on this Remembrance Sunday. A particular welcome to Her Excellency Kate Smith CMG, British Ambassador, and Captain Tim Ferns, Defence Attache. This Worship is led by The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan, Senior Chaplain, who is also the preacher. The Noon ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery at Alimos is cancelled.

 

Please make sure you unmute if you are to speak during the service.

Christina will play some music before we begin

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

All:            and also with you.

Priest:      O Lord, open our lips

All:            and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Priest:      Give us the joy of your saving help

All:            and sustain us with your life-giving Spirit.

 

Fr. Leonard then welcomes people informally and then prays:

Ever living God, we remember those whom you have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of your presence; may that same peace calm our fears, bring justice to all peoples, and establish harmony among the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Prayers of Penitence

Deacon:  Let us confess to God the sins and shortcomings of the world; its pride, its selfishness, its greed; its evil divisions and hatreds. Let us confess our share in what is wrong, and our failure to seek and establish that peace which God wills for his people.

 

All:           Lord God, we have sinned against you;

                 we have done evil in your sight.

                 We are sorry and repent.

                 Have mercy on us according to your love.

                 Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.

                 Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation;

                 through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

Priest:      May the Father of all mercies cleanse you from your sins, and restore you

in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All:            Amen

 

Reading from the Old Testament : Wisdom 6, 12-16  (read by the British Defence Attaché, Captain Tim Ferns, Royal Navy)                                                        

 

The organ will play the hymn tune ‘O God our help in ages past’

 

Reading from the New Testament:  Matthew 25, 1-13 (read by the British Ambassador, Her Excellency Kate Smith CMG)                                                                            

 

Sermon    (sermons are available on the St. Paul’s website in print and pre-recorded)

 

The Apostles’ Creed  (please stand)

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

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 God the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. 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  (Please kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy,  Hear our prayer.

 

Act of Commitment: Led by Deacon Christine (please stand)

Deacon: Let us pledge ourselves anew to the service of God and our fellow men and women; that we may help, encourage and comfort others, and support those working for the relief of the needy and for the peace and welfare of the nations.

All: Lord God our Father, we pledge ourselves to serve you and all mankind, in the cause of peace, for the relief of want and suffering, and for the praise of your name. Guide us by your Spirit; give us wisdom; give us courage; give us hope; and keep us faithful now and for ever. Amen.

 

Deacon: Gathering our prayers and praises into one, as our Saviour has taught us, so we pray:

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.

 

Hymn    The organ will play the hymn tune ‘eternal Father, strong to save’.

 

Priest:    They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old; age shall not weary them,

nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will

remember them.

All:          We will remember them

                A short silence will follow

 

National Anthem of the United Kingdom (St. Paul’s  Athens is part of the Church of England Diocese in Europe. HM Queen Elizabeth II is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England.)

 

The organ will play the United Kingdom National Anthem – here are the words if you wish to sing them at home:

 

God save our gracious Queen

Long live our noble Queen,

God save our Queen.

Send her victorious

Happy and glorious

Long to reign over us

God save the Queen.

 

Priest:   God grant to the living grace, to the departed rest, to the Church, the Queen, the Commonwealth and all people, unity, peace and concord, and to us and all God’s servants, life everlasting; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always.  Amen.

 

Captain Tim Ferns then says: ‘When you go home tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow we gave our today.’

 

The organ will play briefly then we can stay on and chat on Zoom.