sermon news

Sermon Preached in St. Paul’s Athens (and on Zoom) on the 5th Sunday of Easter 2021: Acts 4, 5-12; John 10, 11-18)

Fr Leonard Doolan

 

In today’s gospel reading Jesus says ‘I am the Good Shepherd’. This has given rise to a particular Sunday in the Easter season being called ‘Good Shepherd Sunday’. So I begin with an apology. I got the Sunday readings mixed up and we should have read today’s gospel last week. If you are confused by this, you can imagine how confused I am. Anyway, with all that clearly sorted out  – back to the Good Shepherd.

Half of this chapter of John’s gospel is taken up with an extended pastoral metaphor. To begin, Jesus speaks of the sheepfold and how the sheep will know the voice of their shepherd, and not that of a stranger – and Jesus, by implication, is saying that he is the trustworthy Gatekeeper. St. John the gospel writers comments that Jesus uses this description as a ‘figure of speech’ (παροιμία).

As the word picture develops Jesus then goes on to say that ‘I am the Gate’ (John 10, 9). Thus far we are left understanding that Jesus is the Gatekeeper, and the Gate, and now he raises the image to its main point – ‘I am the Good Shepherd’.

This image is popular – but playing around with the image is not new, nor unique to Jesus. If we look to the Old Testament, and to the Prophecy of Ezekiel, (Ezek 34, 1ff) the prophet excoriates the spiritual leaders of the day for their bad practices as shepherds of God’s people. They are the ones directly responsible for scattering God’s sheep, with the implication that they have not been gatherers as a good shepherd would be.

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The lord is my shepherd

Service for the 5th Sunday of Easter at St Paul’s Athens and on Zoom

Fr. Leonard will lead the worship and preach.

 

Priest:                Alleluia. Christ is risen!

All:                     He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

 

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.

 

 

Assistant:         Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us. Let us therefore rejoice by

putting away all malice and evil and confessing our sins with a sincere and pure heart .

There follows a short period of silence and stillness

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Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Easter – 23rd May 2021: Acts 8, 26-end; John 15, 1-8.

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens and on Zoom

 

The image of Jesus as the True Vine is one that is highly emotive and attractive. I have an icon in my small collection which is the True Vine, η άμπελος. It means a lot to me, not least because it was a gift from our daughter a few years ago.

In this bucolic image from St. John’s gospel God the Father, is referred to as the gardener, or the vine-dresser, ο γεώργος, from which we derive the highly popular first name Georgios in Greek, or George in English. It is for good reason that King George III was called ‘Farmer George’ with his agricultural interests, but also a clever play on words.

As the image is developed there is the invitation from our Lord for a healthy participation in the life of the vine, meaning a healthy participation in his life, a sort of organic synergy, an invitation to be included. The word used is rather beautifully translated as ‘abide’ – but the verb μένω is used still in modern Greek for ‘live’.

‘Abide’ is quite an old fashioned word in English now – as indeed the word for someone’s house or home as ‘an abode’ but it is perhaps its more sparing use that makes it all the more powerful when we are invited to ‘abide in Christ’.

One of the most well – known hymns begins with these words:

‘Abide with me; fast falls the eventide’. The last verse is perhaps the most powerful,

 

Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;

Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies:

Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!

 

Abiding in the life of Christ as a vine, is as challenging as it is comforting. The final verse of that hymn I just quoted talks of the cross – there can be no sharing in the life of Jesus, no participating in the life of Christ the True Vine, without the acceptance of the challenge of the cross.

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He is risen

Service for the 4th Sunday of Easter 23rd May 2021 at St Paul’s Athens and on Zoom

Deacon Christine is leading the worship and Fr. Leonard is the preacher.

 

Deacon:            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!

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He is risen

Service for the 3rd Sunday of Easter: 16th May 2021 at St Paul’s and on Zoom

 

Fr. Leonard is leading the worship and is preaching.

 

Priest:            Alleluia. Christ is risen!

All:                 He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

 

Ye choirs of new Jerusalem,                        (tune St. Fulbert)
Your sweetest notes employ,
The Paschal victory to hymn
In strains of holy joy.

For Judah’s Lion bursts His chains,
Crushing the serpent’s head;
And cries aloud through death’s domains
To wake th’imprison’d dead.

Devouring depths of hell
Their prey at His command restore;
His ransom’d hosts pursue their way
Where Jesus goes before.

Triumphant in His glory now
To Him all power is given;
To Him in one communion bow
All saints in earth and heaven.

While we, His soldiers, praise our King,
His mercy we implore,
Within His palace bright to bring
And keep us evermore.

All glory to the Father be,
All glory to the Son,
All glory, Holy Ghost, to Thee,
While endless ages run.

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Sermon for the third Sunday after Easter- 16th May 2021: Acts 3, 12-19; Luke 24, 36-48.

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens and on Zoom

 

From time to time the author of some great TV drama will tell us that she or he has written more than one ending to the story, allowing time to see how the series develops and how people respond to the developing plot. Actors will actually film several endings, and won’t know which one will be used until it is actually screened. This gives the directing team and the author the final word on suspense. In a sense this is what we get with the four gospel writers as they present to us what happens after Jesus walks away from the empty tomb.

Mark’s version is short, and the experience of the women who go to the garden is expressed in powerful words – alarmed, terror, amazement, afraid. In fact ‘afraid’ is the final word in St. Mark’s gospel.

Matthew says little more than Mark, but his gospel ends with words like, direct, worship, go, make disciples, baptize, obey, command. Matthew leaves us in no doubt that the new way of following Jesus is missional – we are sent out – go and baptize. We are given our gospel orders by Matthew.

In a sense, John ends as he begins. He informs us in his first chapter that Word has become flesh and dwells in our midst. It is this same Word that has ‘spoken forth’ from the empty tomb, and he still dwells among us in full physical presence. John has not retreated on his initial convictions. Mary of Magdala is told ‘not to touch’ – Noli me tangere – ‘do not hold on to me’. He stands in the midst of his disciples and shows them the marks of the cross – this is the same me! To Thomas he later says, reach out and touch. Again, he appears by the lakeside and lo and behold he is presiding over a charcoal fire cooking some fish. So for John, the Word has indeed remained flesh and continues to dwell among us, full of grace and truth.

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