09/03/2021 In Announcements, Blog News

Annual Parochial Church Meeting

The Annual Parochial Church Meeting for St Paul’s Anglican Church Athens will take place on Zoom, at 1.00pm on Sunday 21st March 2021, after the morning service.

You will not need to log-in separately, just stay online after the service.

Click here for the Zoom Login for Sunday Service

 

All the documents pertaining to the meeting have been uploaded and are available to view online.  They may then be personally downloaded or printed if necessary.  Each document has a separate link and should be clicked to view.  They are not altogether on one link. There are nine documents altogether:

  • Information on Zoom Meeting
  • Agenda
  • Minutes of the APCM 2020
  • Nomination form for Church Wardens
  • Nomination form for Parish Council Members
  • Nomination form for Archdeaconry Synod Representatives
  • Accounts for the last Financial Year
  • Auditors Report
  • Reports on Church Organisations and Events.

 

 

07/03/2021 In Sermons & Services

Sermon for Sunday 7th March 2020: Romans 8, 18-25; Matthew 6, 25-34)

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

 

Greece has many wonderful traditions. Some are deeply connected to religious festivals; some are not, and some fall in between. All of them touch in one way or another on family celebration or community gathering, which is why a second year of denial because of the pandemic is particularly challenging. Government restrictions to fight the virus are the very antithesis of everything it means to be Greek or to be living alongside Greek social customs. This is no criticism of the Government by the way, as they seem left with precious few choices than to prevent us all gathering socially.

This annual round of family, community and religious observances create the very character, spirit and identity of Greeks. Such observances are particularly frequent as we approach Lent, Holy Week and Easter, and this year because of the pandemic, we as Anglicans are observing the Greek Orthodox dates for these, rather than the Western church dates.

Thursday (4th March) was tsiknopempti – which could be translated as ‘charcoal Thursday’. On this day there is a chance to celebrate meat – not a day aimed at vegetarians or vegans. Even in central Athens barbecue grills will appear by the roadside, various meats or souvlaki will be grilled and shared with those who pass by. In villages the whole community will gather around a huge spit roast, bringing whatever is needed to accompany the meat. It may be called ‘Charcoal Thursday’, but this is not to be confused in any way with what may know as Ash Wednesday.

Today, the 2nd Sunday before Lent is referred to as ‘Meat Fare Sunday’. This Sunday introduces a gradual approach to the rigours of Lent, for from today onwards there is an abstention from eating meat. It is a step of preparation, so that the full immersion into fasting is not too much of a shock. It is also known as ‘Judgement Sunday’.

Stage 2 in this process is next Sunday, ‘Cheese Fare Sunday’, also the Sunday named ‘Forgiveness Sunday’. During the week between these two Sundays there have been two full Lenten Fasting days, Wednesday and Friday, and on these days even the Eucharist is not celebrated, hinting at the personal denials that are just around the corner.

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Bible STudies
02/03/2021 In Blog News

Zoom Service for Sunday 7th March 2021

2nd Sunday before Lent

 

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.

 The Sunday worship login remains the same until the end of April. Always double check for information  on our website. This year we are aligned to the Greek Orthodox date for Easter.

 Deacon Chris will lead the worship today, assisted by Nelly. The preacher this morning is Fr. Leonard

 

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

All:           and also with you.

 

1 All creatures of our God and King,
lift up your voice and with us sing,
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam,
thou silver moon with softer gleam,
O sing ye, O sing ye, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

 

2 Thou rushing wind that art so strong,
ye clouds that sail in heav’n along,
alleluia, alleluia!
Thou rising morn in praise rejoice,
ye lights of evening, find a voice,
O sing ye, O sing ye, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

 

3 Dear mother earth, who day by day,
unfoldest blessings on our way,
alleluia, alleluia!
The flow’rs and fruits that in thee grow,
let them God’s glory also show,
O sing ye, O sing ye, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

 

4 Let all things their Creator bless,
and worship God in humbleness,
alleluia, alleluia!
To God all thanks and praise belong!
Join in the everlasting song:
O sing ye, O sing ye, alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

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sermon news
27/02/2021 In Sermons & Services

Sermon for Sunday 28th February 2021: 1 Samuel 3, 1-10; Mark 2, 23-3,6.

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

 

‘The word of the Lord was rare in those days’ (1 Sam 3, 1) words that begin the story of the calling of Samuel.

We often have bible studies here in Athens, for the last year provided by Zoom gatherings, but previously in person. We invariably use a method of sitting with the scriptures called in Latin Lectio Divina. It is a method that allows silent reading of a passage of scripture, then reading it aloud, each person reading one or two verses each, then some silence, followed by each participant deciding on a single word or very brief phrase, which we then go on as a group to develop in conversation. It is a good, inclusive method of looking at scripture together. It allows us to ‘dig down’ into scripture, a helpful phrase that Deacon Christine gave us last week in her sermon.

This method of digging down into scripture originates in the monastic tradition, but is now commonplace in parish life for study groups.

If we applied this method of Lectio Divina to the passage from 1 Samuel, our OT reading for this Sunday, it would be interesting to see which word, or short phrase each person would chose.

I prefer when people just choose one word, but some latitude is needed, so for me, I would chose this short phrase, ‘The word of the Lord was rare in those days’.

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Feb 7th
27/02/2021 In Blog News

Zoom Service for Sunday 28th February 2020

3rd  Sunday before Lent

 

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.

 Fr. Leonard will lead the service today, assisted by Alice Karanja. The preacher this morning is Fr. Leonard

 

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

All:           and also with you.

 

1 Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart;
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 own heart, whatever befall,
still be my vision, O Ruler of all.

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sermon news
23/02/2021 In Sermons & Services

Sermon for Sunday 21st February 2021: ISAIAH 43: 18-25, MARK 2 :1-12

Deacon Chris Saccali – St Paul’s Athens

 

I speak in the name of the Triune God Father, Son and Holy Spirit AMEN

In difficult times it is wise to think outside the box, I do not mean illegally, but to work with others for the common good and our own well-being. That premise stood well this week in the snow lockdown in our little cul-de-sac. When a few of us heard the bulldozer come to clear the road, we rushed out some with shovels others with grit to make sure the snow was not dumped in front of anyone’s gate so we could all eventually get out. Once we start thinking exclusively introspectively and selfishly, we have lost the ability to see the bigger picture and gain perspective and help ourselves and others.

 

In the all too familiar story of the paralysed man we heard today as recorded by Mark but also narrated in Matthew and Luke, we hear of four friends thinking laterally, out of the box. In this case, through the roof, literally digging down, the Greek verb  εξορυξαντες, the root of the word  ορυχειο mine, for there was no way they could enter the house in Capernaum through the door.

Presumably it was the same house belonging to Peter mentioned in the previous chapter where he healed the leper, to which Jesus had returned because of the crowds. And these pals were encumbered by carrying  their incapacitated friend on a stretcher. How could they circumvent this and get near the healer, whose reputation was rapidly spreading despite his insistence and instructions to keep things secret? This time the house had been turned into a teaching area with huge numbers listening in. Then someone or all of them had a bright idea. Lower the stretcher through the skylight. I don’t really think this was a big deal as there were probably steps up to the roof but it would certainly grab everyone’s attention and it would need steady, strong  hands and working in co-operation. This would also attract Jesus, the rabbi, expounding below and divert the listeners.

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Feb 7th
17/02/2021 In Announcements, Blog News

Zoom Service for Sunday 21st February 2021 at 12.00 noon

We are following the Orthodox date for Easter this year. Today is the

4th Sunday before Lent. 

 

Welcome to our 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.

 

The Sunday worship login will remain the same until the end of April. See notices at end of sheet.  

 

Fr. Leonard will lead the worship today, assisted by Deacon Chris who is the preacher. On the keyboard is Christina Antoniadou. 

 

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

All:           and also with you.

1 Morning has broken
Like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken
Like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing
Fresh from the Word!

 

2 Sweet the rain’s new fall
Sunlit from Heaven,
Like the first dewfall
On the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
Of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness
Where his feet pass.

 

3 Mine is the sunlight,
Mine is the morning,
Born of the one light
Eden saw play.
Praise with elation,
Praise every morning,
God’s re-creation
Of the new day!

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