Cinnamon Sticks C

Christmas Online Bazaar

Due to current Covid restrictions, and our precarious financial situation, we will not be able to hold a Christmas Bazaar this year – the first time in over 60 years.  HOWEVER, our beautiful Christmas Decorations, and Sweets will be on sale online and at the Church after the services.  Browse through our gallery of decorations here.  You can purchase them online through Paypal on our Donations page and collect them in a couple of weeks at the Church.  Don’t forget to indicate which item you are purchasing!

 

Candles cost  €8.00  and come gift wrapped and bagged.  Cinnamon Stick decorations cost €7.00.

 

 

Sermon for Bible Sunday – Last after Trinity, 25th October 2020: : Nehemiah 81-4, 8-12; Matthew 24, 30-35

Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

 

We will wear our historical hats for a few minutes this morning as we think about the reading from Nehemiah.

The Babylonians attacked and sacked the city of Jerusalem in the year 587/586BC. This is a pivotal date and a key moment in understanding the literature of the Old Testament – and even some of the imagery in the later New Testament, especially in the Book of Revelation.

When the city is taken, and the walls destroyed, so too the Temple of Solomon that had stood there for some 500 years is also razed to the ground and the holy objects of Jewish worship taken as plunder.

The families of the city – those who mattered at least- were taken captive and transported to Babylon. This is present day Iraq. Here the Jewish families, the tribes, experienced an identity crisis. They are in isolation, both physical and spiritual. The temple, so much at the heart of their worship and religious practices was no more. Their access to the familiar is now disrupted and denied to them.

Goaded by their captors to sing some hymns from the temple, they reflect, ‘By the rivers of Babylon – there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion…For our captors asked us for mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion”. How could we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land.’ (Psalm 137).

In exile, separated and distanced from the familiar it would be so easy for them to forget. History has shown us that our societies can just as easily develop a corporate amnesia as perpetuate a corporate remembrance.

Sitting as they were by the rivers of Babylon they remind themselves of what they have lost – ‘If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand wither! Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth, if I do not remember you, if I do not set Jerusalem above my highest joy.’ (Psalm 137 vss 5-6).

There is surely a lesson here from the past for us in the present and future. Around the world so many faithful Christians are isolated from gathering together, from being sacramental, and have become virtual members of church instead of physically present members of the Body of Christ. However long this Covid restricts us and distances us from one another and from sharing in the real nature of sacramental Christianity, let’s not forget – let’s not develop a corporate amnesia.

 

But back to the history. In the reign of the Persian King Cyrus a decree was issued that the Hebrew people should be allowed to rebuild their city and temple. This decree was discovered in Ecbatana – a place to become famous later for a battle in the reign of Alexander the Great. Because of the ‘laws of the Medes and Persians’ King Darius is bound to fulfil the command of his predecessor King Cyrus, and so Ezra is despatched to oversee the rebuild and restoration. The book of Ezra and the book of Nehemiah, should really be read as one.

Nehemiah is appointed as Governor of the newly rebuilt city of Jerusalem and the ‘land beyond the river’. The restoration programme had unearthed again the writings of the Law of Moses and it was apparent that in exile the Hebrew people had become detached from their religious heritage, despite their protestations by the rivers of Babylon. They were no longer faithful followers of the Word of Moses. They had lapsed and fallen into a religious apostasy – distance from God.

So Nehemiah relates how Ezra summons the people together. They meet at the Watergate – nothing to do with President Nixon – and with great drama Ezra reminds the people of the historic faith from which they had parted company. They are deeply emotional when they hear this. They stand, and raise their hands upwards, ‘Amen, Amen’ is their cry. They weep when they hear the words of the Lord. Some present were able to interpret for the people what the words truly meant, and the people understood. The people understood.

We are staying with history, but later in the historical religious trajectory. We are in the mid 14th century, and in England. The religion of the nation is Catholic, and the church is all powerful. It is powerful for a number of reasons – property ownership, vast wealth of riches and money. The church controls patronage, it controls penitence, and it controls its dogma of purgatory. But mostly it controls the lives of the people in England, and across Western Europe, by language. The language is Latin, and the only access to worship and the holy books of scripture is through Latin – the scriptures in Latin we call, rather ironically, the Vulgate version. In Latin vulgus means the multitude, the populous, the common mass of people. Latin was hardly the language of the multitude. Latin had caused a distance between the everyday person and God – an apostasy. The Greek scriptures had been translated into this Vulgate version by St. Jerome (Hieronymos in Greek) in Bethlehem. It had been his life’s work. The Vulgate version of the scriptures was the only version in the whole of Western Europe since Jerome in the year 420AD until an Englishman John Wycliffe translated it into the language of the vulgus the people.

Such a movement was happening with scholars and monks all over Western Europe translating the Vulgate into their own language, so that the people could understand – it is the period known as the Reformation.

 

Hearing their holy scriptures in their own native tongue must have brought sheer joy to the ears of the faithful. They were reminded of the basis for their faith, the foundations that had been denied them for so many centuries. They discovered that there had been a corporate amnesia about their personal knowledge of Jesus, and the things written about him. Salvation suddenly became transformed by understanding; it became personal rather than moderated through the power of the church, a church that had been able to exploit and perpetuate ignorance.

In the language of the people, and now also in the hands of the people after Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1495 in Germany, and Caxton just after him in England, faith is transformed.

 

I like to imagine that we can compare these two precious moments; the Books of the Law being read to the people at the Watergate in Jerusalem and hearing the basis of the covenant with God, and these Reformation years of people being able to hear and to read (where they could) the holy scriptures in their own language – ‘understanded of the people’ as older English says.

Today is not only the Last Sunday in the holy season of Trinity, it is designated as Bible Sunday. As we look over the trajectory of history there is so much to be thankful for. We can so readily and easily have or own access to scripture; so easy in fact that in most households that have a bible, it is never opened! That is how easy it is.

I won’t mention any names here – but it is easy to stand outside a church in the city of Washington and hold up a bible for the press cameras. It is another thing to open it, read it, pray with it, struggle with it, let your conduct be guided by it, and your holiness developed by it. If we keep it shut, you and me, we will so easily develop another corporate amnesia. Though bibles are so easy to get, we must never forget how precious these words are – for this reason we still read the scriptures in our worship; we process the gospel book, raising it high to show that we are subject to the yoke of the gospel, and in some churches the page is kissed after the gospel is read, to show that these are such beautiful and precious words. Jesus says, ‘Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. ’ (Matthew 24, 35)

Our collect for today says so much better, and so much more succinctly, what I have been trying to share with you today,

‘Blessed Lord, who caused all holy scriptures to be written for our learning; help us to hear them, to read, mark, learn and inwardly digest them that, through patience, and the comfort of your holy word, we may embrace and forever hold fast the hope of everlasting life, which you have given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

 

 

St Paul's Logo f.i.

Last Sunday after Trinity (Bible Sunday) 25th October 2020

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Welcome if you are joining us on Zoom. Please take this sheet away with you to use during the week. Our Harvest celebration has been postponed. The presiding priest and preacher is The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan. The deacon is the Revd. Christine Saccali. Covid 19 restrictions apply in the church AND in the garden.

 

Entrance The organ will play

Priest:     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

The Lord be with you.

All:          and also with you

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sermon news

Sermon for the feast of St Luke – 18th October 2020: LUKE 10:1-9, ACTS 16: 6-12

Deacon Christine Saccali – St Paul’s Athens

 

May I speak in the name of the triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit

‘ I hate COVID’ Abp Steven said multiplied by 20 times in part of his maiden General Synod address he shared with Abp Justin last month. It was quite shocking to hear as some of the first Abp York’s address to Synod . Many of us feel the same way, though, in fact the pandemic, affecting all – pan dimos, arouses all sorts of feelings and emotions in us which we may or may not express out loud. To name a few: fear, anger, anxiety, hate, uncertainty, loneliness. I expect you can think of more.

Many people feel that nothing will be the same and others sincerely hope it will not and that after the pandemic subsides, God willing, we will have a new normal. Does this include church both with small c and capital C? I think we have to find a new exciting way forward, leaving no one behind, which does not mean abandoning liturgy but learning how to worship together and apart literally and virtually and to adapt and listen to one another which means communication lines must be open and hearts and ears too.

 

In all of this time of change, fear and uncertainty the one sure thing is that God is the same, faithful and unchanging whatever our circumstances. I think one factor in acknowledging our vulnerability and mortality, which we have suddenly been forced to consider over the last months, is that human powers, governments and leaders, were under the impression that they were invincible. Let me tell you only God and His kingdom is invincible.

We are all co-workers in God’s Kingdom not only all the time but in these traumatic times of collective trauma. Our gospel reading set for today St Luke’s day, records the sending out of the seventy and then tells us that the harvest is plentiful but the workers few ο θερισμις  ολιγοι .

We shall be celebrating agricultural Harvest and the associated harvest festival here at St Paul’s next week but today we are thinking of a more figurative harvest. Recently in our readings we have been talking a lot about the vineyard and how it represents Israel and God’s people. Last week we were thinking of judgement in the challenging parable in Matthew of the wedding banquet. It can be also a challenge when we recognise that we have a generous and abundant God who is faithful but we do not always respond with the same generosity with our time, commitment, gifts and talents. I have been encouraged to see how, in the face of hardship and inability to fundraise as usual, we are all working together to contribute to church life in a new and safe way contributing our gifts and finances in diverse ways.

I live in an area surrounded by vineyards and olive groves and the τρυγος harvest of grapes both for eating and moustos to be turned into wine is upon us. I heard one comment on the harvest trigos that it is ζωηφορος life bearing/ giving and that is how it should be with God’s people. Church should be about mutuality and everyone’s well-being whether they are here this morning or listening at home. We cannot grow and support each other unless we are prepared to contribute to Kingdom work in whatever way we can together. We need to practise self-care and care for one another.

 

Well-being and thriving not just surviving is all about mind, body and spirit. The Christian faith looks at the whole person so they and the community can be full of wholeness and wholesomeness. Jesus did just this in his healing miracles and ministry, many of which are recorded in the gospel of Luke the Evangelist , the physician who focuses on the marginalised. The book of Acts is also attributed to Luke and was our first reading today. We know Luke accompanied Paul on missionary journeys putting the gospel into practice, living it out. Let’s listen again to the Collect for St Luke’s day: Almighty God, you called Luke the physician, whose praise is in the gospel, to be an evangelist and physician of the soul: by the grace of the Spirit and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel, give your Church the same love and power to heal; through Jesus Christ your Lord.

 

To this end, and in acknowledgement of healthy, Christian life, later on within this service a liturgy of healing with anointing of oil will be administered to those who wish to come forward, safely observing necessary precautions. In these times, which are so different from usual we need to use technology but also go back to basics. In the absence of physical touch, we need to find other ways of touching people as God touches our lives through the Holy Spirit. I think the absence of touch, especially to those living on their own or far away from loved ones and beloved activities has had a devastating impact on people’s well-being in all its aspects.

All the senses are sacred, but I think touch is particularly holy. Think how many times in the gospel miracles when Jesus physically touches the sick and marginalised in different way. And think of how many times ordinary people want to reach out and touch Jesus or even the hem of his garment for his saving and healing powers. We need to learn how to embrace again in these times. In his book of prayers for everyday life entitled Touched by His Hand Nick Fawcett imagines how every moment of the day and everyone and thing can be imagined as being touched by God.

World mental health day πανκοsμια ημερα ψυχικης υγειας, there is that word soul again, combined with health and wholesomeness was last Saturday the tenth of October. I for one am very grateful that there is less taboo about the subject as i was brought up amongst mental anguish at a time when such trauma was not openly discussed. Would that we could all be open and caring with each other as a healthy church spreading and embracing the gospel into the community at this time of uncertainty, fear and pestilence. Remember the harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.

I end by quoting Lemn Sissay, a favourite poet of mine who underwent a traumatic childhood and adolescence: ” I am not defined by my scars but my ability to heal”.  In the scarred, crucified and resurrected Christ we find our healing. As we are all invited to take our place around his table we say I am not worthy to receive you but only say the word and I shall be healed.

AMEN

 

Picture Trinity 17

St. Luke the Evangelist (18th October 2020)

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens.   St. Luke is associating with the healing ministry. Your collection should be placed in the envelope provided and placed in one of the offering bags as you leave. There are individualized worksheets for children – please ask. 

The presiding priest is Fr. Leonard. The deacon and preacher is Deacon Chris Saccali.

 

Entrance Hymn:  32

Priest:    In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

All:         Amen

Priest:    The Lord be with you

All:         And also with you

 

The priest then welcomes the people of God and the deacon leads us into Confession.

Deacon: The saints were faithful unto death and now dwell in the heavenly kingdom for ever. As we celebrate their joy, let us bring to the Lord our sins and weaknesses, and ask for his mercy.

 Silence and stillness follows

 Deacon: The saints were faithful unto death and now dwell in the heavenly kingdom for ever. As we celebrate their joy, let us bring to the Lord our sins and weaknesses, and ask for his mercy.

 Deacon:  In the wilderness we find your grace: you love us with an everlasting love.

                 Kyrie eleison

All:           Kyrie eleison

Deacon:  There is none but you to uphold our cause; our sin cries out and our guilt is great.

                 Christe eleison

All:           Christe eleison

Deacon:   Heal us , O Lord, and we shall be healed; restore us and we shall know your joy

                  Kyrie eleison.

 All:           Kyrie eleison

 

Absolution: Almighty God, who forgives all those  who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

Gloria:  Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth.

Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father,

we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory.

Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God,

you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us;

you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord,

you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit,

in the glory of God, the glory of God the Father. Amen.

 

Collect:  Let us pray    (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)

Almighty God, you called Luke the physician, whose praise is in the gospel, to be an evangelist and physician of the soul; by the grace of the Spirit and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel, give your Church the same love and power to heal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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sermon news

Trinity 18 – 11th October 2020: : Philippians 4, 1-9; Matthew 22, 1-14.

Revd. Canon Leonard  Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

 

At a religious rally the preacher who was famous for his fire and brimstone sermons addressed the pressing subject of God’s judgement. Among the familiar phrases at such a rally he used the phrase, ‘and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth’, a phrase he may have picked up from today’s gospel reading in Matthew. Someone in the audience shouted out, ‘but I don’t have any teeth!’ to which the preacher responded, ‘and teeth will be provided’.

Today’s gospel is set within the image of a wedding banquet. This is a popular image in the gospels, and allegorically it is Christ who is usually considered to be the bridegroom of these wedding parables, with the corollary that the bride is his church.

Indeed in the new Marriage ceremony of the Church of England these words ‘Marriage is given that as man and woman grow together in love and trust, they shall be united with one another in heart, body and mind, as Christ is united with his bride, the Church’.

So in this formulary of the Anglican marriage ceremony the connection between bridegroom and bride is overtly stated. It is so plain that you don’t have to read anything into the language to develop the image.

Weddings were great social occasions in cultural life in the setting of the scriptures, indeed they still are in the East and here in Greece. They are huge events, and in smaller villages everyone will turn out to the wedding feast, the marriage banquet. No expense is spared, and the food and drink never seem to run out. When it did run out at a wedding in Cana of Galilee Christ was there as a guest, and he ensured that the wine supply was restored.

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Trinity 18

18th Sunday after Trinity October 11th 2020

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here

for the first time or visiting Athens. Masks must be worn at all times in the church and in the garden. We must keep a 1.5metre distance from each other. People from the same household can sit normally together. One of the sidespeople will direct you forward for Holy Communion. Your collection should be placed in the envelope provided and placed in one of the offering bags as you leave. There are individualized worksheets for children – please ask. There is coffee after the Liturgy (€1,00 to help church funds!) Trevor and Lynn will be Admitted as Wardens today. The presiding priest and preacher is Fr. Leonard. The Deacon is Deacon Chris Saccali.

 

Entrance Hymn   238

Priest:   In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

     All:         Amen

Priest:   The Lord be with you

     All:         And also with you

 

The priest then informally welcomes the people of God and the deacon leads us into Confession.

(A short period of stillness and silence)

 

All:  Father eternal, giver of light and grace, we have sinned against you and against our neighbour, in what we have thought, in what we have said and done, through ignorance, through weakness, through our own deliberate fault. We have wounded your love, and marred your image in us. We are sorry and ashamed, and repent of all our sins. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, who died for us, forgive us all that is past; and lead us out from darkness to walk as children of light. Amen.

 

Absolution: May Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon us, pardon and deliver us from all your sins, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and keep us in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 

Gloria: Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God, the glory of God the Father. Amen. AMEN.
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Bible Study Blog

PASTORAL LETTER 3 – 6TH OCTOBER 2020

Dear Friends at St. Paul’s

This is the third Pastoral Letter I have issued since the lockdowns began back in March 2020. This time some of you will receive it as a voice recording – and my apologies if you receive it in a printed version also.

With Greek Government Covid-19 restrictions in place, we have been blessed compared to most other countries in that we have been permitted to hold public worship since May 17th. After a cautious start we have slowly built up our worship experience again – I am stressing familiarity rather than normality, as we are far from what we knew and loved up until the beginning of March this year.

As I reported before, Zoom has become a familiar feature in the worshipping, praying, and studying life of many in our congregation and with our wider and much cherished group of friends and supporters. Even after we could begin to worship publicly again, we continued to have Zoom Sunday services until the end of June, as well as weekly Evening Prayer, and a weekly bible study. These possibilities have been warmly welcomed and appreciated. I am delighted to say that since the 4th October (St. Francis Day) we can now ‘live Zoom’ our Liturgy from St. Paul’s. The sound is not perfect – we have to negotiate a complex mix of microphones, organ playing and congregational responses and gentle singing. However it is a wonderful way of keeping in touch with the Sunday worship.

 

These weeks and months of 2020 have been challenging. We are all in one way or another feeling spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically ‘abused’ by this potent virus. It is stretching us and billions of others to their limits, and we are nowhere near resolving its capricious impact on human life. Many are in isolation – either by choice or by imposition. Over a million are sick with the virus, and hundreds of thousands have died.  Many are fearful. Although we have every right to have human responses to this pandemic, as Christians we have to reflect also on the words of Christ, spoken when his fishermen disciples were terrified in the eye of a storm, ‘Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.’ (Matthew 14, 27). Sunday 18h October is the Feast of St. Luke – we will include the ‘anointing with oil’ for healing of body, mind and soul, within our Sunday Liturgy.

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Zoom Service on Sundays

Leonard Doolan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting. Please sign in by 10.00 or you may not be admitted!

Time: Oct 4, 2020 10:00 AM Athens

Every week on Sun, until Dec 27, 2020, 13 occurrence(s)

Oct 4, 2020 10:00 AM

Oct 11, 2020 10:00 AM

Oct 18, 2020 10:00 AM

Oct 25, 2020 10:00 AM

Nov 1, 2020 10:00 AM

Nov 8, 2020 10:00 AM

Nov 15, 2020 10:00 AM

Nov 22, 2020 10:00 AM

Nov 29, 2020 10:00 AM

Dec 6, 2020 10:00 AM

Dec 13, 2020 10:00 AM

Dec 20, 2020 10:00 AM

Dec 27, 2020 10:00 AM

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

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