sermon news

Sermon preached for the Trinity Sunday Zoom Service: Matthew 28, 16-20

Revd Canon Leonard Doolan

‘Today week you will have to repeat what you have learnt today. Your godparents are responsible for teaching you…No one need be nervous and so fail to repeat the words. Do not worry, I am your father. I do not carry a strap or a cane like a schoolmaster’.  (St. Augustine, De Symbolo, see Awe Inspiring Rites of Initiation, Yarnold, p13).

Well, that’s a relief to all of us. These are the words of the 5th century St. Augustine of Hippo regarding baptism candidates learning the words of the Creed. No caning if we can’t recite it from memory – but I hope most of us can, and if not it is not such a bad exercise to attend to if you don’t know the Creed. The Credo (Latin) or πιστέυω (Greek) lies at the centre of the delivery and transmission of Christianity. However, it has to be more than that, and it is. It is the core summary of our faith, and it is what holds together the life of baptism, the life of faith, life itself.

We will all be aware that when a candidate for baptism reaches the very high point of baptism in the water of the font, that the words to accompany this deep action are: I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The Creed that we are meant to learn without getting a beating, according to St. Augustine, is but the statement of the church, a sacred statement, as to how we understand these words at the administration of baptism.

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I am the way

Trinity Sunday – 7th June 2020

Welcome to our Sunday 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.

 

Until the end of June there is a Zoom weekly Bible Study and a mid-week evening quiet reflection service. Both of these will resume at the start of September. The login address for the quiet evening service is on the website. To join the bible study please contact Fr. Leonard first on his own email. The Sunday worship login address remains the same throughout June. St. Paul’s is open again for its regular visiting  times. Throughout June there is a mid-day Sunday service in St. Paul’s Church. Please see the website about changes to Sunday worship times.

 

The preacher this morning is Fr. Leonard.

 

Priest:  Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is, and is to come.

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

All:       and also with you.

 

1 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
Early in the morning our song shall rise to thee.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity

 

2 Holy, holy, holy! All the saints adore thee,
casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;
cherubim and seraphim falling down before thee,
who wert, and art, and evermore shalt be.

 

3 Holy, holy, holy! Though the darkness hide thee,
though the eye of sinful man thy glory may not see,
only thou art holy; there is none beside thee
perfect in pow’r, in love, and purity.

 

4 Holy, holy, holy! Lord God Almighty!
All thy works shall praise thy name in earth and sky and sea.
Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!

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sermon news

Sermon preached at the Zoom Worship for Pentecost Sunday 31st May 2020

Deacon Christine Saccali

 

May I speak in the name of the living God Father Son and Holy Spirit Amen

I have not preached on zoom before so here goes. So many things are different from usual at the moment, aren’t they? And we don’t know if or when the world will return to how it was before this COVID pandemic. I don’t want to use the word normal as what is normal anyway and who is normal?

Interestingly enough, one of the novels I have caught up on during lockdown is Normal People by Sally Rooney which was made into a very popular BBC TV series shown recently. It is an extraordinary book for its ordinariness- nothing really happens but it is relational describing the ongoing relationship between Marianne and Connor against the background of their young lives. Now I am just reading the young author’s first book Conversations with Friends. On the fly leaf there is the quote,’ In times of crisis, we must all decide again and again who we love.’ Again there are many references to normal in the dialogue.

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I am the way

Quiet Evening Worship – After Pentecost

Evening Worship

A short service for the early evening.

 

O God, make speed to save us.

All   O Lord, make haste to help us.

 

Together we say:

 

1    How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!  ♦

My soul has a desire and longing to enter the courts of the Lord;

my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

2    The sparrow has found her a house and the swallow a nest where she may lay her young:  ♦ at your altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

3    Blessed are they who dwell in your house:  ♦ they will always be praising you. [R]

4    Blessed are those whose strength is in you,  ♦ in whose heart are the highways to Zion,

5    Who going through the barren valley find there a spring,  ♦and the early rains will clothe it with blessing.

6    They will go from strength to strength  ♦ and appear before God in Zion. [R]

7    O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer;  ♦ listen, O God of Jacob.

8    Behold our defender, O God,  ♦ and look upon the face of your anointed.

9    For one day in your courts  ♦ is better than a thousand. [R]

10  I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God  ♦than dwell in the tents of ungodliness.

11  For the Lord God is both sun and shield; he will give grace and glory;  ♦no good thing shall the Lord withhold from those who walk with integrity.

12  O Lord God of hosts,  ♦ blessed are those who put their trust in you.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now

and shall be for ever. Amen.

 This opening prayer may be said

 That this evening may be holy, good and peaceful, let us pray with one heart and mind.

 

  Silence is kept.

As our evening prayer rises before you, O God, so may your mercy come down upon us to cleanse our hearts and set us free to sing your praise now and for ever.  All   Amen.

The appointed psalmody is said. Each psalm ends  with

All   Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now, and shall be for ever. Amen.

 

Canticle

A Song of the Blessed

 All   Rejoice and be glad for you are the light of the world, and great is your reward in heaven.

  1. Blessed are the poor in spirit,  ♦ for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  2. Blessed are those who mourn,  ♦ for they shall be comforted.
  3. Blessed are the meek,  ♦ for they shall inherit the earth.
  4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,  ♦ for they shall be satisfied
  5. Blessed are the merciful,  ♦ for they shall obtain mercy.
  6. Blessed are the pure in heart,  ♦ for they shall see God.
  7. Blessed are the peacemakers,  ♦ for they shall be called children of God.
  8. Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake,  ♦for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5.3-10)

All   Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

All   Rejoice and be glad for you are the light of the world, and great is your reward in heaven.

Scripture Reading

Responsory

Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory.

All   Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory.

For I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

All   And afterwards receive me with glory.

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

All   Lord, you will guide me with your counsel and afterwards receive me with glory.

 

 The Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is normally said, or the Nunc dimittis (The Song of Simeon) (here) may be said.

 

All   Remember your promise of mercy, to Abraham and his children for ever.

1    My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour;  ♦ he has looked with favour on his lowly servant.

2    From this day all generations will call me blessed;  ♦ the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his name.

3    He has mercy on those who fear him,  ♦ from generation to generation.

4    He has shown strength with his arm  ♦ and has scattered the proud in their conceit,

5    Casting down the mighty from their thrones  ♦ and lifting up the lowly.

6    He has filled the hungry with good things  ♦ and sent the rich away empty.

7    He has come to the aid of his servant Israel,  ♦ to remember his promise of mercy,

8    The promise made to our ancestors,  ♦ to Abraham and his children for ever.    (Luke 1.46-55)

All   Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning is now and shall be for ever. Amen.

All   Remember your promise of mercy, to Abraham and his children for ever.

Intercessions are offered:  Lord, in your mercy:  hear our prayer.

Silence may be kept. A mediation or reading may be offered.

The Collect of the day (here) or the following is said

Eternal Lord, our beginning and our end: bring us with the whole creation to your glory, hidden through past ages and made known in Jesus Christ our Lord.  All   Amen.

Let us pray with confidence as our Saviour has taught us

All   Our Father, who art in heaven …

 

All   The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord.

All   Thanks be to God.

 

 

sermon news

Sermon for Pentecost Sunday 31st May 2020: Acts 2, 1-21; John 7, 37-39.

Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Church Athens

 

‘Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall; Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king’s horse and all the king’s men, couldn’t put humpty together again.’

Today is the crowning moment of the Easter season – Pentecost. In St. John’s gospel we are told nothing of the 50 days between the resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit. We depend on St. Luke for that in the Acts of the Apostles. We’ll return to that event described by St. Luke in a moment.

If we were to sum up the 4th gospel, St. John’s gospel, it would be the word, ‘glory’. This is the sentiment of great priest theologians like Michael Ramsey, an illustrious Archbishop of Canterbury last century.

‘Out of a believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water. Now Jesus said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive; for as yet there was no Spirit, because Jesus was not yet glorified. ‘ John 7 39 (today’s gospel).

“I don’t know what you mean by ‘glory,’ ” Alice said. Humpty Dumpty smiled contemptuously. “Of course you don’t—till I tell you. I meant ‘there’s a nice knock-down argument for you!'”
“But ‘glory’ doesn’t mean ‘a nice knock-down argument’,” Alice objected. “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.”

There may be many times in our lives when we might feel that we may as well be speaking to Humpty Dumpty than to the person we are actually speaking with. Few of us have the rare privilege of speaking to the original Humpty Dumpty, as Alice did, in Lewis Carroll’s  Alice through the Looking Glass.

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I am the way

Pentecost Sunday – 31st May 2020

The Anglican Church in Greece – St Paul’s Athens

 

Welcome to our Eastertide Sunday 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. 

There is now a Zoom weekly Bible Study and a mid-week evening quiet reflection service. The login address for the quiet evening service is on the website. To join the bible study please contact Fr. Leonard first on his own email. The Sunday worship login address remains the same throughout May. St. Paul’s is open again for its regular times from May 5th. Please see the website about public services beginning again.

 The preacher this morning is Deacon Christine.

 Zoom Sunday worship will continue until end of June, opening at 10.00hrs. There will be a short, said, Eucharist at St. Paul’s at 12noon each Sunday until the end of June. We are not back to normal yet!

 

Priest:  Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.

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

All:       and also with you.

Priest: Alleluia! Christ is risen

      All:     He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

 

1 Come down, O Love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
and visit it with thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

 

 2 O let it freely burn,
till earthly passions turn
to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
and let thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight,
and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

 

 3 And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long,
shall far outpass the power of human telling;
for none can guess its grace,
till Love create a place
wherein the Holy Spirit makes a dwelling.

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sermon news

Sermon for the 7th Sunday of Easter – 24th May 2020: Acts 1, 6-14; John 17, 1-11

Revd Canon Leonard Doolan, St Paul’s Athens

 

There is a chunk of chapters in St. John’s gospel referred to as the ‘Final Discourses’.  In St. John’s ‘real time events’ these occur between the washing of the disciples’ feet at the Last Supper, and the betrayal and arrest of Jesus.

This material is unique to St. John. You won’t find it anywhere in the other three gospels. Who heard all this unique material and how was it recorded? The transmission of this material is as much a mystery as the cross itself! It is a rich resource of sayings, and it reflects the author’s absolute conviction that Jesus is not just a carpenter’s son from Nazareth who could tell a good rabbinical story, or achieve a miracle like so many other miracle workers, or thaumaturges that abounded in this culture.

These discourses of St. John are the words of the Christ who inhabits the kosmos and is Pantocrator. We might say that it is all the difference between the Jesus of history (however well we can redact and recreate this person), and the Christ of the Church who is Logos (the Word) and Second Person of the Trinity. Either there is a huge gulf between these two realities, or one is so integral to the other that it is not possible to find anything in the hinterland. This is the final conclusion that the early church concluded, and is now formulated in our Creeds. Faith alone can interpret, calibrate and reconcile these two poles, the human and the divine. To accept, or even at a push to understand the Christ mystery, nothing is gained by making a choice between one pole and another; but everything is to be gained for the human individual and society by simply living with the paradox of both. A rich, fertile, imaginative, and well-formed mind, or even a humble mind, can comfortably achieve this. We don’t have to be ‘psychotic’ to live creatively with Jesus, and the Logos of God made flesh.

Within these Final Discourses, Jesus speaks to his disciples. It is all during that final meal. He tells them about love and service, and washes their feet; there is a new commandment that shifts faith in God away from ‘doing religious rituals’ to love of God and neighbour; he is the Way, the Truth and Life; and he is the True Vine. No mention of any flask of wine or a cup, but rather the vine from which the wine comes – it is he, and he alone. He tells them of the forthcoming ‘Pentecost experience’ but this is a churchy shorthand, because for St. John there is no waiting period of 50 days.

After vouchsafing this material to his disciples, Jesus then addresses God, his Father. This is the chapter set for our gospel reading today. We often refer to this as the ‘high priestly prayer of Jesus’. The words are an anointing in their own right. They crown humanity in their priestly vocation. You, me, each of us, through baptism and in the faith of this Christ who would be crucified and raised, become ennobled, dignified, anointed, ‘coronated’. In short we become what God intends us to be. We are called to live in the world, rooted and grounded in creation, yet we are all called to share a priestly life, a life of sacrifice and offering.

I repeat what I said in last week’s sermon, because it is so good, so right, so meet. In a little monograph Metropolitan Kallistos Ware says this, ‘We may regard man as an animal that weeps and laughs; or with the Stoics, as a logical or rational animal (λογικόν ζώον); or with Aristotle as a political animal (πολιτκόν ζώον). But we come closer to the heart of the matter if we think of man as a Eucharistic or priestly animal…endowed with the vocation of offering the world back to God… in a continuing act of joyful doxology.’ (The Beginning of the Day, Kallistos Ware, Akritas, 2007 p45)

It is this humanity that Christ offers in prayer to God our Father and his supreme intercession is that we should be united with God our Father as he and the Father are united. His prayer is that we should be fully reconciled with our Creator, the one in whose image of glory and love we are created; fully reconciled to the one who has given us ‘dominion’, a special vocation to care for the earth and all that has been given to us in the continuing creational love of the Father.

 

It is not only that he lives and prays for this unity with God, but he also dies on the cross for this unity with God, so that we may also die to ourselves and be ‘reborn’ as participators in the new creation and with the first-born of this new Creation, Jesus the Christ. Our unity with God the Father is our returning home to the household from which we have estranged. It is to this home that Christ representationally returns when he is said to ‘ascend into heaven’ – he is in effect entering home again.

This COVID-19 period in our lives has brought much heartache, anxiety, isolation, loneliness, mental stress, sickness, loss of loved ones and death on a global scale. It has also created some space, ironically, for humour – thanks be to God! To the question, ‘What is the Ascension of Jesus all about?’ this COVID-19 period answer is, ‘that’s when Jesus started to work from home’.

The high priestly prayer of Jesus, John 17, is worth reading and reading again. It conveys to us the very core of humanity’s calling and purpose.

We are always told that a good sermon takes a text of scripture and shows its contemporary application – otherwise the sermon may fall into the danger of being arcane and irrelevant. To borrow a phrase from the world of German biblical criticism, we should give a text a contemporary sitz im lebena real setting.

Today, it might seem, we have dipped a toe into the pool of the theology of the ‘high priestly prayer’, and so far there has been no practical application, no sitz im leben but I would beg to differ.

This prayer of Christ takes us to the very heart of who we are in relation to the one who creates us. It takes us to the deepest meaning of who we are in relation to the creation of which we are such a crowning glory. It takes us to a deep understanding of who we are in relation to the ‘other’. To quote the great phrase of St. Ireneus, (Bishop of Lugdunum [Lyon]) in the 2nd century, ‘The glory of God is man, fully alive.’

How else can we apply ourselves with full passion to the environmental issues facing us in this generation; how else can we form a truly noble self -image in a world whose advertising and obsession with celebrity and wealth contributes disproportionately  to the perception of who we are and what we should have; in a world where the ‘selfie’ has a higher profile than the self,  how else can we hope to have  any coherent sense of healed community and whole relationships founded on the most profound understanding of the very identity of humanity.

Surely a study of John 17, Christ’s prayer for us, can only be the most relevant of exercises for us; and with these sacred insights surely there can only be a more informed and more impassioned relationship with God, the creation, with ourselves and one another. How can we begin to respond to the major global challenges if we don’t start from where Christ is. ‘Father, may they be one, as we are one’. (John 17, 11).