Zoom Service for Sunday 21st February 2021 at 12.00 noon

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

4^th 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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Celebrating Easter in a time of Covid

Easter 2021 will be the second Easter in this long period of the COVID pandemic. The Greek Government approaches COVID restrictions and the Church in its own distinct national way. Due to these two factors St. Paul’s Athens will align itself this year with the Greek date for Easter. This is for 2021 only and it is hoped that by celebrating Pascha almost a month later than the western date there will be more favourable conditions for worship in St. Paul’s. We sought permission for this, and the Church Council was unanimous in its vote to make this change. St. Thomas’s Crete, and Holy Trinity Corfu will also follow this practice.

Key dates: Ash Wednesday March 17^th

                    Palm Sunday       April 25^th

                    Holy Thursday    April 29^th

                    Good Friday        April 30^th

                    Easter Sunday    May 2^nd

                    Ascension Day   June 10^th

                    Pentecost           June 20^th

Times of the Liturgy and Zoom services will be announced and publicized via the Website.

Virtual Coffee Morning

Is the Perpetual Pandemic getting you down?  Do you miss seeing and chatting to your friends and acquaintances?

Why don’t you join us for another Virtual Coffee Morning on Saturday 20th February 2021 at 10.30 am.  Invite friends, bring your coffee to the screen and have a good old chat.   Better still, why don’t you buy one of our St Paul’s Coffee Mugs so you have a truly immersive experience!  If you didn’t manage to make it last Saturday we hope you will put a note in your diaries and join us on the 20th.

Fr. Leonard will start by being host by setting up the zoom link for us to send out to friends making it very easy for anyone to join.  

If you would be prepared to help be a ‘zoom host’ on the odd Saturday zoom coffee morning please email Fr.Leonard.

Join Zoom Meeting

Zoom link to the virtual Coffee Morning

Meeting ID: 810 7786 3979

Passcode: tv7JXN

Coffee Mugs

Carol Service for the Eve of the Nativity of Christ: Zoom service 1800 hrs (Try to join around 17.45 hrs)

The words of all the carols are available on our website. Login addresses for other services are also on the website.

At 17.50  Christina Antoniadou will play some Christmas music before we worship.

Welcome           Father Leonard

Introduction     Deacon Christine

Lord’s Prayer:   Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name;

                             Thy kingdom come, thy will be done; in 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.

Carol   1 It came upon the midnight clear,
that glorious song of old,
from angels bending near the earth
to touch their harps of gold:
“Peace on the earth, good will to men,
from heaven’s all-gracious King.”
The world in solemn stillness lay,
to hear the angels sing.

2 Still through the cloven skies they come
with peaceful wings unfurled,
and still their heavenly music floats
o’er all the weary world;
above its sad and lowly plains,
they bend on hovering wing,
and ever o’er its Babel sounds
the blessed angels sing.

3 And ye, beneath life’s crushing load,
whose forms are bending low,
who toil along the climbing way
with painful steps and slow,
look now! for glad and golden hours
come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road,
and hear the angels sing!

4 For lo! the days are hastening on,
by prophet seen of old,
when with the ever-circling years
shall come the time foretold
when peace shall over all the earth
its ancient splendors fling,
and the whole world send back the song
which now the angels sing.

1^st Reading   Luke 1 (26-38)    The Annunciation

Anthem:        Angel’s Carol (John Rutter) sung by Clary Read in Canterbury

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Christmas Tree Appeal!

We thank you all from far and near

For helping bring some Christmas cheer

Our Christmas tree as you can see

Now has some presents on the tree

But there are still so many branches

That do not have a gift to bear

So won’t you send a little something

To fill the tree and show you care.

But don’t forget to let us know

Click on the link and feel the glow

That comes with giving this time of year

Full of love and hope and festive cheer.

http://anglicanchurchathens.gr/support-st-pauls/donations/

www.paypal.me/StPaulsathens

*Please mark your donation “Christmas Tree”.

Advent Message – The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan, Athens. November 2020

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Matthew 25, 1-13).

November 29^th is Advent Sunday. We begin a new church year. The liturgical cycle has come round full circle. A new season begins, a short punchy and powerful season. A new year begins also in the CofE three year cycle of liturgical readings. From this Advent we will be on Year 2 readings.

Advent is a season set aside in time, to mark time – to mark time before the birth of the timeless one. It has many seasonal riches. Advent calendars are among the favourite accompaniment for this season – and now available in a full range of chocolate products behind every door! There are advent candles that burn down for each day of Advent, so long as you remember to blow it out each time! In our churches we would normally have Advent candle stands, with our 4 purple candles and a central white candle. If you are very exotic the candle for the 3^rd Sunday in Advent will be pink – not for Our Lady, as some think, but for what is called ‘Gaudete Sunday’ or ‘Rejoice Sunday’ when the normal fasting and austerities of Advent were relaxed.

Another favourite feature for me are the days of Advent that lead directly into Christmas, the ‘Great O’ days. It begins with ‘O Sophia’, so not surprisingly it is called Holy Wisdom day. Each of these days addresses Christ by one of the many titles given him by scripture or the church. They are probably best preserved in the popular mind by the great Advent hymn,

O come, O come, Emmanuel!

Redeem thy captive Israel,

That into exile drear is gone

Far from the face of God’s dear Son.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

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Zoom login for Night Prayer in Advent

Fr Leonard is inviting everyone to join him in Night Prayer each evening in Advent – 1st – 23rd December, at 9.00pm – 21.0 hrs.  Please have available a candle to light during the service.  Please follow the link below for access to the Zoom service.  Please encourage friends and relations to join with us in this season of preparation and expectation.

Leonard Doolan is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85222931221?pwd=QmdkWW4xaytYcWlKM3VZdlp0aUxSZz09

 Meeting ID: 852 2293 1221

Passcode: 3jNShp

Topic: Night Prayer

Time: Dec 1, 2020 09:00 PM Athens

        Every day, until Dec 23, 2020, 23 occurrence(s)

        Dec 1, 2020 09:00 PM

        Dec 2, 2020 09:00 PM

        Dec 3, 2020 09:00 PM

        Dec 4, 2020 09:00 PM

        Dec 5, 2020 09:00 PM

        Dec 6, 2020 09:00 PM

        Dec 7, 2020 09:00 PM

        Dec 8, 2020 09:00 PM

        Dec 9, 2020 09:00 PM

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Audio Pastoral Letter from Fr Leonard – November 2020