Christmas Blessings (1)
20/12/2020 In Blog News

Christmas Morning Zoom Service – 25th December 2020

 

 Happy Christmas! Welcome to our Christmas morning 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 for Sunday 27th remains the same. A new address will be necessary for the first Sunday of January onwards. See website.    

 This morning there will also be a Christmas Liturgy live-Zoomed from St. Paul’s Church. Only 9 people can attend by prior booking. The link to follow this service is also on our website.

 

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.

Priest:  Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favours.

All:        Glory to God in the highest heaven.

 

1 O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come and behold him, born the King of angels; 

Refrain:
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him,
O come, let us adore him, Christ, the Lord! 

 

2 God of God, Light of Light eternal,
Lo! he abhors not the Virgin’s womb;
Son of the Father, begotten, not created, [Refrain] 

 

3 Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation,
Sing, all ye citizens of heav’n above:
“Glory to God, all glory in the highest!” [Refrain]

 

4 Yea, Lord, we greet thee, born this happy morning;
Jesus, to thee be all glory giv’n;
Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing; [Refrain]

 

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

Minister:  Christ the light of the world has come to dispel the darkness of our hearts. Therefore let us turn to the light and confess our sins.

All:            Amen. Lord have mercy.

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Christmas Greetings Blog
20/12/2020 In Announcements, Blog News

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.

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

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

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Advent Candle 1
17/12/2020 In Blog News

Zoom Service for the 4th Sunday in Advent – 20th December 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. Have a candle ready to light when we get to that part of the worship.

 The Sunday worship login address remains the same throughout these weeks – see website. Deacon Christine offers a Saturday morning worship option on Facebook.   

 This morning we will have a Christingle ‘workshop’ as part of our worship. Have ready an orange, a candle, some red tape or ribbon, 4 cocktail sticks and some dried fruits or small sweets.

 

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 SING we of the blessed Mother
who received the angels word,
And obedient to his summons
bore in love the infant Lord;
Sing we of the Joys of Mary
at whose breast that child was fed
Who is Son of God eternal
and the everlasting Bread.

2 Sing we, too, of Mary’s sorrows,
of the sword that pierced her through,
When beneath the cross of Jesus
she his weight of suffering knew,
Looked upon her Son and Saviour
reigning from the awful tree,
Saw the price of man’s redemption
paid to set the sinner free.

 

3 Sing again the joys of Mary
when she saw the risen Lord,
And in prayer with Christ’s apostles,
waited on his promised word:
From on high the blazing glory
of the Spirit’s presence came,
Heavenly breath of God’s own being,
Tokened in the wind and flame.

4 Sing the chiefest joy of Mary
when on earth her work was done,
And the Lord of all creation
brought her to his heavenly home:
Virgin Mother, Mary blessed,
Raised on high and crowned with grace,
May thy Son, the world’s redeemer,
Grant us all to see his face.

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Xmas Tree 21 Blog
11/12/2020 In Announcements, Blog News

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 Candle 1
11/12/2020 In Blog News

Zoom service for the third Sunday in Advent – 13th December 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. Have a candle ready to light when we get to that part of the worship.

 

The Sunday worship login address remains the same throughout these weeks – see website. Deacon Christine offers a Saturday morning worship option on Facebook. The website will inform you of any regulation changes for December.  From 1st December until 23rd December there will be a service of Night Prayer (Compline) EVERY night at 21.00. Have a candle ready to light in your home. See website for login.

 

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 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
announces that the Lord is nigh.
Awake and harken, for he brings
glad tidings of the King of kings!

 

2 Then cleansed be every life from sin:
make straight the way for God within,
and let us all our hearts prepare
for Christ to come and enter there.

 

3 We hail you as our Savior, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward.
Without your grace we waste away
like flowers that wither and decay.

 

4 Stretch forth your hand, our health restore,
and make us rise to fall no more.
O let your face upon us shine
and fill the world with love divine.

 

 

5 All praise to you, eternal Son,
whose advent has our freedom won,
whom with the Father we adore,
and Holy Spirit, evermore. 

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Advent Candle 1
03/12/2020 In Blog News

Zoom Worship for the 2nd Sunday of Advent -6 December 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.

 

The Sunday worship login address remains the same throughout these weeks – see website. Deacon Christine offers a Saturday morning worship option on Facebook. The website will inform you of any regulation changes for December.  From 1st December until 23rd December there will be a service of Night Prayer (Compline) EVERY night at 21.00. Have a candle ready to light in your home. See website for login.

 

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 Hark, the glad sound! The Saviour comes,
the Saviour promised long!
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne,
and ev’ry voice a song.

 

2 He comes the pris’ners to release,
in Satan’s bondage held;
the gates of brass before Him burst,
the iron fetters yield.

 

3 He comes the broken heart to bind,
the bleeding soul to cure,
and with the treasures of His grace,
t’enrich the humbled poor.

 

4 Our glad Hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim;
and heav’n’s eternal arches ring,
with Thy beloved Name.

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Advent Candle 1
27/11/2020 In Blog News

Zoom Worship for Advent Sunday – 29th November 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.

 

The Sunday worship login address remains the same throughout these weeks – see website. Deacon Christine offers a Saturday morning worship option on Facebook. The website will inform you of any regulation changes for December.  Advent Begins on 29th November. From 1st December until 23rd December there will be a service of Night Prayer (Compline) EVERY night at 21.00. Have a candle ready to light in your home. See website for login.

 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.

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Light a candle for Advent
19/11/2020 In Blog News

Service for Night Prayer (Compline) during Advent

The Lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end.  All  Amen.

Our help is in the name of the Lord

All  who made heaven and earth.

A period of silence for reflection on the past day may follow.

All  Most merciful God, we confess to you, before the whole company of heaven and one

      another, that we have sinned in thought, word and deed and in what we have failed

      to do. Forgive us our sins, heal us by your Spirit and raise us to new life in Christ. Amen.

 

O God, make speed to save us.

All  O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

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Advent Candle 1
18/11/2020 In Announcements, Blog News

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 29th 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 3rd 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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