Service Sheet for Sunday 23rd February, 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time

St Paul’s Anglican Church Athens

Celebrant Fr Terry Hemming

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Entrance: 427 (Laudate Dominum) O praise ye the Lord!

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 103 (536 in the New English Hymnal)

Gradual: 499 (St.Cecilia) Thy kindgom come, O God

Offertory: 461 (Cross of Jesus) There’s a wideness in God’s mercy

Communion: 294 (Saffron Walden) Just as I am, without one plea

Recessional: 359 (Duke Street) Fight the good fight with all thy might

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of

England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received.

A reading from the first book of Samuel (26: 2, 7-9, 11-13, 22-23)

Saul set off and went down to the wilderness of Ziph, accompanied by three thousand men chosen from Israel to search for David in the wilderness of Ziph.

In the dark David and Abishai made their way towards the force, where they found Saul lying asleep inside the camp, his spear stuck in the ground beside his head, with Abner and the troops lying round him.

Then Abishai said to David, ‘Today God has put your enemy in your power; so now let me pin him to the ground with his own spear. Just one stroke! I will not need to strike him twice.’ David answered Abishai, ‘Do not kill him, for who can lift his hand against the Lord’s anointed and be without guilt? The Lord forbid that I should raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed! But now take the spear beside his head and the pitcher of water and let us go away.’ David took the spear and the pitcher of water from beside Saul’s head, and they made off. No one saw, no one knew, no one woke up; they were all asleep, for a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.

David crossed to the other side and halted on the top of the mountain a long way off; there was a wide space between them. He called out, ‘Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the soldiers come across and take it. The Lord repays everyone for his uprightness and loyalty. Today the Lord put you in my power, but I would not raise my hand against the Lord’s anointed.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 103: The Lord is compassion and love

(text at 536 in the New English Hymnal)

A reading from the first letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians (15: 45-49)

The first man, Adam, as scripture says, became a living soul; but the last Adam has become a life-giving spirit. That is, first the one with the soul, not the spirit, and after that, the one with the spirit. The first man, being from the earth, is earthly by nature; the second man is from heaven. As this earthly man was, so are we on earth; and as the heavenly man is, so are we in heaven. And we, who have been modelled on the earthly man, will be modelled on the heavenly man.

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Gospel acclamation: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. I give you a new commandment:

love one another just as I have loved you,

says the Lord. Alleluia!

The Lord be with you. And also with you.

+ A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke (6: 27-38)

Glory to you, O Lord.

O Lord God, who seest that we put not our trust in any thing that we do: Mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended

against all adversity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (BCP Collect for Sexagesima, or the Second Sunday before Lent)

Church Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Services: Unless noted, liturgies are followed by refreshments

Weds. 26th February: 10 a.m.; Low Mass

Sun. 2nd March: 10 a.m.; Sung Mass

Weds. 5th March: 10 a.m.; Ash Wednesday (Sung Mass)

Weds. 5th March: 6:30 p.m.; Ash Wednesday (Low Mass)

Walking Group and Study Group: details from Fr. Benjamin Coffee Morning: March 13th (Thursday) 10:30 a.m.

Choral Evensong (Evening Prayer): 16th March (6 p.m.)

Please bring palm crosses from last year (or previous years) to be burned for ashes for Ash Wednesday.

Donate electronically by scanning the QR code:

the Church does not receive any

funding from the Church of England

or the British Government and is reliant

on the goodwill of congregants and visitors.

We thank you for your support.

Priest Chaplain: Fr. Benjamin Drury frbenjamindrury@gmail.com;   Home tel.: 210 72 14 906

anglican@otenet.gr (Church e-mail address)

Deacon Christine Saccali : (Day Off: Friday)           697 737 7655

Church of Sweden: Fr. Bjorn Kling  694 6072428

Facebook @AnglicanAthens   www.anglicanchurchathens.gr

Service for Sunday 16th February, 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time

St Paul’s Anglican Church Athens

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Entrance: 343 (Redhead No. 46) Bright the vision that delighted

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 1

Gradual: 369 (Binchester) Happy are they, they that love God

Offertory: 333 (Michael) All my hope on God is founded

Communion: 341 (Franconia) Blest are the pure in heart

Recessional: 391 (Gwalchmai) King of glory, King of peace

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah (17: 5-8)

The Lord says this:

‘A curse on the man who puts his trust in man,

who relies on things of flesh, whose heart turns from the Lord.

He is like dry scrub in the wastelands: if good comes, he has no eyes for it, he settles in the parched places of the wilderness,

a salt land, uninhabited.

‘A blessing on the man who puts his trust in the Lord, with the Lord for his hope.

He is like a tree by the waterside that thrusts its roots to the stream: when the heat comes it feels no alarm, its foliage stays green;

it has no worries in a year of drought, and never ceases to bear fruit.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 1: Happy the man who has put his trust in the Lord

Happy indeed is the man

who follows not the counsel of the wicked; nor lingers in the way of sinners

nor sits in the company of scorners, but whose delight is the law of the Lord

and who ponders his law day and night. (Response)

He is like a tree that is planted beside the flowing waters,

that yields its fruit in due season

and whose leaves shall never fade;

and all that he does shall prosper. (Response)

Not so are the wicked, not so! For they like winnowed chaff shall be driven away by the wind:

for the Lord guards the way of the just

but the way of the wicked leads to doom. (Response)

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Service for Sunday 9th February 2025, 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time

St Paul’s Anglican Church Athens

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Entrance: 146 (Nicaea) Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God almighty

Responsorial  Psalm:

Gradual: 377 (St. Denio) Immortal, invisible, God only wise

Offertory: 410 (Westminster) My God, how wonderful thou art

Communion: 353 (Repton) Dear Lord and Father of mankind

Recessional: 486 (Fulda) We have a gospel to proclaim

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (6: 1-8)

In the year of King Uzziah’s death I saw the Lord of Hosts seated on a high throne; his train filled the sanctuary; above him stood seraphs, each one with six wings.

And they cried out to one another in this way,

‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts. His glory fills the whole earth.’

The foundations of the threshold shook with the voice of the one who cried out, and the Temple was filled with smoke. I said:

‘What a wretched state I am in! I am lost,

for I am a man of unclean lips

and I live among a people of unclean lips,

and my eyes have looked at the King, the Lord of Hosts.’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding in his hand a live coal which he had taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. With this he touched my mouth and said:

‘See now, this has touched your lips, your sin is taken away,

your iniquity is purged.’

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying:

‘Whom shall I send? Who will be our messenger?’ I answered, ‘Here I am, send me.’

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 138: Before the angels I will bless you, O Lord.

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Service Sheet for Sunday 2nd February – The Presentation of the Lord – Candlemas

St Paul’s Anglican Church Athens

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Entrance: 157 (Old 120th) Hail to the Lord who comes

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 24

Gradual: 44 (Pastor Pastorum) Faithful vigil ended

Offertory: 401 (Regent Square) Light’s abode, celestial salem

Communion: 399 (Rochester) Light of the lonely pilgrim’s heart

Final: Sheet (Christ be our light) Longing for light, we wait in darkness

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of England.  All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received.

A reading from the Book of Malachi (3: 1-4)

The Lord God says this: Look, I am going to send my messenger to prepare a way before me. And the Lord you are seeking will sud-

denly enter his Temple; and the angel of the covenant whom you

are longing for, yes, he is coming, says the Lord of Hosts. Who will be able to resist the day of his coming? Who will remain standing when he appears? For he is like the refiner’s fire and the fullers’ al- kali. He will take his seat as refiner and purifier; he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and then they will make the offering to the Lord as it should be made. The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will then be welcomed by the Lord as in for- mer days, as in the years of old.

The word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 24: Who is the king of glory? It is the Lord.

O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors.

Let him enter, the king of glory! (Response)

Who is the king of glory?

The Lord, the mighty, the valiant,

the Lord, the valiant in war. (Response)

O gates, lift high your heads; grow higher, ancient doors.

Let him enter, the king of glory! (Response)

Who is he, the king of glory?

He, the Lord of armies,

he is the king of glory. (Response)

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Service Sheet for Sunday 26th January 2025 – 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. The Conversion of St Paul

St Paul’s Anglican Church Athens

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Entrance: 155 (Ellacombe) We sing the glorious conquest

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 19

Gradual: 154 (St. Petersburg) A heavenly splendour from on high

Offertory: 302 (Song I) O Thou, who at thy Eucharist didst pray

Communion: 305 (Anima Christi) Soul of my Saviour

Recessional: 482 (Gott Sei Dank) Spread, O spread thou mighty word

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (22: 3-16)

Paul said to the people, ‘I am a Jew and was born at Tarsus in Cilicia.

I was brought up here in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was taught the exact observance of the Law of our ancestors. In fact, I was as full of duty towards God as you are today. I even persecuted this Way to the death, and sent women as well as men to prison in chains as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify, since they even sent me with letters to their brothers in Damascus. When I set off it was with the intention of bringing prisoners back from there to Jerusalem for punishment.

‘I was on that journey and nearly at Damascus when about midday a bright light from heaven suddenly shone round me. I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” I answered: Who are you, Lord? and he said to me, “I am Jesus the Naz- arene, and you are persecuting me.” The people with me saw the light but did not hear his voice as he spoke to me. I said: What am I to do, Lord? The Lord answered, “Stand up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told what you have been appointed to do.” The light had been so dazzling that I was blind and my companions had to take me by the hand; and so I came to Damascus.

‘Someone called Ananias, a devout follower of the Law and highly thought of by all the Jews living there, came to see me; he stood beside me and said, “Brother Saul, receive your sight.” Instantly my sight came back and I was able to see him. Then he said, “The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Just One and hear his own voice speaking, because you are to be his witness before all mankind, testifying to what you have seen and heard. And now why delay? It is time you were baptised and had your sins washed away while invoking his name.”

The Word of the Lord: Thanks be to God

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Service Sheet for Sunday 19th January – 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Entrance: 46 (Duke Street) Why, impious Herod, shouldst thou fear

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 96

Gradual: 316 (St Hugh of Lincoln) Sing to the Lord glad hymns

Offertory: 436 (Praise, My Soul) Praise, my soul, the King of heaven

Communion: 317 (St Stephen) With Christ we share a mystic grave

Recessional: 51 (Redhead No. 46) Hail, thou source of every blessing

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy. Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (62: 1-5)

About Zion I will not be silent, about Jerusalem I will not grow weary, until her integrity shines out like the dawn and her salvation flames like a torch. The nations then will see your integrity, all the kings your glory, and you will be called by a new name, one which the mouth of the Lord will confer. You are to be a crown of splendour in the hand of the Lord, a princely diadem in the hand of your God; no longer are you to be named ‘Forsaken’, nor your land ‘Abandoned’, but you shall be called ‘My Delight’ and your land ‘The Wedded’; for the Lord takes delight in you and your land will have its wedding. Like a young man marrying a virgin, so will the one who built you wed you, and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride, so will your God rejoice in you.

The Word of the Lord:    Thanks be to God

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Service Sheet for Sunday 12th January 2025 – Baptism of our Lord

Celebrant Fr Benjamin Drury

Welcome to our Liturgy of Holy Communion (Sung Mass)

Entrance: 347 (Fulda) Come, gracious Spirit, heavenly Dove

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 104

Gradual: 58 (Gonfalon Royal) The sinless one to Jordan came

Offertory: 56 (St. Edmund) Songs of thankfulness and praise

Communion: 342 (Carlisle) Breathe on me, Breath of God

Recessional: 466 (Moscow) Thou whose almighty word

All are welcome to stay for refreshments after the liturgy.

Please remember that the chaplaincy in Athens neither receives funding from the British Government nor from the Church of

England. All donations are, therefore, very gratefully received.

A reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (40: 1-5, 9-11)

‘Console my people, console them’ says your God. ‘Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her

that her time of service is ended, that her sin is atoned for, that she has received from the hand of the Lord

double punishment for all her crimes.’

A voice cries, ‘Prepare in the wilderness a way for the Lord. Make a straight highway for our God across the desert.

Let every valley be filled in, every mountain and hill be laid low. Let every cliff become a plain, and the ridges a valley;

then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all mankind shall see

it; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.’

Go up on a high mountain, joyful messenger to Zion. Shout with a loud voice, joyful messenger to Jerusalem.

Shout without fear, say to the towns of Judah, ‘Here is your God.’

Here is the Lord coming with power, his arm subduing all things to him. The prize of his victory is with him, his trophies all go before him. He is like a shepherd feeding his flock, gathering lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading to their rest the mother ewes.

The Word of the Lord:   Thanks be to God

Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 104: Bless the Lord, my Soul! Lord God, how great you are.

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Audio Sermon for the feast of The Epiphany – 5th January 2025

Canon L W Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

Sermon Preached on the feast of the Epiphany – 5th January 2025

Canon L W Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

The part of the Christmas scriptural narrative that we focus on today is the Journey of the Magi – the Wise Men, and their three gifts, of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

This Christmas season it would seem, is a bumper time for providing Christmas Quiz questions. I could easily imagine Jean Mertzanakis providing a whole evening of Christmas questions at a St. Paul’s Quiz Night. There is ironically a rich treasure chest of questions that can be set. And it is good fun supplementing the very well – known Christmas story with questions that make you think, or trip you up because you have never thought of it before.

It is also a time for the nay-sayers to emerge. Those who think that their rational and historical analysis sheds a whole new light on this well known ‘fable’ from Bethlehem. They delight in trying to prove that the historical figures mentioned in St. Luke did or did not exist. They relish in the fact that there is no historical record in any other primary source that there was a census in the reign of Caesar Augustus.

Another popular game for the people who wish to de-bunk the Christmas story, is to draw the parallels in details drawn from gods, such as Mithras. Rational questions get posed as stumbling blocks to the truth of the narratives about the birth of Christ. Mechanical, clunky questions, such as ‘how does a virgin birth work?’ – parthenogenesis to use its posh name.  How is it possible to be an almighty and divine creator of all that exists, and at the same time be a baby in a manger?

Personally I am drawn to none of this. I do not treat Christmas as a puzzle with trick questions. I do not seek to find the natural order or rhythms to dismiss all the possibilities enshrined in this ancient and compelling story – a story that itself, like a star, leads into mystery.

I am more persuaded, my friends, by some human responses recorded in the gospels, in particular St. Luke. At the greeting of the Archangel Mary ‘CONSIDERED  what manner of salutation this might be.’ To the visit of the shepherds ‘Mary PONDERED these things in her heart’.  These words are my friends and companions. And the human responses of the shepherds who respond to God’s glory by REJOICING and GLORYFYING, and the Wise Men who kneel to WORSHIP, that part of the Christmas Narrative we focus on in our Liturgy today.

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