Sermon for the Sixth Sunday after Trinity, 16th July 2023: ISAIAH 55:10 -13, ROMANS 8: 1-11, MATT.13:1-9, 18-23.

Deacon Christine Saccali – St Paul’s Athens

DANDELIONS

I SPEAK IN THE NAME OF THE Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Have you ever blown on a dandelion clock, maybe when you were a child, to tell the time? It is a game we play in UK; I have taught it to my granddaughter. We have plenty of dandelions in our small patch of lawn and they are thriving, especially this year, after the late wet spring weather and after our holiday.

Did you know that every part of the dandelion, so named after the French dents de lion teeth of lions because of the shape of the leaves, can be used, nothing goes to waste ? Radiki, the name in Greek, is a prize salad leaf boiled as horta. Chicory pikralida is its other name and its roots, which go down very deep, can be dried and ground and used as a plant based coffee.

Dandelion flowers are the beloved flower of bees and keep in the biodiversity in balance. Our Creator God made all this with His divine planning. No wonder, then that No Mow May was declared in UK to encourage the growth of wild flowers in verges and gardens to counteract the groomed and manicured look of aesthetics that ruin the natural world and original intention.

We have no idea how far and wide seeds can spread and where they will fall only to spring up in time depending on the soil where they land. They are not always planted deliberately. So it is with God’s abundance and his Word. Many things take time and the right circumstances to take root. Man is wasteful but God is plentiful and his abundance and goodness is everywhere to be seen.

READ MORE

Service for the 6th Sunday after Trinity – 16th July 2023

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens.  We have a POS facility so you can make a donation by card. There are Communion books for children available for use.  There is coffee in the garden after the Liturgy.

The presiding priest and this morning is Fr. Leonard. The deacon and preacher is Deacon Christine.

Entrance Hymn    205  Christ is made the sure foundation

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.

Silence

Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed.

We have not loved you with our whole heart.

We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.

In your mercy forgive what we have been,

Help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be;

That we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God.

Amen.

Absolution: May the God of love and power forgive you and free you from your sins, heal and strengthen you by his Spirit, and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord.   Amen.

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 Father. Amen

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

Creator God, you made us all in your image; may we discern you in all that we see, and serve you in all that we do; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

READ MORE

Audio Sermon for the fifth Sunday of Trinity – 9th July 2023

Fr Leonard Doolan – St Paul’s Athens

Service for the 5th Sunday after Trinity – 9th July 2023

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens.  We have a POS facility so you can make a donation by card. There are Communion books for children available for use.  There is coffee in the garden after the Liturgy. There is a Choral Evensong at 18.00 this evening.

The presiding priest and preacher this morning is Fr. Leonard.

Entrance Hymn    391  King of glory

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 then leads us into Confession.

Silence

Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed.

We have not loved you with our whole heart.

We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.

In your mercy forgive what we have been,

Help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be;

That we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God.

Amen.

Absolution: May the God of love and power forgive you and free you from your sins, heal and strengthen you by his Spirit, and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord.   Amen.

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 Father. Amen

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

Almighty God, send down upon your Church the riches of your Spirit, and kindle in all who minister the gospel your countless gifts of grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

 READ MORE

Audio Sermon for the 4th Sunday after Trinity, 2 July 2023. Delivered in Belgium – in the morning to the Anglican congregation in Knokke, and in the evening to the Anglican congregation in Bruges.

Fr Leonard Doolan

Sermon for the 4th Sunday of Trinity – 2nd July 2023delivered in Belgium – in the morning to the Anglican congregation in Knokke, and in the evening to the Anglican congregation in Bruges.

Fr Leonard Doolan.

I thank Fr. Augustine sincerely for inviting me to preach. We have known each other many years now.

Addressing the Christian community in Rome, the Apostle Paul puts a stark challenge to the believers that sounds dissonant to the modern ear. Are you an instrument of wickedness or an instrument of righteousness?

It is beyond the boundaries of this sermon to begin to explore all the implications of the application in St. Paul’s theology of sin and righteousness – and it is not just about being a good person going through life without harming anyone and giving to charities, or bad person going through life inflicting hardship on people,   because he is also contrasting the antithesis of living under the law – namely the Law of Moses which Paul now understands as a form of slavery and life in Christ which Paul now understands as freedom in the Spirit. ‘The letter kills but the Spirit gives life’ if you put it succinctly.

So when we consider what St. Paul means by wickedness and righteousness the distinctions are not straightforward, nor what they appear to be on the surface. However he does introduce well an approach to understanding the other two scripture readings this morning. His words act for us almost as a commentator on two other related, but not so easy passages of scripture.

The prophet Jeremiah speaks to the priests and the people in the House of the Lord. This is the Temple in Jerusalem. He is addressing the people who were left in Jerusalem after the fall of the city to the Babylonians in BC587. The temple is destroyed a year later. It is the time of the Exile. Just a word about this. Contrary to what we imagine, when the Babylonians under the King Nebuchadnezzar, carried off the people of Israel to slavery in Babylon, it was the better educated Israelites who were taken into captivity – not the people who for example, worked the land, who were ethnically and socially of a lower social standing.

So the prophet Jeremiah refers the priests and the people to the prophets of the past generations – the prophets who spoke of wars and famines and pestilences. Such prophets are easily credible in our own rather dark times.

If we consider the war between Russian and Ukraine as it develops we begin by seeing envy between one nation and another, patriotism, greed, self- protection and self – serving military and political action. One nation begins to seek domination over another, and to possess land to protect peoples who ‘speak our language’. It has created chaos – a chaos that has not just been contained to two nations, but globally, because the nations of the world are intertwined, they are interdependent.

So what happens in Ukraine causes hardship in Africa because, for example, the world needs grain from fertile Ukraine. So we can’t put our heads in the sand and say it has nothing to do with us.

In the last few days we have seen the chaos deepen, as mercenaries who were fighting for Russia in Ukraine are now suspects of treason against the Russian political leadership. Chaos begets chaos.

READ MORE

Service for the Feast of SS Peter and Paul – 2nd July 2023

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

for the first time or visiting Athens.  Today we commemorate the apostles, Peter and Paul (whose feast falls on June 29^th). It is kept as our Patronal Festival. After the Liturgy we all gather in the church garden for a brunch. The presiding priest is Fr. Bjorn Kling,

Pastor of the Swedish Church. The preacher is Angelos Palioudakis.

Entrance Hymn   216 (tune 433)

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 Angelos 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: Almighty God, who forgives all 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

              are the most high, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God

              the Father. Amen.  

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

Almighty God, whose blessed apostles Peter and Paul glorified you in their death as in their life; grant that your Church, inspired by their teaching and example, and made one by your Spirit, may ever stand firm upon the one foundation, Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

 READ MORE

Sermon for the Third Sunday after Trinity 25th June 2023:EREMIAH 20:7-13, MATTHEW 10:24-39, ROMANS 61b-11

Deacon Chris Saccali – St Paul’s Athens

I speak in the name of the Living God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

This Sunday, coming at the end of Refugee week is called Sanctuary Sunday, when we consider how we as churches can offer welcome, hospitality and compassion to those seeking sanctuary, The operative word this year is Compassion – literally suffering alongside. Last week this all came back to the surface here in Greece as countless lives were lost in the sea off Pylos in the Peloponnese.  Who is to blame?  This issue cannot be made into a political one and others made scapegoats as occurred in Kalamata. It is a worldwide phenomenon not just a European or Western one. As Christians what are we going to do about it? UN says 100,000,000 people are displaced.

Our readings today seem to dovetail into this theme of pain and difficulty in the lives of prophets and disciples and steer away from our blame game culture that we have gotten used to, sometimes unconsciously. We learn that God’s Kingdom is not compatible with the same set of values. We as disciples of Christ are called to live counter culturally but to bear in mind that we each look through the lens of our own culture and upbringing.

Our readings show this was ever so. Jeremiah and the prophets advocate this way of life putting God first in obedience to their calling. They do not blame God for this but are not always eager to follow their vocation.

The prophet Jeremiah lived through times of enormous political upheaval. His long career, lasting about 40 years, saw a good king, a weak king and the forced deportation of all but the dregs of the population. Most of this Jeremiah warned his people about in advance, but his foresight won him no friends at all, as is so often the case. He was increasingly isolated from the people he was born to serve, and at times his life was threatened by those who could not bear to hear the truth that was so different from what they wanted.

READ MORE

Service for the Third Sunday after Trinity – 25th June 2023

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens.  We have a POS facility so you can make a donation by card. There are Communion books for children available for use.  There is coffee in the garden after the Liturgy.

The presiding priest this morning is Fr. Leonard. The deacon and preacher is Deacon Christine.

Entrance Hymn    336  Angel voices

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 then the deacon leads us into Confession.

Silence

Most merciful God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,

we confess that we have sinned in thought, word and deed.

We have not loved you with our whole heart.

We have not loved our neighbours as ourselves.

In your mercy forgive what we have been,

Help us to amend what we are, and direct what we shall be;

That we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with you, our God.

Amen.

Absolution: May the God of love and power forgive you and free you from your sins, heal and strengthen you by his Spirit, and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord.   Amen.

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 Father. Amen

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

God our Saviour, look on this wounded world in pity and power; hold us fast to your promises of peace won for us by your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

READ MORE

Sermon for the Second Sunday after Trinity – 18th June 2023:Exodus 19, 2-8; Rom 5, 1-8; Mt 9, 35-10, 8

Fr Leonard Dolan – St Paul’s Athens

Last week we reflected on the highly significant ministry of encouragement of St. Barnabas. Though not one of the 12 Apostles he gains the title Apostle because of his outward looking and world facing ministry.

His companion for much of the Ministry of Encouragement was the Apostle Paul until they parted company. St. Paul is also not one of the Twelve, and yet in many ways he is ‘THE’ Apostle. His apostolate is marked by his journeys, his sacrifices and his sheer determination, if not stubbornness, in preaching the truth about Jesus to Jew and pagan alike mostly expressed in his letters to the primitive church communities. Paul is truly an alien in foreign lands.

Our gospel reading this morning names the Twelve Apostles – each one, after the experience of the resurrection, sent out to various parts of the Mediterranean and beyond carrying with them a gospel message. Peter was martyred in Rome – now the See of Peter; Andrew came to Greece and his remains are in the cathedral in Patras; Thomas went to India – the Mar Thoma church still bears his name; James also in in Indian sub-continent who gives his name to the Jacobite tradition of Christianity (nothing to do with Jacobites in Scotland – that’s a different period in history and a very different story).

All these Apostles, hand –picked by Christ and formed into faithful messengers, angels, of the gospel message. The language of this short passage of St. Matthew’s gospel is packed with dynamic language: ‘go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’, ‘go, proclaim the good news; cure, raise, cleanse, cast out.’ These are all strong verbs, all imperatives. In those designated Apostles the ministry of Christ himself is multiplied; he is the source, but in faith Christ’s church can do these things by his commands and through faith.

Another side to these bold commandments is the evidence required by us that verifies it. You will remember the famous passage in John’s gospel about St. Thomas. He is famously called Doubting Thomas – maybe partly because it is all too human to see the glass half empty. He should really be known to us as Faithful Thomas because he came to believe and said the words so many of us wish to say with utter conviction ‘My Lord and my God.’ For him the glass is full and running over – the cup of salvation frothing, overflowing with God’s love and grace.

Discouragement is a default position for so many humans. If we pray for something and it doesn’t happen we give up on prayer, and we might even give up on God. We give up too easily – we don’t get what we want – but our Christ died for us. How can we place our often self-centred prayers beside the self-sacrificial Christ. Our prayer should be that we can be more Christ-like; and if more Christ-like maybe the agenda of our hopes and desires might just shift their emphasis.

Christ himself commends persistence. With prayer we need to keep going; in faith we need to keep going; in hope we need to keep going; for persistence is a godly quality. Had God himself not been persistent how else might we be reading what we refer to as the Old Testament. Where did God give up on his people? How often do the people give up on God? Why else is the voice of the prophet needed but to call us back, to re-gather us, to encourage us to change. Why else do so many of the Psalms cry out in despair – indeed the classic is Psalm 22 quoted by Christ from the cross ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ Those psalms of lament and despair allow us to voice genuinely our human condition and our capacity towards absorbing frailty and failure – yet always in the Psalms there is no abandonment of faith in God. Yes, there may be this, there may be that, there may be disappointment and frustration – but yet, but yet ‘You are the wonderful God who created the world and all that is in it’. Always the freedom in the Psalms allows human mortality to interface with divine immortality.

We so desperately need encouragement. In the western world there is talk of dramatic church decline – the Archbishop of Canterbury recently has even said he must take some of the blame for this – as if it would really make much difference. The trajectory of history shows that humans ebb and flow in their faithfulness. Perhaps what we really need are fewer mission strategies, less obsession with numbers and attendance, and more voices of prophecy that call us back to what the Lord our God demands of us justice and righteousness it is called in the Old Testament, and it is what Jesus calls ‘love’.

READ MORE