Service for Christmas Day – 25th December 2023
Liturgy for the Nativity of Christ.
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens for Christmas. Happy Christmas! The presiding priest and the preacher is Fr. Terry Hemming. Lay Reader Nelly Paraskevopoulou is assisting.
Entrance Hymn 36 (The First Nowell) The first Nowell the angel did say
Priest: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
The Lord be with you.
All: and also with you
Priest: Christ the light of the world has come to dispel the darkness of our hearts. Let us turn to the light and confess our sins. A period of silent stillness follows
Assistant: God our Father, you sent your Son, full of grace and truth: forgive our failure to
receive him.
Kyrie eleison.
All: Kyrie eleison.
Assistant: Jesus our Saviour, you were born in poverty and laid in a manger: forgive our
greed and rejection of your ways.
Christe eleison.
All: Christe eleison
Assistant: Spirit of love, your servant Mary responded joyfully to your call: forgive our
hardness of heart.
Kyrie eleison.
All: Kyrie eleison
Absolution we hear the words of God’s forgiveness to those who are truly penitent
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
Collect: Let us pray (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)
Almighty god, you have given us your only begotten Son to take our nature upon him and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin: grant that we, who have been born again and made your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed in your Holy Spirit; through Jesus christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
First Reading (please sit) Isaiah 52. 7-10
How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of the messenger who announces peace,
who brings good news,
who announces salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices;
together they shout for joy,
for in plain sight they see
the return of the Lord to Zion.
Break forth; shout together for joy,
you ruins of Jerusalem,
for the Lord has comforted his people;
he has redeemed Jerusalem.
The Lord has bared his holy arm
before the eyes of all the nations,
and all the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God
Hymn: 39 (Puer Nobis) Unto us a boy is born!
Second reading (please sit) Hebrews 1. 1-4
Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds. He is the reflection of God’s glory and the exact imprint of God’s very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for[sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.
Reader: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches
All: Thanks be to God
Gospel Hymn 37 (A Virgin Unspotted) The great God of heaven is come down to earth
Gospel (turn to face the Gospel Book)
Assistant: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
All Alleluia, alleluia.
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,
and we have seen his glory.
All Alleluia.
Assistant: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John (John 1. 1-14)
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
There was a man sent from God whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world
He was in the world, and the world came into being through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father’s only son, full of grace and truth.
Assistant: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ
Sermon (please sit) Fr. Terry Hemming
Creed (please stand as we declare our historic faith in the Trinitarian God)
We believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is, seen and unseen. We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of one Being with the Father: through him all things were made. For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven, was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and was made man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered death and was buried. On the third day he rose again in accordance with the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic church. We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Intercessions: Lord in your mercy. Hear our prayer.
The Peace: (please stand) Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and his name shall be called the Prince of Peace
The Peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: and also with you
Offertory Hymn 29 (Noel) It came upon the midnight clear
(During this hymn your donations will be collected)
Priest: Word made flesh, life of the world, in your incarnation you embraced our poverty; by your Spirit may we share in your riches.
All: Blessed be God for ever!
The Great Thanksgiving Prayer (please remain standing for this)
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Priest: Lift up your hearts
All: We lift them to the Lord
Priest: Let us give thanks to the Lord our God
All: It is right to give thanks and praise
And now we give you thanks
Because in the incarnation of the Word,
A new light has dawned upon the world;
You have become one with us
That we might become one with you in your glorious kingdom
The priest then continues the prayer to which we all listen with prayerful hearts
It is indeed right and good to give you thanks and praise, Almighty God and everlasting Father, through Jesus Christ your Son. For when he humbled himself to come among us in human flesh, he fulfilled the plan you formed before the foundation of the world to open up for us the way of salvation. Confident that your promise will be fulfilled, we now watch for the day when Christ our Lord will come again in glory. And so as we join our voices with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven to proclaim your glory for ever praising you and singing:
Holy, holy, holy, God ever reigning, filling all the universe with glory, power and light.
Blest is our Redeemer, sent from God to save us. Hail and hosanna, glory in the height.
Priest: Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.
In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.
Assistant: Great is the mystery of faith
All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.
And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption. As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you. Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of the Holy Mother of God, St. Paul, and all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen
The Lord’s Prayer: (to be prayed in your own language)
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done; on 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.
Priest: We break this bread to share in the body of Christ
All: Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.
Sung: Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God you take away the sins of the world, grant us peace.
Invitation to Holy Communion,
Priest: God’s holy gifts for God’s holy people
All: Jesus Christ is holy, Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father
Priest: Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; happy are those who are called to his supper.
All: Lord I am not worthy to receive you, but only say the word and I shall be healed.
We do not presume to come to this your table, O merciful Lord,
trusting in our own righteousness,
but in your abundant and great mercies.
We are not worthy so much as to gather up
the crumbs under your table;
but you are the same Lord
whose character is always to have mercy.
Grant us, therefore, gracious Lord,
so to eat the flesh of your dear Son Jesus Christ,
and to drink his blood,
that our sinful bodies may be made clean by his body,
and our souls washed through his most precious blood,
and that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen.
All baptized Christians may come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ.
During the distribution we will sing: 28 (Cranham) In the bleak mid-winter
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Priest: God our Father, whose word has come among us in the holy child of Bethlehem: may the light of faith illumine our hearts and shine in our words and deeds; through him who is Christ the Lord. Amen.
All: Almighty God, we thank you for feeding us with the body and blood of your Son Jesus Christ. Through him we offer you our souls and bodies to be a living sacrifice. Send us out in the power of your Spirit to live and work to your praise and glory. Amen
Post Communion Hymn 24 (Yorkshire (Stockport)) Christians awake! salute the happy morn
Priest: May the Father, who has loved the eternal Son from before the foundation
of the world, shed that love upon you, his children.
All: Amen
Priest: May Christ, who by his incarnation gathered into one, all things earthly and
heavenly, fill you with joy and peace.
All: Amen
Priest: May the Holy Spirit, by whose overshadowing Mary became the God-bearer,
give you grace to carry the good news of Christ.
All: Amen
Priest: And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen
Assistant: Go in peace. Proclaim the Word made flesh.
All Glory, thanks and praise to God.
Please come forward to the Nativity scene to say your prayers and light a candle as you leave the church.
Notices:
A POS is available if you wish to buy one of the books or make your Sunday donation to St. Paul’s.
Bishop Robert’s Advent Appeal: see the link for details
Join the online Prayer Group each Tuesday morning at 09.00 – see website for the Zoom link.
Community Connect Coffee Mornings – January 11th 2024 -Swedish centre – 10:30 am until 12:30pm. Contact Anne Dedes if you need information.
Deacon Christine Saccali will be on leave from 25th to 30th December
Deacon Chris: 22950 53164: Day Off – Friday.
Swedish Church: contact Fr. Bjorn on 694 607 2428
Website: www.anglicanchurchathens.gr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnglicanAthens/
Twitter: @AthensAnglican
e-Mag available on the website
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