Service for Easter Sunday 2nd May 2021 at St Paul’s and on Zoom

Easter Sunday: 10.00hrs Holy Liturgy in St. Paul’s  – (pre-register your attendance)

                                12.00noon  Zoom Worship  (new Zoom link – try to join before the start time!)

 

Fr. Leonard is leading the worship and preaching this morning, assisted by Deacon Christine and Angelos Pouliadakis.

 

Blessing of an Easter Candle        (you might like to have a lit candle at home)

Priest:        Eternal God, who made this most holy night to shine with the brightness of your one true

light: set us aflame with the fire of your love, and bring us to the radiance of your

heavenly glory: through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All:              Amen

Priest:        Alleluia. Christ is risen!

All:              He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

 

Renewal of Baptismal Vows

Priest:         As we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ from the dead, we remember that through the paschal mystery we have died and been buried with him in baptism. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. Therefore I ask:

 

Priest:         Do you reject the devil and all rebellion against God?

All:              I reject them

Priest:         Do your renounce the deceit and corruption of evil?

All:              I renounce them

Priest:         Do you repent of the sins that separate us from God and neighbour?

All:              I repent of them

 

Priest:         May the light of Christ, rising in glory, banish all darkness from our hearts and minds.

In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. Therefore I ask:

 

Do you turn to Christ as Saviour?

All:             I turn to Christ

Priest:        Do you submit to Christ as Lord?

All:              I submit to Christ

Priest:        Do you come to Christ, the way, the truth, and the life?

All:              I come to Christ

Priest:         Alleluia. Christ is risen!

All:              He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

1 Jesus Christ is ris’n today, Alleluia!
our triumphant holy day, Alleluia!
who did once upon the cross Alleluia!
suffer to redeem our loss. Alleluia!

 

2 Hymns of praise then let us sing Alleluia!
unto Christ our heav’nly King, Alleluia!
who endured the cross and grave, Alleluia!
sinners to redeem and save. Alleluia!

 

3 But the pains which he endured, Alleluia!
our salvation have procured; Alleluia!
now above the sky he’s King, Alleluia!
where the angels ever sing. Alleluia!

 

4 Sing we to our God above Alleluia!
praise eternal as his love; Alleluia!
praise him, all ye heav’nly host, Alleluia!
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Alleluia!

 

Deacon:     Christ our Passover lamb has been sacrificed for us. Let us therefore rejoice by putting away all malice and evil and confessing our sins with a sincere and pure heart .

 

There follows a short period of silence and stillness

Deacon:       Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life.

Kyrie eleison

     All:                Kyrie eleison

     Deacon:       Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins.

                           Christe eleison

     All:                Christe eleison

Deacon:       Lord Jesus, you feed us with the living bread, your life for the world.

                      Kyrie eleison

All:                Kyrie eleison

 

Priest:   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.

 

Gloria  (tune Skye Boat Song)

 

Glory to God in the heaven above, peace to his friends on earth.

Lord God of hosts, and our heavenly King, Father and mighty God.

We worship you, we give you thanks, praise to your holy name.

‘Glory to God’ heaven declares ‘Glory’ creation sings.

Refrain:  Glory to God in the heaven above, peace to his friends on earth.

                God, ever three, yet eternally one, glorious Trinity.

 

Son of the Father, and Lord of us all, holy eternal Lamb,

Christ, who has carried the sin of the world, mercy on us, we pray.

Jesus our God, Saviour and Judge, answer us when we cry;

Seated on high, reigning with God, hear and receive our prayer.  Refrain.

 

You, Jesus Christ, are the Lord, the Most High, you are the Holy One.

You, only you, with the Spirit divine, reign in the Father’s love.

Blessed are you, Father and Son, Spirit of grace and truth;

Myst’ry profound, veiled yet revealed, hidden in depths of light.  Refrain

 

Collect:  Let us pray     (Collect of the Day) 

Lord of all life and power, who through the mighty resurrection of your Son overcame the old order of sin and death to make all things new in him: grant that we, being dead to sin and alive to you in Jesus Christ, may reign with him in glory; to whom with the Holy Spirit be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity.

Amen.

 

First Reading    (please sit)                                                             Acts 10, 34-43                    (Alice Karanja)

Then Peter began to speak to them: “I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all. That message spread throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day and allowed him to appear, not to all the people but to us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Reader: This is the word of the Lord.

All:         Thanks be to God.

 

1 The day of resurrection!
Earth, tell it out abroad;
the passover of gladness,
the passover of God.
From death to life eternal,
from earth unto the sky,
our Christ hath brought us over,
with hymns of victory. 

 

2 Our hearts be pure from evil,
that we may see aright
the Lord in rays eternal
of resurrection light;
and listening to his accents,
may hear, so calm and plain,
his own “All hail!” and, hearing,
may raise the victor strain. 

 

3 Now let the heavens be joyful!
Let earth the song begin!
Let the round world keep triumph,
and all that is therein!
Let all things seen and unseen
their notes in gladness blend,
for Christ the Lord hath risen,
our joy that hath no end. 

 

Deacon:               Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. He has defeated the powers of death.

Jesus turns our sorrow into dancing. He has the words of eternal life.

All:   (Sung)         Alleluia

Deacon:               The Lord be with you

All:                        and also with you

Deacon:               Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Mark          (Mark 16, 1-8)

All:                        Glory to you, O Lord

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

Deacon:               This is the gospel of Christ

All:                        Praise to you, O Christ.

 

Sermon                Fr. Leonard

 

Creed

 

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:  (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer                (Intercessor Nelly Paraskevopoulou)

 

Peace:     The risen Christ came and stood among his disciples and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then were they

                 glad when they saw the Lord. Alleluia.  The peace of the Lord be always with you.

All:           And also with you. Alleluia.

You might like to scroll along the gallery of the participants to see who you are sharing the peace with – remember to put your Sunday collection aside or send it by bank transfer.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

 

1 The strife is o’er, the battle done;
the victory of life is won;
the song of triumph has begun.
Alleluia!

 

2 The powers of death have done their worst,
but Christ their legions has dispersed.
Let shouts of holy joy outburst.
Alleluia!

 

3 The three sad days are quickly sped;
he rises glorious from the dead.
All glory to our risen Head.
Alleluia!

 

4 He closed the yawning gates of hell;
the bars from heaven’s high portals fell.
Let hymns of praise his triumph tell.
Alleluia!

 

5 Lord, by the stripes which wounded thee,
from death’s dread sting thy servants free,
that we may live and sing to thee.
Alleluia!

 

Final Ending:
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia! 

The Lord’s Prayer:  (to be prayed in whichever language you chose)

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.

 

All:  God of glory, by the raising of your Son you have broken the chains of death and hell: fill your Church with faith and hope; for a new day has dawned and the way of life stands open in our Saviour Jesus Christ.  Amen.

 

Prayers at the Easter Garden

Priest:         Alleluia. Christ is risen.

All:              He is risen indeed. Alleluia.

Deacon:     The angel said to the women ‘Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was

crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said’.

Priest:         Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. To you be praise

and glory for ever. In your great mercy you have given us a new birth into a living hope through

the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. By your blessing, may we who gather before this

garden in celebration of his victory be strengthened in faith, know the power of his presence,

and rejoice in the hope of eternal glory.

All:              Blessed be God for ever

Deacon:     Risen Lord Jesus, as Mary Magdalene met you in the garden on the morning of the resurrection,

so may we meet you today and every day: as you spoke to her, reveal yourself as the living Lord,

renew our hope and kindle our joy, and send us to share the good news with others.

All:              Amen

 

Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes where Thy body lay.
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.

Lo, Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb.
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let His church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
for the Lord now liveth; death hath lost its sting.
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.

No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life!!
Life is nought without Thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conqu’rors, through Thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above.
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.

 

Blessing and sending out

Priest:        The God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the

sheep, through the blood of the eternal covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his

will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, and ….

 

Deacon:     Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia, Alleluia.

All:              In the name of Christ. Amen.    Alleluia, Alleluia.       

 

A big thank you to all those who donated 130 lilies in memory of their loved ones. You can see the virtual lilies here  on Easter Sunday and there will be a beautiful flower arrangement in church. The names of your loved ones will be written in the Remembrance book, which you can see in church.

 

Notices – You will need this Zoom link for May 2^nd onwards. This will be for the whole of May and until Pentecost (June 20^th) at 12.00. After that the Zoom 12 Noon service will cease.  The order of service is also on the website each week. Also the church will be open to limited numbers (9 people) for worship. This will be in St. Paul’s at 10.00am (not shown on Zoom). Pre-register your attendance with Fr. Leonard.

 

Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday  (in emergencies contact Deacon Christine)

(Fr. Leonard on Leave from 3^rd May- 8^th May)  Home tel :  210 72 14 906;  email anglican@otenet.gr

Deacon Chris: 22950 53164: Day off – Friday

Swedish Church: contact Fr. Bjorn on 694 607 2428  (Swedish Sunday Mass at St. Paul’s at 12 Noon)

 

The Anglican Church in Greece (including St. Paul’s) is self-financing, and receives no income other than from the generosity of those who worship here. We are a legal body and we pay tax. Our tax number is 997073090. If you wish to donate direct to our bank (IBAN) the account with Piraeus Bank is:  The Anglican Church in Greece, St. Paul’s Athens  GR 820172 0500 0050 5008 6327 479  Swift code is  PIRB GRAA