Service for Pentecost Sunday – 28th May 203
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 is coffee in the garden after the Liturgy. The church history and guide book ‘Opening Doors’ will be on sale – €10,00. You can use the POS to purchase this as well as cash. Fr. Leonard is in Crete this weekend for the Souda Bay Commemoration.
The presiding priest this morning is Fr. Bjorn of the Swedish Church. The deacon and preacher is the Revd. Christine Saccali.
Entrance Hymn: 364 God is love (tune Blaenwern 408)
Priest: Alleluia! Christ is risen
All: He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
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.
Gloria: Glory to God in the highest, peace to his people on earth. Glory to God in the highest, 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, have mercy on us, you are seated at the right hand of the Father: receive, 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, who as at this time taught the hearts of your faithful people by sending to them the light of your Holy Spirit: grant us by the same Spirit to have a right judgement in all things and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour, 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) Acts 2, 1-21 (Jane Mandalios)
When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. Now there were devout Jews from every people under heaven living in Jerusalem. And at this sound the crowd gathered and was bewildered, because each one heard them speaking in the native language of each. Amazed and astonished, they asked, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language? Parthians, Medes, Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—in our own languages we hear them speaking about God’s deeds of power.” All were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others sneered and said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, “Fellow Jews and all who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to what I say. Indeed, these are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only nine o’clock in the morning. No, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: ‘In the last days it will be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. Even upon my slaves, both men and women, in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show portents in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and smoky mist. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the coming of the Lord’s great and glorious day. Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Psalm: (Green Book) 537 Send forth your Spirit, O Lord, and renew the face of the earth.
2nd Reading 1 Cor 12, 3-13 (Jean Mertzanakis)
Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says “Let Jesus be cursed!” and no one can say “Jesus is Lord” except by the Holy Spirit. Now there are varieties of gifts but the same Spirit, and there are varieties of services but the same Lord, and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of powerful deeds, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Hymn 342 Breathe on me, Breath of God (tune Carlisle 178)
Gospel Reading
Deacon: Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people and kindle in them the fire of your love.
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. John (John 7, 37-39)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
On the last day of the festival, the great day, while Jesus was standing there, he cried out, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me, and let the one who believes in me drink. As the scripture has said, ‘Out of the believer’s heart shall flow rivers of living water.’ ” Now he said this about the Spirit, which believers in him were to receive, for as yet there was no Spirit because Jesus was not yet glorified.
At the end of the Gospel
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord, Alleluia!
All: Praise to you O Lord. Alleluia
Sermon (Please sit) Most sermons are available on the website
Nicene Creed (please stand to declare our historic faith)
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 (Virginia Stevens)
Peace: God has made us one in Christ. He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come, has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Alleluia.
Priest: The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you. Alleluia!
Offertory Hymn 296 Lord enthroned (The Collection will be taken)
Priest: Be present, be present Lord Jesus Christ, our risen high priest: make yourself known in the breaking of bread. Amen.
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
It is indeed right, it is our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give you thanks, holy Father, almighty and everlasting God, through Jesus Christ, your only Son our Lord. This day we give you thanks because in fulfilment of your promise you pour out your Spirit upon us, filling us with your gifts, leading us into all truth, and uniting peoples of many tongues in the confession of one faith.
Your Spirit gives us grace to call you Father, to proclaim your gospel to all nations and to serve you as a royal priesthood. Therefore we join our voices with angels and archangels, and with all those in whom the Spirit dwells, to proclaim the glory of your name, for ever praising you and saying:
All: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in
Blessed is he who comes in the name of Lord, hosanna in the highest. Hosanna in the
highest.
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.
Deacon: Let us proclaim 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, Paul, the Apostles 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 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.
Priest: We break this bread to share in the body of the risen Christ.
All: Though we are many, we are one body, because we all share in one bread.
Invitation to Holy Communion
Sung: Jesus, Lamb of God, have mercy on us
Jesus, bearer of our sins, have mercy on us
Jesus, redeemer of the world, grant us peace, grant us peace.
Priest: Alleluia! Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us
All: Therefore let us keep the feast. Alleluia!
All baptized Christians may come forward to receive the body and blood of Christ. If you wish you may receive a blessing. Please let the Sides-people guide you forward.
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Faithful God, who fulfilled the promises of Easter by sending us your Holy Spirit and opening to every race and nation the way of life eternal; open our lips by your Spirit, that every tongue may tell of your glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All: You have opened to us the Scriptures, O Christ, and you have made yourself known in the breaking of bread. Abide with us, we pray, that blessed by your royal presence, we may walk with you all the days of our life, and at its end behold you in the glory of the eternal Trinity, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
Notices
Post Communion Hymn: 427 O praise ye the Lord
Priest: The Spirit of truth lead you into all truth, give you grace to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and strengthen you to proclaim the word and works of God; and the blessing…
Deacon: Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!
All: Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday (in emergencies contact Deacon Christine)
Home tel : 210 72 14 906; email anglican@otenet.gr
Deacon Chris: Day Off – Friday 697 737 7655
Swedish Church: Fr. Bjorn 694 6072428
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
Liturgical Material Copyright of the Archbishops’ Council
Notices:
- Sincere thanks to all who supported the Coronation Bazaar yesterday– stall holders, contributors, those who attended and spent money!, and not least Lynn Stavrou.
- Weekly Giving: if you would like to make your weekly giving to the church by our envelope scheme (which we would encourage) please speak to Nelly Paraskevopoulou.
- Sunday Table Top Sales: There is often a Greetings Card stall and a Second Hand Book stall in the garden after the liturgy. Please do look out for them.
- Church History and Guidebook ‘Opening Doors’ available for sale always when the church is open. €10,00 a copy, it makes excellent reading, or a gift for someone else. If you don’t have enough cash you can pay by card (POS available).
- Tuesday Morning Zoom Prayers – see the website for details
- Leonard is with the congregation in Thessaloniki next weekend.
- Coffee Mornings (now on Thursdays!!!): June 8th, July 13th. These are in the Church Garden
- Quiz Nights – these are monthly. Listen out for the dates!
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