Service for the 12th Sunday after Trinity – 4th September 2022
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Please note that the church has a POS facility. Drinking water is always available at the back of the church. Fr. Leonard will preside and preach. The deacon is Deacon Christine. There is coffee available in the garden after the Liturgy.
Entrance Hymn 349 Come let us join our cheerful songs
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 leads us into Confession.
Deacon: We run the race set before us, surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Therefore let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which clings so closely, bringing them to Jesus in penitence and faith. (A short period of stillness and silence)
Deacon: Your raise the dead to life in the spirit.
Kyrie eleison All: Kyrie eleison
Deacon: You bring pardon and peace to the broken in spirit.
Christe eleison All: Christe eleison
Deacon: You make one by your Spirit the torn and divided.
Kyrie eleison All: Kyrie eleison
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, 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 of constant mercy, who sent your Son to save us: remind us of your goodness, increase your grace within us, that our thankfulness may grow, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Reading Deuteronomy 30, 15-end (please sit) Reader: Shirley Poulakis
“See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, death and adversity. If you obey the commandments of the Lord your God that I am commanding you today, by loving the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and observing his commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you shall live and become numerous, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you do not hear but are led astray to bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall certainly perish; you shall not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him, for that means life to you and length of days, so that you may live in the land that the Lord swore to give to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Hymn Book 539 This is the day of the Lord; we rejoice and are glad
Second Reading Philemon 1-21 Reader: Magdalene Imhargiagbe
Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To our beloved co-worker Philemon, to our sister Apphia, to our fellow soldier Archippus, and to the church in your house:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I thank my God always when I mention you in my prayers, because I hear of your love for all the saints and your faith toward the Lord Jesus. I pray that the partnership of your faith may become effective as you comprehend all the good that we share in Christ. I have indeed received much joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, my brother. For this reason, though I am more than bold enough in Christ to command you to do the right thing, yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love—and I, Paul, do this as an old man and now also as a prisoner of Christ Jesus. I am appealing to you for my child, Onesimus, whose father I have become during my imprisonment. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he is indeed useful to you and to me. I am sending him, that is, my own heart, back to you. I wanted to keep him with me so that he might minister to me in your place during my imprisonment for the gospel, but I preferred to do nothing without your consent in order that your good deed might be voluntary and not something forced. Perhaps this is the reason he was separated from you for a while, so that you might have him back for the long term, no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother—especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord. So if you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has wronged you in any way or owes you anything, charge that to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand: I will repay it. I say nothing about your owing me even your own self. Yes, brother, let me have this benefit from you in the Lord! Refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I am writing to you, knowing that you will do even more than I ask.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Hymn 476 Ye servants of God
Gospel Reading (turn towards the gospel book)
Deacon: Alleluia! Speak Lord, for your servant is listening. You have 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. Luke (Luke 14, 25-33)
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
Now large crowds were traveling with him, and he turned and said to them, “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.
At the end of the Gospel
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon (Please sit) Most sermons are available on the website
Creed (Please stand)
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. (Nelly Paraskelopoulou)
Peace: God is love and those who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you.
Offertory Hymn 295 Let all mortal flesh
The Great Thanksgiving Prayer (Please remain standing)
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
Priest: Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour. By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us; he opened wide his arms for us on the cross;
he put an end to death by dying for us and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life; so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious 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 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: Great is the mystery of faith
All: Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again
Priest: 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, 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 choose)
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.
Sung: Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world,
have mercy on us, have mercy on us (sing twice)
Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world, grant us peace, grant us peace.
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
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.
During Communion: 464 Thou art the Way If you wish to receive the wine from the cup, you are free to do so, otherwise the priest will instinct (dip) your bread in the wine.
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Priest: God of all mercy, in this Eucharist you have set aside our sins and given us your healing: grant that we who are made whole in Christ may bring that healing to this broken world, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
All. We thank you, Lord, that you have fed us in this sacrament, united us with Christ, and given us a foretaste of the heavenly banquet prepared for all peoples. Amen.
Notices: Sasha’s Brewis’s Thanksgiving Service Friday 16th Sept at St. Paul’s at 13.00. If you have any memories or stories about Sasha that we could include in the service, please send it by email to Fr. Leonard.
Post Communion Hymn: 453 Stand up! Stand up for Jesus!
Blessing and Dismissal
Priest: The peace of God…..
Deacon: Go in peace to love and serve the Lord
All: In the name of Christ. Amen.
Fr. Leonard’s usual Days Off – Monday & Tuesday (in emergencies contact Deacon Christine)
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
Notices :
- The new church history and guide book ‘OPENING the DOORS’ is now available at the cost of €10,00.
- A POS is available so you can make your Sunday donation by card
- Join the online Prayer Group each Tuesday morning at 09.00 – see website for the Zoom link.
- We hope to start Sunday School again very soon – please pass the word round to families that may have stopped attending because of the lockdown periods. We also need a couple of people to commit to being a ‘2nd adult’ present – a simple Safeguarding level will be required that is done online.
- Church Council – Sept 10th at 10.30am.
- View our Website: anglicanchurchathens.gr
- Or “Like” us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnglicanAthens/
- Or ‘follow’ us on Twitter: @AthensAnglican
- Liturgical material C the Archbishops’ Council.
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