Service for the 15th Sunday afterTrinity – 25th 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, and bottles for sale. Fr. Leonard will preside and preach. The deacon is Deacon Christine. There is coffee available in the garden after the Liturgy.
Entrance Hymn 148 The God of Abram (omit * verses)
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, 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)
Lord God, defend your Church from all false teaching and give to your people knowledge of your truth, that we may enjoy eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Reading 6, 1, 4-7 (please sit) Reader: Nelly Paraskevopoulou
Woe to those who are at ease in Zion and for those who feel secure on Mount Samaria, the notables of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel resorts! Woe to those who lie on beds of ivory and lounge on their couches and eat lambs from the flock and calves from the stall, who sing idle songs to the sound of the harp and like David improvise on instruments of music, who drink wine from bowls and anoint themselves with the finest oils but are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph! Therefore they shall now be the first to go into exile, and the revelry of the loungers shall pass away.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Psalm: Hymn Book 528 To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul
Second Reading 1 Timothy 6, 6-19 Reader: Lynn Stavrou
Of course, there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it, but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these. But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, and in their eagerness to be rich some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pains. But as for you, man of God, shun all this; pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep the commandment without spot or blame until the manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will bring about at the right time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords. It is he alone who has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see; to him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen. As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches but rather on God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord.
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Hymn 421 O King enthroned on high
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 16, 19-end)
All: Glory to you, O Lord.
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus in like manner evil things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony. Besides all this, between you and us a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who might want to pass from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.’ He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—that he may warn them, so that they will not also come into this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they should listen to them.’ He said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’ ”
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 (Jean Mertzanakis)
Peace: The Kingdom of God is a Kingdom of love, justice and peace.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you.
Offertory Hymn 296 Lord, enthroned in heavenly splendour The collection is taken
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.
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: 342 Breathe on me 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: Keep, O Lord, your Church, with your perpetual; and, because without you our human frailty cannot but fall, keep us ever by your help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through 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.
Post Communion Hymn: 413 Now thank we all our God
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 :
- HARVEST FESTIVAL will be on October 9th at the Kokotos Vineyard. A coach will leave from central Athens but you can make your own way there. Sign the list if you want to travel by coach, and have lunch. Lunch tickets will be available soon from Lynn Stavrou. There will be no service in St. Paul’s on that Sunday.
- The Bishop of Truro will be with us from Friday 7th October- Sunday 9th. A programme is being arranged for him around the issue of Christian Persecution. He will be with us for Harvest.
- 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.
- Community Connect Coffee Mornings – every second Wednesday 11.00-13.00. Wednesday 12th October (in Church Garden); Nov 9th; Dec 14th (both in Swedish Centre).
- Quiz Night- September 30th at 7.30pm in the Swedish Centre. Book a place with Jean Mertzanakis
- Christmas Bazaar – at the Foyer of the Amphitheatre of the War Museum – December 4th.
- 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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