Service for the 2nd Sunday of Advent – 4 December 2022
Welcome to all. Our Liturgy is shorter in length and time because today is also our CHRISTMAS MARKET. The presiding priest and preacher is The Revd. Canon Leonard Doolan, Senior Chaplain in Greece.
Entrance Hymn: 3 Come thou long expected Jesus
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
[Lighting of the 2nd Advent Candle
Priest: People of God, be glad! Your God delights in you, giving you joy for sadness and turning the dark to light. Be strong in hope therefore; for your God comes to save. You are God’s children.
All: Lord, make us one in the love of Christ today and forever. Amen]
The priest then welcomes the people of God and the deacon then leads us into Confession.
Priest: When the Lord comes, he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Therefore in the light of Christ let us confess our sins.
A period of silent stillness follows
Minister: Turn us again, O God our Saviour, and let your anger cease from us.
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison.
Minister: Show us your compassion, O Lord, and grant us your salvation.
Christe eleison
All: Christe eleison
Minister: Your salvation is near to those that fear you, that glory may dwell in your land.
Kyrie eleison.
All: Kyrie eleison
Absolution we hear the words of God’s forgiveness to those who are truly penitent
Collect: Let us pray (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)
O Lord, raise up, we pray, your power and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness we are grievously hindered in running the race that is set before us, your bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, to whom with you and the Holy Spirit, be honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading (please sit) Isaiah 11, 1-10 (to be arranged)
A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots. The spirit of the Lord shall rest on him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see or decide by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge for the poor and decide with equity for the oppressed of the earth; he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around his waist and faithfulness the belt around his loins. The wolf shall live with the lamb; the leopard shall lie down with the kid; the calf and the lion will feed together, and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put its hand on the adder’s den. They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. On that day the root of Jesse shall stand as a signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of him, and his dwelling shall be glorious.
Reader: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches
All: Thanks be to God.
Hymn: 6 Hark the glad sound
Gospel Reading
Priest: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Priest: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Matthew (Mt. 3, 1-12)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ”Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region around the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, bear fruit worthy of repentance, and do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I, and I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”
Priest: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon (Please sit) Sermon available in print and on the website – also recorded
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 and the Son, 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 (Fr. Leonard)
Peace: Our Saviour Christ is the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end. The peace of the Lord be with you always
All: And also with you.
Offertory Hymn 295 Let all mortal flesh (The Collection will be taken)
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this bread to offer. Fruit of the field and work of human hands, it will become for us the bread of life.
All: Blessed be God for ever!
Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation. Through your goodness we have this wine to offer. Fruit of the field and work of human hands, it will become for us the cup of salvation.
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
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:
Sanctus: Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest, hosanna in the highest.
Priest: continues until:
Praise to you Lord Jesus
All: Dying you destroyed our death, rising you restored our life: Lord Jesus come in glory.
And so, Father… 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. All: AMEN
The Lord’s Prayer: (you may pray this in your own first 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.
Said: 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.
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
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 Sidespeople guide you forward.
Communion: organ music
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
All: Father in heaven, who sent your Son to redeem the world and will send him again to be our judge; give us grace so to imitate him in the humility and purity of his first coming that, when he comes again, we may be ready to greet him with joyful love and firm faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Blessing and Dismissal
Priest: Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you, scatter the darkness from before your path, and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory;
and the blessing…
Go in the peace of Christ
All: Thanks be to God.
Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday and Tuesday
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
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
Notices :
Bishop Robert’s Advent Appeal – see the link for details.
- This year’s online Christmas fundraiser features the Herald Angels in the sky over Bethlehem. With each donation one more angel is added to the heavenly host. For more details visit our website.
- The new church history and guide book ‘OPENING the DOORS’ is now available at the cost of €10,00.
- A POS is available if you wish to buy one of the books or make your Sunday donation to St. Paul’s.
- Join the online Prayer Group each Tuesday morning at 09.00 – see website for the Zoom link.
- Community Connect Coffee Mornings – every second Wednesday 11.00-13.00. Dec 14th (in Swedish Centre). Contact Anne Dedes if you need information.
- Christmas Bazaar – at the Foyer of the Amphitheatre of the War Museum – December 4th. On TODAY.
- Christmas Services:
- Sunday 18th December 18.00 Carols Sing-a-long
- Saturday 24th December 18.00 Lessons and Carols
- December 25th 10.00hrs Christmas Morning Liturgy and carol
- December 26th 10.00hrs Feast of St. Stephen
- December 27th 10.00hrs Feast of St. John the Evangelist
- December 28th 10.00hrs Feast of the Holy Innocents
- December 29th 10.00hrs Feast of St. Thomas Becket
- Sunday 1st Jan 10.00hrs Service of the Word (New Year’s Day) Feast of St. Basil.
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