Service for the 5th Sunday in Lent - Passion Sunday - 3rd April 2022 - St. Paul’s Anglican Church

29/03/2022

Service for the 5th Sunday in Lent – Passion Sunday – 3rd April 2022

Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. There is coffee in the garden after the liturgy. This will be followed by the Annual Meeting. Printed reports are available to read during coffee.

The presiding priest and preacher is Fr. Leonard. The deacon is Deacon Christine.

At the door (please turn)

[Priest: Give us true repentance; forgive us our sins of negligence and ignorance and our

deliberate sins: and grant us the grace of your Holy Spirit to amend our lives

according to your holy word.

All: Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal, have mercy upon us.]

Entrance Hymn 86 (omit *verses) My Song is love unknown

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

The priest then welcomes the people of God and then the deacon leads us into Confession.

Silence and stillness follows

Deacon: We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All: Kyrie eleison

Deacon: We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit.

Christe eleison

All: Christe eleison

Deacon: We confess to you our stubbornness and lack of trust: fill us with your Spirit.

Kyrie eleison

All: Kyrie eleison

Absolution: Almighty God have mercy on you, forgive you your sins, and bring to everlasting life. Amen.

Collect: Let us pray (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)

Most merciful God, who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ delivered and saved the world: grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross we may triumph in the power of his victory: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

First Reading (please sit) Isaiah 43 16-21 (Melissa Dixon)

Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, who brings out chariot and horse, army and warrior; they lie down, they cannot rise, they are extinguished, quenched like a wick: Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honour me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.

This is the word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God.

Psalm: 528 to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

Second Reading Philippians 3, 4-14 (Josh Barley)

If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.

Reader: This is the word of the Lord

All: Thanks be to God

Gospel Hymn 92 There is a green hill

Deacon: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory. The Lord is a great God, O that today you would listen to his voice. Harden not your hearts.

All: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.

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 12, 1-8)

All: Glory to you, O Lord

Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” (He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.”

Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord

All: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.

Sermon (Please sit) Most sermons are available on the website

Affirmation of Faith (please stand as we declare our historic faith in the Trinitarian God)

Priest: Let us declare our faith in God.

All: We believe in God the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.

We believe in God the Son, who lives in our hearts through faith, and fills us with his love.

We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who strengthens us with power from on high.

We believe in one God; Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Amen.

Intercessions: (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer

The Peace: (please stand)

Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ who has given us access to his grace. The Peace of the Lord be always with you.

All: and also with you

Hymn 90 (omit * verses) During this hymn the collection will then be taken and offered at the altar for God’s blessing.

Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,

All: 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. Blessed be God for ever!

Priest: Blessed are you, Lord God of all creation,

All: 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. 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

Priest: It is right to praise you, Father, for all your goodness and your love. When we

turned away you did not reject us. You came to meet us in your Son.
All: You welcomed us as your children and prepared a table where we might sit and

eat with you.

Priest: In Christ you shared our life that we might live in him and he in us.
All: He opened wide his arms upon the cross and, with a love stronger than death he

made for all a perfect sacrifice for sin.

Priest: On the night before he died he came to table with his friends and taking bread, he

gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to them saying: Take, eat: this is my body

which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

All: Lord Jesus, we bless you: you are the bread of life.

Priest: At the end of supper, taking the cup of wine he gave you thanks, and said: Drink this,

all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you for

the forgiveness of sins; do this in remembrance of me.

All: Lord Jesus, we bless you: you are the true vine.

Priest: Praise to you, Lord Jesus
All: Dying you destroyed our death,
Rising you restored our life;
Lord Jesus, come in glory.

Priest: Father, send your Holy Spirit on us now; may this bread and this wine, be to us

the body and blood of your dear Son. As we eat and drink these holy gifts make

us, who know our need of grace, one in Christ, our risen Lord. With your whole

Church throughout the world we offer you this sacrifice of praise and lift our voice

to join the song of heaven 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.

The Lord’s Prayer: (to be prayed in your own 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: Every time we eat this bread and drink this cup (the bread is broken)

All: we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.

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.

Invitation to Holy Communion

Priest: Draw near with faith. Receive the body of our Lord Jesus Christ which he gave for you, and his blood which he shed for you. Eat and drink in remembrance that Christ died for you, and feed on him in your hearts by faith with thanksgiving.

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.

Communion Hymn: 95 When I survey

Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)

Lord Jesus Christ, you have taught us that what we do for the least of our sisters and brothers we do also for you: give us the will to be the servant of others as you were the servant of all, and gave up your life and died for us, but are alive and reign, now and for ever. Amen.

All: Father of all, we give you thanks and praise, that when we were still far off you met us in your Son and brought us home. Dying and living, he declared your love, gave us grace, and opened the gate of glory. May we who share Christ’s body live his risen life; we who drink his cup bring life to others; we whom the Spirit lights give light to the world. Keep us firm in the hope you have set before us, so we and all your children shall be free, and the whole earth live to praise your name; through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Post Communion Hymn: 93 Were you there when we crucified my Lord?

(This hymn looks ahead to next Sunday, the Great or Holy Week, which culminates in cross and empty tomb)

Priest: Christ crucified draw you to himself, to find in him a sure ground for faith, a firm support for hope, and the assurance of sins forgiven; and the blessing…

Priest: Go in the peace of Christ

All: Thanks be to God.

Next Week’s Readings (Palm Sunday): Isaiah 50, 4-9a; (Philippians 2, 5-11); Luke 22, 14-end.

We will assemble outside for the Blessing of Palms and process round St. Paul’s

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

Home tel : 210 72 14 906; email anglican@otenet.gr

Deacon Chris – Day Off Friday: 22950 53164:

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. Please use our monthly envelope scheme if you can – ask Nelly Paraskevopoulou.

Notices:

COVID Certificates!!! Everyone should be responsible for the validity of their own certificates. Note that if you don’t have the booster your COVID certificate is time-limited. If you don’t have a valid certificate you will have to show a copy of a valid Rapid Test result or we will have to ask you to sit outside.
Easter this year is April 17^th (Orthodox Easter is 24^th April) – there will be an Easter Breakfast in the garden after the Liturgy. Contact Linda Paparsenos or Jane Mandalios if you can help.
Easter Candle Fund raising – you can make an Easter donation to St. Paul’s by adding and lighting a candle with your gift – see the website for information.
Easter Lilies – see the website to pay for a lily. A real lily will be part of the flower displays on Easter Sunday. A register of people’s ‘in memory’ names will be produced by Mary Pelides.
The Annual Parochial Church Meeting is today. We elect the Wardens and some of the Council members, and receive the Annual Accounts.
There is now a weekly ‘online’ Prayer Group. Speak to Nelly Paraskevopoulou or Deacon Chris about the details. Zoom login is on our website.
Holy Week (Great Week): Holy Wednesday Liturgy: 10.00hrs