Service for the 6th Sunday of Easter - 22 May 2022 - St. Paul’s Anglican Church

16/05/2022

Service for the 6th Sunday of Easter – 22 May 2022

Welcome to St Paul’s Athens, especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Deacon Christine leads our worship today, and is the preacher. Fr. Leonard is on Crete this weekend for the Souda Bay Commemoration and preaching at St. Thomas’s Anglican Church.

We have a POS – you can make your donation to St. Paul’s by card. Please come to coffee in the garden after the Liturgy.

Opening Hymn: 427 O praise ye the Lord

Minister: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father

and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you

All: and also with you.

Minister: O Lord, open our lips

All: and our mouth shall proclaim your praise.

Minister: Give us the joy of your saving help

All: and sustain us with your life-giving Spirit.

The minister then welcomes people informally.

Prayers of Penitence

Minister: As we come to the Lord at the start of this New Year, let us seek his grace to number our days, that we may apply our hearts to wisdom as we confess our sins in penitence and faith.

All: Lord God, we have sinned against you;

we have done evil in your sight.

We are sorry and repent.

Have mercy on us according to your love.

Wash away our wrongdoing and cleanse us from our sin.

Renew a right spirit within us and restore us to the joy of your salvation;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Minister: May the Father of all mercies cleanse us from our sins, and restore us

in his image to the praise and glory of his name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

All: Amen

Psalm (Green Book 535) All the ends of the earth have seen: the salvation of our God

First Reading: Acts 16, 9-15 (Reader: Caroline Daniels)

During the night Paul had a vision: there stood a man of Macedonia pleading with him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” When he had seen the vision, we immediately tried to cross over to Macedonia, being convinced that God had called us to proclaim the good news to them. We therefore set sail from Troas and took a straight course to Samothrace, the following day to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We remained in this city for some days. On the Sabbath day we went outside the gate by the river, where we supposed there was a place of prayer, and we sat down and spoke to the women who had gathered there. A certain woman named Lydia, a worshiper of God, was listening to us; she was from the city of Thyatira and a dealer in purple cloth. The Lord opened her heart to listen eagerly to what was said by Paul. When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my home.” And she prevailed upon us.

Reader: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

All: Thanks be to God.

Minister: Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead.

All: And Christ shall give you light.

Minister: You have died and your life is hid with Christ in God.

All: Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead.

Minister: Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on the earth.

All: And Christ shall give you light.

Minister: When Christ our life appears you will appear with him in glory.

All: Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.

The Benedictus Luke 1, 68-79 (Please stand to say the canticle together)

Blessed be the Lord the God of Israel, who has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty Saviour, born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets God promised of old to save us from our enemies, from the hands of all that hate us,
To show mercy to our ancestors, and remember your holy covenant.
This was the oath God swore to our father Abraham: to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
Free to worship him without fear, holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
And you, child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
To give his people knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of all their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
To shine on those who swell in darkness and the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be; world without end. Amen.

Hymn 342 Breathe on me, breath of God

2^nd Reading: John 14, 23-29 (Lynne Doolan)

Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words, and the word that you hear is not mine but is from the Father who sent me. “I have said these things to you while I am still with you. But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I am going away, and I am coming to you.’ If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father, because the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it occurs, so that when it does occur you may believe.

Reader: Hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches
All: Thanks be to God.

Sermon (Please be seated)

The Apostles’ Creed (remain standing)

I believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried;

he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of God the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

Intercessions: Lord in your mercy, Hear our prayer. (Jean Mertzenakis)

Collect:

Risen Christ, by the lakeside you renewed your call to your disciples: help your church to obey your command and draw the nations to the fire of your love, to the glory of God the Father.

All: Amen

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.

The Peace (Please stand) The minister will introduce words for the Peace

Christ is our peace. He has reconciled us to God in one body by the cross. We meet in his name and share his peace. The peace of the Lord be always with you

All: and also with you

(The Collection will be taken during this hymn, remember you can donate by card after the service)

Hymn: Glory in the highest to the God of heavens:

Peace to all your people through the earth be given.

Mighty God and Father, thanks and praise we bring,

Singing Alleluia! To the heavenly King.

Jesus Christ is risen, God the Father’s Son;

With the Holy Spirit, you are Lord alone.

Lamb once killed for sinners, all our guilt to bear,

Show us now your mercy, now receive our prayer.

Christ the world’s true Saviour, high and holy one,

Seated now and reigning from your Father’s throne:

Lord and God, we praise you! Highest heaven adores:

In the Father’s glory, all the praise be yours!

Notices

Hymn: 265 Lord of beauty

Minister: Let us say the Grace together:

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen.

Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday

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

The ‘Jubilee’ Bazaar will be on Saturday 4^th June.

Contact the following:

BOOK STALL	oliversamuelknight@outlook.com
CD’s AND DVD’s	fpoulakis@hotmail.com
TEA TOWELS/CARDS	joline.kourtoulis@gmail.com
JEWELLERY	Liza.kaldi@gmail.com
PRESERVES/JAMS	janemandalios@gmail.com
CAKES/PIES	Rhunt@ccc.net
BRIC A BRAC AND BARGAINS	efikatsi@hotmail.com
FOOD/TEAS/COFFEES	lynnedoolan@hotmail.co.uk
CLOTHES	virginiastevens21@gmail.com
RAFFLE	jennyray8762@gmail.com
S’T. PAULS TABLE	melissaanndixon@yahoo.com
BOTTLE STALL	lynnstav@gmail.com
BAR	trek7@gmail.com
JUBILEE GIFT TABLE	–

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. Remember we also have a POS which means you can donate by card.
Our thanks to the Municipality of Athens who have kindly donated a large number of bedding plants – please do look round the garden to see the results.
Second Hand Books: with thanks to several people we now have Second Hand Books for sale every week in the crypt. There will also be table top sales in the church garden on some Sundays. Oliver Knight, a member of the Church Council, has oversight of the book project.
Taize evening – online Taize worship – please join Nelly and the team: May 26, 2022 09:00 PM, Jun 9, 2022 09:00 PM, Jun 23, 2022 09:00 PM, Jul 7, 2022 09:00 PM, Jul 21, 2022 09:00 PM

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82460323648?pwd=TUlIdWhnTHFTMEd3dnowSlZYOXI0dz09

Meeting ID: 824 6032 3648 Passcode: 060753