Service for the 7th Sunday of Easter – 13th June 2021: Sunday after Ascension

St Paul’s Athens and on Zoom

 

1 At the name of Jesus ev’ry knee shall bow,
ev’ry tongue confess him King of glory now.
‘Tis the Father’s pleasure we should call him Lord,
who from the beginning was the mighty Word.

 

2 At his voice creation sprang at once to sight,
all the angel faces, all the hosts of light,
thrones and dominations, stars upon their way,
all the heav’nly orders in their great array.

 

3 Humbled for a season to receive a name
from the lips of sinners unto whom he came,
faithfully he bore it spotless to the last,
brought it back victorious, when from death he passed.

 

4 In your hearts enthrone him; there let him subdue
all that is not holy, all that is not true;
crown him as your Captain in temptation’s hour:
let his will enfold you in its light and pow’r.

 

5 Brothers, this Lord Jesus shall return again,
with his Father’s glory, with his angel train;
for all wreaths of empire meet upon his brow,
and our hearts confess him King of glory now.

 

Assistant:         Christ has gone up on high, leading captivity captive and bringing gifts to all people.

As we prepare ourselves to meet him here in the courts of heaven let us call to mind

our many failures and sins

There follows a short period of silence and stillness

 

Assistant:         Your raise the dead to life in the spirit.

Kyrie eleison

     All:                     Kyrie eleison

     Assistant:          You bring pardon and peace to the broken in spirit.

                                Christe eleison

     All:                     Christe eleison

Assistant:          You make one by your Spirit the torn and divided .

                                Kyrie eleison

    All:                      Kyrie eleison

 

Priest:   May the God of love and power forgive you and free you from your sins, heal and strengthen you by his Spirit, and bring you to new life.   Amen.

 

Gloria                                         (tune: Skye Boat Song)             

Glory to God in the heaven above, peace to his friends on earth.

Lord God of hosts, and our heavenly King, Father and mighty God.

We worship you, we give you thanks, praise to your holy name.

‘Glory to God’ heaven declares ‘Glory’ creation sings.

Refrain:  Glory to God in the heaven above, peace to his friends on earth.

                God, ever three, yet eternally one, glorious Trinity.

 

Son of the Father, and Lord of us all, holy eternal Lamb,

Christ, who has carried the sin of the world, mercy on us, we pray.

Jesus our God, Saviour and Judge, answer us when we cry;

Seated on high, reigning with God, hear and receive our prayer.  Refrain.

 

You, Jesus Christ, are the Lord, the Most High, you are the Holy One.

You, only you, with the Spirit divine, reign in the Father’s love.

Blessed are you, Father and Son, Spirit of grace and truth;

Myst’ry profound, veiled yet revealed, hidden in depths of light.  Refrain

 

Collect:  Let us pray     (Collect of the Day) 

Risen, ascended Lord, as we rejoice at your triumph, fill your Church on earth with power and compassion, that all who are estranged by sin may find forgiveness and know your peace, to the glory of God the Father.

All:  Amen.

 

First Reading    (please sit)                                                             Acts 1, 15-26

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (together the crowd numbered about one hundred twenty persons) and said, “Friends, the scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit through David foretold concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus— for he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”  ‘Let another take his position of overseer.’ So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these must become a witness with us to his resurrection.” So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed and said, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which one of these two you have chosen to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias; and he was added to the eleven apostles.

Reader:                  This is the word of the Lord.

All:                           Thanks be to God.

 

Sung Alleluia

 

Assistant:               Alleluia. Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful people and kindle in them

the fire of your love .

All:                          Alleluia

Assistant:               The Lord be with you

All:                           and also with you

Assistant:               Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. John     (John 17, 6-19)

All:                          Glory to you, O Lord

Jesus said, “I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. While I was with them, I protected them in your name that you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost, so that the scripture might be fulfilled. But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves. I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one. They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.

Assistant:               This is the gospel of Christ

All:                           Praise to you, O Christ.

 

Sermon                  Fr. Leonard

 

Creed  (led by the Assistant)

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;      All:  hear our prayer               

 

Peace:     The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace. If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit . Alleluia.

                  The peace of the Lord be always with you.

All:           And also with you. Alleluia.

 

1 Rejoice, the Lord is King:
Your Lord and King adore!
Rejoice, give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore.
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

 

2 Jesus, the Saviour, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When He has purged our stains,

He took his seat above;
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

 

3 His kingdom cannot fail,
He rules o’er earth and heav’n;
The keys of death and hell
Are to our Jesus giv’n:
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

 

4 Rejoice in glorious hope!
Our Lord and judge shall come
And take His servants up
To their eternal home:
Lift up your heart,
Lift up your voice!
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!

 

The Lord’s Prayer:  (to be prayed in whichever language you chose)

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.

 

All:  Eternal God, giver of love and power, your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into the world to preach the gospel of his kingdom: confirm us in this mission, and help us to live the good news we proclaim; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

 

1 All hail the power of Jesus’ name!    tune: Miles Lane
Let angels prostrate fall.
Bring forth the royal diadem,
and crown him Lord of all.

 

2 O seed of Israel’s chosen race
now ransomed from the fall,
hail him who saves you by his grace,
and crown him Lord of all.

 

3 Let every tongue and every tribe
responsive to his call,
to him all majesty ascribe,
and crown him Lord of all.

 

4 Oh, that with all the sacred throng
we at his feet may fall!
We’ll join the everlasting song
and crown him Lord of all.

 

Blessing and sending out

Priest:        May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, through the power of the Holy Spirit, and the blessing ….

Assistant:  Go in peace to love and serve the Lord. Alleluia, Alleluia.

All:              In the name of Christ. Amen.    Alleluia, Alleluia.    

 

 

NOTICES

 Bible Study: For 4 Fridays in June at 19.00hrs (7.00pm) there will be a Zoom bible study looking at some passages of Exodus. See website for Zoom link.

 

Sunday Noon Zoom link – you will need the same link until Pentecost (June 20^th). After that the Zoom 12 Noon service will cease. Any changes will be notified.  The order of service is also on the website each week. Also the church will be open to limited numbers (now 15 people) for worship, and we can have some people seated outside. This will be in St. Paul’s at 10.00am. Pre-register your attendance with Fr. Leonard.

 

Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday  (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  (Swedish Sunday Mass at St. Paul’s at 12 Noon)

 

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