Service for the First Sunday in Lent – 6th March 2022
St Paul’s Athens
Welcome to St. Paul’s Athens especially if you are here for the first time or visiting Athens. Please stay and have coffee after the liturgy. We have a POS facility now, so payments can be made to the church by bank cards.
The presiding priest and preacher is Fr. Leonard (Chaplain). The deacon is The Revd. Deacon Christine Saccali.
Entry Greeting
[Minister: 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 333 All my hope on God is founded
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 the deacon leads us into Confession.
Silence and stillness follows for a few moments
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
Priest: May Almighty God, who sent his Son into the world to save sinners, bring you his pardon and peace.
All: Amen.
Collect: Let us pray (remain standing as the priest prays the Collect of the Day)
Heavenly Father, your Son battled with the powers of darkness, and grew closer to you in the desert: help us to use these forty days of Lent to grow in wisdom and prayer that we may witness to your saving love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Reading (please sit) Deuteronomy 26, 1-11 (Karin Koeleman)
When you have come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance to possess, and you possess it, and settle in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from the land that the Lord your God is giving you, and you shall put it in a basket and go to the place that the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his name. You shall go to the priest who is in office at that time, and say to him, “Today I declare to the Lord your God that I have come into the land that the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” When the priest takes the basket from your hand and sets it down before the altar of the Lord your God, you shall make this response before the Lord your God: “A wandering Aramean was my ancestor; he went down into Egypt and lived there as an alien, few in number, and there he became a great nation, mighty and populous. When the Egyptians treated us harshly and afflicted us, by imposing hard labour on us, we cried to the Lord, the God of our ancestors; the Lord heard our voice and saw our affliction, our toil, and our oppression. The Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with a terrifying display of power, and with signs and wonders; and he brought us into this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. So now I bring the first of the fruit of the ground that you, O Lord, have given me.” You shall set it down before the Lord your God and bow down before the Lord your God. Then you, together with the Levites and the aliens who reside among you, shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Resp. Psalm: 532 (Green Hymn Book) Have mercy on us Lord, for we have sinned
2nd Reading Romans 10, 8-13 (Cees van Beek)
But what does it say? “The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Hymn: 342 Breathe on me breath of God (2nd tune Aylesbury)
Gospel Reading
[Deacon: I ask your blessing that I may worthily proclaim this holy gospel
All: May the Lord be on your lips, in your mind and in your heart that you may worthily
proclaim to us this holy gospel]
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. Luke (Luke 4, 1-13)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing at all during those days, and when they were over, he was famished. The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘One does not live by bread alone.’” Then the devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And the devil said to him, “To you I will give their glory and all this authority; for it has been given over to me, and I give it to anyone I please. If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written,‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.’”Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, and placed him on the pinnacle of the temple, saying to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, ‘He will command his angels concerning you, to protect you,’ and ‘On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” When the devil had finished every test, he departed from him until an opportune time.
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord
All: Praise to you, O Christ, King of eternal glory.
Sermon (Please sit) sermon is available in printed copy on the website, and podcast
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 (Jean Mertzanakis)
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
(The offering of the people, bread and wine, is then brought to the table: signs of our work and giving to God)
Priest: God of wisdom, may the light of your eternal Word, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, lead us to holiness and guide us to glory; we ask this in his name. Amen.
Offertory Hymn 297 Lord Jesus Christ (The collection is then taken)
(The offering of the people, bread and wine, are placed the table: signs of our work and giving to God)
Priest: God of wisdom, may the light of your eternal Word, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, lead us to holiness and guide us to glory; we ask this in his name. Amen.
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.
Deacon: 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 singing:
All: (Sung) 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 the language of your choice)
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
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.
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 he 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: 64 Be thou my guardian
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Priest: Lord God, you have renewed us with the living bread from heaven; by it you nourish our faith, increase our hope, and strengthen our love: teach us always to hunger for him who is the true and living bread, and enable us to live by every word that proceeds from your mouth; through Christ our Lord. 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: 67 Forty days and forty nights
Priest: Christ Give you grace to grow in holiness, to deny yourselves, take up your
Cross and follow him, and the blessing…
Deacon: Go in the peace of Christ
All: Thanks be to God.
Next Week’s Readings (Lent 2): Genesis 15, 1-12; Luke 13, 31-end
Fr. Leonard’s usual Day Off – Monday
Home tel : 210 72 14 906; email anglican@otenet.gr
Deacon Chris: Day off – Friday Home tel. 22950 53164
Swedish Church: contact Fr. Bjorn on 694 607 2428
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 17th (Orthodox Easter is 24th April)
- 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.
- Lent Book Study: There will be a study group on Zoom during Lent. We will study another book by Rowan Williams: Being Christian; Baptism, Bible, Eucharist, Prayer – copies available to buy in advance at €10. The studies will be on Zoom. Dates: Tues 8th March, Tues 15th March, Tues 29th March, Tues 5th April all at 8.00pm.
- Choral Evensong: Sunday 13th March at 20.00hrs.
- Quiz Night – at the Swedish Centre 7.30pm on 18th – speak to Jean Mertzanakis if you wish to attend/make up a team.
- The Annual Parochial Church Meeting is on April 3rd. We elect the Wardens and some of the Council members, and receive the Annual Accounts.
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@AthensAnglican
Liturgical material Copyright the Archbishops’ Council
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