Service for the second Sunday in Lent, 13th March 2022
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. The Assistant is Nelly Paraskevopoulou. Choral Evensong is at 20.00hrs.
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 381 Jerusalem the golden
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 assistant leads us into Confession.
Silence and stillness follows for a few moments
Assistant: We confess to you our selfishness and lack of love: fill us with your Spirit.
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Assistant: We confess to you our fear and failure in sharing our faith: fill us with your Spirit.
Christe eleison
All: Christe eleison
Assistant: 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)
Almighty God, by the prayer and discipline of Lent may we enter into the mystery of Christ’s sufferings, and by following his Way may we come to share in his glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Reading (please sit) Genesis 15, 1-12, 17-18 (Nimi Akinkugbe)
After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, “Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “You have given me no offspring, and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir.” But the word of the Lord came to him, “This man shall not be your heir; no one but your very own issue shall be your heir.” He brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your descendants be.” And he believed the Lord; and the Lord reckoned it to him as righteousness. Then he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you from Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to possess.” But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” He brought him all these and cut them in two, laying each half over against the other; but he did not cut the birds in two. And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram, and a deep and terrifying darkness descended upon him. When the sun had gone down and it was dark, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates”.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Resp. Psalm: (Green Hymn Book) 532 Have mercy on us Lord, for we have sinned
2nd Reading Philemon 3, 17-4,1 (Lynne Doolan)
Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved.
Reader: This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Hymn: 407 Lord thy word abideth
Gospel Reading
Assistant: 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
Assistant: 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.
Assistant: The Lord be with you
All: and also with you
Assistant: Hear the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ according to St. Luke (Luke 13, 31-end)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
At that very hour some Pharisees came and said to him, “Get away from here, for Herod wants to kill you.” He said to them, “Go and tell that fox for me, ‘Listen, I am casting out demons and performing cures today and tomorrow, and on the third day I finish my work. Yet today, tomorrow, and the next day I must be on my way, because it is impossible for a prophet to be killed outside of Jerusalem.’ Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! See, your house is left to you. And I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.’”
Assistant: 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 (Lynn Stavrou)
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: 302 O thou who at the Eucharist didst pray (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.
Assistant: 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: 393 Lead us heavenly Father
Post Communion Prayer: Let us pray (please stand)
Priest: Almighty God, you see that we have no power of ourselves to help ourselves: keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our souls; that we might be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus 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: 339 Be thou my vision
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 3): Isaiah 55, 1-9; 1 Cor 10, 1-13; Luke 13, 1-9
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.
- Next Sunday – Leonard will be away in Scotland for a few days. Fr. Bjorn will preside.
- Half Marathon – there might be a half Marathon on March 20th. Do check and adapt your travel accordingly.
- 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 15th March, Tues 29th March, Tues 5th April all at 8.00pm.
- Choral Evensong: tonight at 20.00hrs.
- Quiz Night – at the Swedish Centre 7.30pm on March 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.
- Join and participate in our weekly Prayer Connect prayer group on Zoom, Commencing every Tuesday from 15th March. See website for details.
https://www.facebook.com/AnglicanAthens/
@AthensAnglican
Liturgical material Copyright the Archbishops’ Council
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