The Anglican Church in Athens 5th Sunday of Easter – 10th May 2020
Welcome to our Eastertide Sunday worship brought to our homes by Zoom. After the worship we can have a short chat together. The hymns and other shared texts you might know by heart, or you can print out this service, or you may have a hymn book at home, or you may be happy to listen in silence.
There is now a Zoom weekly Bible Study and a mid-week evening quiet reflection service. The login address for the quiet evening service is on the website. To join the bible study please contact Fr. Leonard first on his own email. The Sunday worship login address remains the same throughout May. St. Paul’s is open again for its regular times from May 5th. Please see the website about public services beginning again.
SERMON
Priest: Alleluia! Christ is risen
All: He is risen indeed. Alleluia!
1 Morning has broken
Like the first morning,
Blackbird has spoken
Like the first bird.
Praise for the singing!
Praise for the morning!
Praise for them, springing
Fresh from the Word!
2 Sweet the rain’s new fall
Sunlit from Heaven,
Like the first dewfall
On the first grass.
Praise for the sweetness
Of the wet garden,
Sprung in completeness
Where his feet pass.
3 Mine is the sunlight,
Mine is the morning,
Born of the one light
Eden saw play.
Praise with elation,
Praise every morning,
God’s re-creation
Of the new day!
The priest then welcomes the people of God and the deacon leads us into Confession.
Silence
Deacon: Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life.
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Deacon: Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins.
Christe eleison
All: Christe eleison
Deacon: Lord Jesus, you feed us with the living bread.
Kyrie eleison
All: Kyrie eleison
Absolution: May the God of love and power forgive you and free you from your sins, heal and strengthen you by his Spirit, and raise you to new life in Christ our Lord. Amen.
Gloria: 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!
Collect: Let us pray TOGETHER (Collect of the Day)
Risen Christ, your wounds declare your love for the world and the wonder of your risen life; give us compassion and courage to risk ourselves for those we serve, to the glory of God the Father. Amen.
First Reading Acts 7, 55-end.
But filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.
This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God. Alleluia!
1 Thou art the Way: to thee alone
from sin and death we flee;
and he who would the Father seek,
must seek him, Lord, by thee.
2 Thou art the Truth: thy Word alone
true wisdom can impart;
thou only canst inform the mind,
and purify the heart.
3 Thou art the Life: the rending tomb
proclaims thy conquering arm,
and those who put their trust in thee
nor death nor hell shall harm.
4 Thou art the Way, the Truth, the Life:
grant us that Way to know,
that Truth to keep, that Life to win,
whose joys eternal flow.
Gospel Reading
Deacon: Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia! The Lord is risen. Alleluia!
All: Alleluia
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 14, 1-14)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way to the place where I am going.” Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him.” Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it.
At the end of the Gospel
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord, Alleluia!
All: Praise to you, O Christ. Alleluia
Sermon The Venerable Leslie Nathaniel, Archdeacon of the Eastern Archdeaconry.
Affirmation of Faith
Priest: Do you believe and trust in God the Father?
All: I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
Priest: Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?
All: 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 the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.
Priest: Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?
All: 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: (kneel or sit) Lord in your mercy; hear our prayer
(Intercessor: – pray your own prayers also)
Peace: Alleluia! Alleluia! The risen Lord came among his disciples and said, ‘Peace be with you’. Then were they glad when they saw the Lord! Alleluia!
Priest: Alleluia! Alleluia! The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you. Alleluia! Alleluia!
You might like to scroll along the gallery of the participants to see who you are sharing the peace with.
Hymn (you might now like to put aside your collection for today, but also the collections for previous Sundays when we have not been able to meet as a church)
| 1 | Stand up! stand up for Jesus! Ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, It must not suffer loss:From vict’ry unto vict’ry His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished And Christ is Lord indeed. |
| 2 | Stand up! stand up for Jesus! The trumpet call obey; Forth to the mighty conflict In this His glorious day. Ye that are men, now serve Him Against unnumbered foes; Let courage rise with danger. And strength to strength oppose. |
|
3 |
Stand up! stand up for Jesus! Stand in His strength alone; The arm of flesh will fail you; Ye dare not trust your own. Put on the Gospel armour, And, watching unto prayer, Where duty calls, or danger, Be never wanting there. |
| 4 | Stand up! stand up for Jesus! The strife will not be long: This day the noise of battle, The next the victor’s song; To him that overcometh A crown of life shall be; He, with the King of glory, Shall reign eternally. |
Closing Prayers
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.
Eternal God, whose Son Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life; grant us to walk in his way, to rejoice in his truth, and to share his risen life; who is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen.
You shall go out with joy
And be let forth with peace,
And the mountains and the hills
Will break forth before you.
There’ll be shouts of joy
And the trees of the fields
Will clap, will clap their hands.
And the trees of the fields will clap their hands, And the trees of the fields will clap their hands,
And the trees of the fields will clap their hands, While you go out with joy.
Priest: God the Father, by whose love Christ was raised from the dead, open to you, who
believe, the gates of eternal life.
All: Amen
Priest: God the Son, who in bursting from the grave has won a glorious victory, give you
joy as you share the Easter faith.
All: Amen
Priest: God the Holy Spirit, who filled the disciples with the joy of the risen Lord,
empower you and fill you with Christ’s peace.
All: Amen
Priest: And the blessing….
Deacon: Go in the peace of Christ. Alleluia! Alleluia!
All: Thanks be to God. Alleluia! Alleluia!
Next Week’s Readings (5th Sunday of Easter: Acts 7 55-end; John 14, 1-14)
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
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
Notices: Public worship can begin again on 17th May, but with restrictions. We will have a period of transition in which there will be a said Liturgy at S.t Paul’s and a Zoom worship. Check the website for details. Wednesday liturgy begins on 20th May at 10.00 as usual.
Check the website for information about logging on the mid-week evening service, and for the Bible Study please email Fr. Leonard first.
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