Zoom service for the third Sunday in Advent – 13th December 2020
Welcome to our 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. Have a candle ready to light when we get to that part of the worship.
The Sunday worship login address remains the same throughout these weeks – see website. Deacon Christine offers a Saturday morning worship option on Facebook. The website will inform you of any regulation changes for December. From 1st December until 23rd December there will be a service of Night Prayer (Compline) EVERY night at 21.00. Have a candle ready to light in your home. See website for login.
The preacher this morning is Fr. Leonard
Priest: Grace, mercy and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
All: and also with you.
1 On Jordan’s bank the Baptist’s cry
announces that the Lord is nigh.
Awake and harken, for he brings
glad tidings of the King of kings!
2 Then cleansed be every life from sin:
make straight the way for God within,
and let us all our hearts prepare
for Christ to come and enter there.
3 We hail you as our Savior, Lord,
our refuge and our great reward.
Without your grace we waste away
like flowers that wither and decay.
4 Stretch forth your hand, our health restore,
and make us rise to fall no more.
O let your face upon us shine
and fill the world with love divine.
5 All praise to you, eternal Son,
whose advent has our freedom won,
whom with the Father we adore,
and Holy Spirit, evermore.
The priest then welcomes the people of God and the deacon leads us into Confession.
Deacon: When the Lord comes, he will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness, and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Therefore let us confess our sins.
All: Amen. Lord have mercy.
The deacon leads us into a short period of silence, followed by Confession.
Deacon: Lord Jesus, you came to gather the nations into the peace of your kingdom:
Lord have mercy
All: Lord have mercy
Deacon: You come in word and sacrament to strengthen us in holiness:
Christ have mercy.
All: Christ have mercy
Deacon: You will come in glory with salvation for your people:
Lord have mercy
All: Lord have mercy
Priest: 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.
Lighting of an Advent Candle
Priest: People of God: return! You are called to be God’s own. From the mountains announce good news. God comes in justice and peace, to all who follow his ways. You are God’s children.
All: Lord, make us one in peace of Christ today and for ever. Amen.
Collect: Let us pray (Collect of the Day)
O Lord Jesus Christ, who at your first coming sent your messenger, John the Baptist, to prepare your way before you: grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready your way by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in your sight: for you are alive and reign with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
Collect for St. Lucy
God our redeemer, who gave the light to the world that was in darkness by the healing power of the Saviour’s cross: shed that light on us, we pray, that with your martyr Lucy we may, by the purity of our lives, reflect the light of Christ, and by the merits of his passion, come to the light of everlasting life; in Jesus name we pray. Amen
First Reading Isaiah 61, 1-4, 8-11
The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion— to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, to display his glory. They shall build up the ancient ruins, they shall raise up the former devastations; they shall repair the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations. For I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery and wrongdoing; I will faithfully give them their recompense, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants shall be known among the nations, and their offspring among the peoples; all who see them shall acknowledge that they are a people whom the Lord has blessed. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my whole being shall exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the earth brings forth its shoots, and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up before all the nations.
This is the word of the Lord
All: Thanks be to God.
Gospel alleluia (sung)
Gospel Reading
Deacon: Alleluia, alleluia. Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight, and all flesh shall see the
salvation of God.
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 1, 6-8, 19-28)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness to testify to the light, that all might believe through him. He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. This is the testimony given by John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed and did not deny it, but confessed, “I am not the Messiah.” And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the prophet?” He answered, “No.” Then they said to him, “Who are you? Let us have an answer for those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’” as the prophet Isaiah said. Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. They asked him, “Why then are you baptizing if you are neither the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the prophet?” John answered them, “I baptize with water. Among you stands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming after me; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandal.”
Deacon: This is the gospel of the Lord.
All: Praise to you, O Christ.
Sermon
Creed
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; hear our prayer Intercessor: Josh Barley
Peace: Our Saviour Christ is the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.
The peace of the Lord be always with you.
All: And also with you.
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. The best option is to arrange an electronic transfer with your bank – our bank details are on the website)
How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him
Who brings good news, good news,
Announcing peace, proclaiming news of happiness,
Our God reigns, our God reigns.
Chorus: Our God reigns, our God reigns
Our God reigns, our God reigns.
You watchmen, life your voices joyfully as one,
Shout for your king, your king!
See eye to eye, the Lord restoring Sion:
Our God reigns, our God reigns. Chorus
Wasteplaces of Jerusalem, break forth with joy!
We are redeemed, redeemed,
The Lord has saved and comforted his people,
Our God reigns, our God reigns. Chorus
Ends of the earth, see the salvation of our God!
Jesus is Lord, is Lord!
Before the nations, he has bared his holy arm.
Our God reigns, our God reigns. Chorus
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.
Priest: Eternal God, giver of love and power, your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all 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 Forth in your name, O Lord, I go,
my daily labour to pursue,
you only, Lord, resolved to know
in all I think or speak or do.
2 The task your wisdom has assigned
here let me cheerfully fulfill;
in all my work your presence find,
and prove your good and perfect will.
3 You may I set at my right hand,
whose eyes my inmost secrets view,
and labor on at your command
and offer all my work to you.
4 Help me to bear your easy yoke,
in ev’ry moment watch and pray,
and still to things eternal look
and hasten to that glorious day.
5 Then with delight may I employ
all that your bounteous grace has given,
and run my earthly course with joy,
and closely walk with you in heaven.
Priest: Christ the Sun of Righteousness shine upon you, scatter the darkness from before your path,
and make you ready to meet him when he comes in glory.
And the blessing…..
Deacon: Our Lord says, ‘I am coming soon’
All: Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.
Deacon: May the Lord when he comes, find us watching and waiting.
All: Amen.
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: Check the website for information about logging on Zoom for the mid-week evening service, and for Saturday Facebook worship with Christine. 1st Dec -23rd Dec: Night Prayer every night at 21.00hrs on Zoom.
PLEASE have a candle lit (safely) for this night time service
On Sunday 20th December (Advent 4) we will include the making of a Christingle in our own home. You will need to have: an orange, some red tape or ribbon (with glue some glue) a small candle (white if you can) four cocktail sticks with some sweets of dried fruits.
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