Zoom Worship for the 2nd Sunday of Advent -6 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.
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 Hark, the glad sound! The Saviour comes,
the Saviour promised long!
Let ev’ry heart prepare a throne,
and ev’ry voice a song.
2 He comes the pris’ners to release,
in Satan’s bondage held;
the gates of brass before Him burst,
the iron fetters yield.
3 He comes the broken heart to bind,
the bleeding soul to cure,
and with the treasures of His grace,
t’enrich the humbled poor.
4 Our glad Hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim;
and heav’n’s eternal arches ring,
with Thy beloved Name.
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.
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: be glad! Your God delights in you, giving you joy for sadness and turning the dark to light. Be strong in hope therefore, for your God comes to save. You are God’s children.
All: Lord, make us one in love of Christ today and for ever. Amen.
Collect: Let us pray (Collect of the Day)
O Lord, raise up, we pray your power and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness we are grievously hindered in running the race that is set before us, your bountiful grace and mercy may speedily deliver us: through Jesus Christ, your Son our Lord, wo whom with you and the Holy Spirit be honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
Collect for the Feast of St. Nicholas
Almighty Father, lover of souls, who chose your servant Nicholas to be a bishop in the Church, that he might give freely out of the treasures of your grace: make us mindful of the needs of others and, as we have received, so teach us also to give; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
First Reading Isaiah 40, 1-11
Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.
Then the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”A voice says, “Cry out!” And I said, “What shall I cry?” All people are grass, their constancy is like the flower of the field.
The grass withers, the flower fades, when the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand forever. Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings, lift it up, do not fear;
say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” See, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him;
his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. He will feed his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom,and gently lead the mother sheep.
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. Mark (Mark 1, 1-8)
All: Glory to you, O Lord
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”
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: Clary Read from Canterbury
There will be a song in Farsi sung by our fellow Anglicans in Tehran (St. Paul’s Church; Fr. Shamran is their priest)
Peace: Our Saviour Christ is the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end.
Priest: 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)
1 Hark! A herald voice is sounding!
“Christ is near,” we hear it say.
“Cast away the works of darkness,
all you children of the day!”
2 Startled at the solemn warning,
from the darkness we arise;
Christ, our sun, all ill dispelling,
shines upon the morning skies.
3 See, the Lamb so long expected
comes with pardon down from heaven.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
one and all, to be forgiven;
4 so when next he comes in glory
and the world is wrapped in fear,
he will shield us with his mercy
and with words of love draw near.
5 Honour, glory, might, dominion
to the Father and the Son,
with the everliving Spirit
while eternal ages run.
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, 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 Hills of the North, rejoice,
river and mountain-spring,
hark to the advent voice;
valley and lowland, sing.
Christ comes in righteousness and love,
he brings salvation from above.
2 Isles of the Southern seas,
sing to the listening earth,
carry on every breeze
hope of a world’s new birth:
In Christ shall all be made anew,
his word is sure, his promise true.
3 Lands of the East, arise,
he is your brightest morn,
greet him with joyous eyes,
praise shall his path adorn:
your seers have longed to know their Lord;
to you he comes, the final word.
4 Shores of the utmost West,
lands of the setting sun,
welcome the heavenly guest
in whom the dawn has come:
he brings a never-ending light
who triumphed o’er our darkest night.
5 Shout, as you journey home,
songs be in every mouth,
lo, from the North they come,
from East and West and South:
in Jesus all shall find their rest,
in him the universe be blest.
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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