The Raising of Lazarus (after Rembrandt) by Vincent van Gogh 1890 Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam, Netherlands. According to the wikipedia article, “In The Raising of Lazarus (after Rembrandt), van Gogh drastically trimmed the composition of Rembrandt’s etching and eliminated the figure of Christ, thus focusing on Lazarus and his sisters. It is speculated that in their countenances may be detected the likenesses of the artist and his friends Augustine Rouline and Marie Ginoux. Van Gogh had just recovered from a lengthy episode of illness, and he may have identified with the miracle of the biblical resurrection, whose “personalities are the characters of my dreams.””

Good Saturday afternoon from the village of Gavalohori, on the island of Crete, in the beautiful Republic of Greece. While we are under lockdown the Anglican Church of St Thomas the Apostle, Kefalas, will not be able to meet, so I will be presenting a variety of resources for prayer the day before each Sunday or Holy Day. Some of these are written in full here, others are links to other websites that look useful.

I am working my way through the congregational list, checking in on folk and seeing how you are all doing. I am joined in this  by our deacon and curate, Julia Bradshaw. If you have any concerns or prayer requests, please let us know. You can reach me by phone at +30 69855 70353 or by email at bbryantscott@gmail.com .

Readings & Published Sermon

The appointed readings for Passion Sunday are Ezekiel 37:1-14, Psalm 130, Romans 8:6-11, and John 11:1-45. Just click on the link and it should bring them up.

My sermon for today – what I would have preached in church on this Sunday – can be found here.

A Hymn

When Jesus Wept, The Falling Tear is a lovely old hymn, new to me, which is connected to the gospel reading.

Live Stream

This Sunday I will join the people of Holy Trinity, Geneva, and the live stream via Zoom of their liturgy there. Remember that clocks go forward this weekend. They will have their service at 10:30 am CEST, which is 11:30 am EEST. The Zoom link is https://zoom.us/j/864442942  Meeting ID: 864 442 942. One click should get you in. Depending on your platform – computer, tablet, or smartphone – you may need to download the Zoom app. As well, you will need to enable audio and video on your computer. They request that you download the service sheet by going to the Holy Trinity website here.

Audio Files

Father Leonard Doolan of St. Paul’s, Athens has prepared an audio version of a short service of Morning Prayer, and a sermon for this Passion Sunday.

MORNING PRAYER:

SERMON:

Prayers For Passion Sunday

The Collect for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, commonly called Passion Sunday

Most merciful God,
who by the death and resurrection of your Son Jesus Christ
delivered and saved the world:
grant that by faith in him who suffered on the cross
we may triumph in the power of his victory;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

(or)

Gracious Father,
you gave up your Son
out of love for the world:
lead us to ponder the mysteries of his passion,
that we may know eternal peace
through the shedding of our Saviour’s blood,
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Intercessions from Common Worship, Times and Seasons:

H1

Let us bring to the Father our prayers of intercession
through Christ who gave himself for the life of the world.

For forgiveness for the many times we have denied Jesus,
let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.

For grace to seek out those habits of sin which mean spiritual death,
and by prayer and self-discipline to overcome them,
let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.

For Christian people, that through the suffering of disunity
there may grow a rich union in Christ,
let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.

For those who make laws, interpret them, and administer them,
that our common life may be ordered in justice and mercy,
let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.

For those who still make Jerusalem a battleground,
let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.

For those who have the courage and honesty to work openly for justice and peace,
let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.

For those in the darkness and agony of isolation,
that they may find support and encouragement,
let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.

For those who, weighed down with hardship, failure, or sorrow,
feel that God is far from them,
let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.

For those who are tempted to give up the way of the cross,
let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.

That we, with those who have died in faith, may find mercy in the day of Christ,
let us pray to the Lord.     Lord, have mercy.

Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal,
have mercy upon us.

H2

Let us pray to the Father through his Son
who suffered on the cross for the world’s redemption.
Fill with your Spirit Christ’s broken body, the Church …
Give to Christian people everywhere a deep longing
to take up the cross and to understand its mysterious glory.
By the Saviour’s cross and passion,
Lord, save us and help us.

Bless those who lead the Church’s worship at this solemn time …
In the preaching of the word and the celebration of the sacraments
draw your people close to you.
By the Saviour’s cross and passion,
Lord, save us and help us.

Strengthen those [among us] who are preparing for baptism,
together with their teachers, sponsors and families …
Teach them what it means to die and rise with Christ
and prepare them to receive the breath of his Spirit.
By the Saviour’s cross and passion,
Lord, save us and help us.

Look in your mercy upon the world you loved so much
that you sent your Son to suffer and to die …
Strengthen those who work to share
the reconciliation won at such a cost upon the cross.
By the Saviour’s cross and passion,
Lord, save us and help us.

Bring healing by the wounds of Christ
to all who are weighed down by pain and injustice …
Help the lonely and the betrayed, the suffering and the dying,
to find strength in the companionship of Jesus,
and in his passion to know their salvation.
By the Saviour’s cross and passion,
Lord, save us and help us.

Welcome into paradise all who have left this world in your friendship …
According to your promises,
bring them with all your saints
to share in all the benefits of Christ’s death and resurrection.
By the Saviour’s cross and passion,
Lord, save us and help us.

Holy God, holy and strong, holy and immortal,
have mercy on us.

H3

Let us pray to the Father,
who loved the world so much that he sent his only Son to give us life.
Simon from Cyrene was forced to carry the cross for your Son.
Give us grace to lift heavy loads from those we meet
and to stand with those condemned to die.
Lord, hear us.     Lord, graciously hear us.

Your Son watched the soldiers gamble to share his clothes.
Transform the hearts of those who make a profit from their victims,and those whose hearts are hardened by their work.
Lord, hear us.     Lord, graciously hear us.

The thief, who was crucified with Jesus,
was promised a place in your kingdom.
Give pardon and hope, healing and peace
to all who look death in the face.
Lord, hear us.     Lord, graciously hear us.

From the cross Jesus entrusted Mary his mother
and John his disciple to each other’s care.
Help us also to care for one another and fill our homes with the spirit of your love.
Lord, hear us.     Lord, graciously hear us.

In Mary and John your Son created a new family at the cross.
Fill our relationships, and those of new families today,
with mutual care and responsibility, and give us a secure hope for the future.
Lord, hear us.     Lord, graciously hear us.

The centurion was astonished to see your glory in the crucified Messiah.
Open the eyes of those who do not know you
to see in your Son the meaning of life and death.
Lord, hear us.     Lord, graciously hear us.

Joseph of Arimathaea came to take your Son’s body away.
Give hope and faith to the dying and bereaved,
and gentleness to those who minister to them.
Lord, hear us.     Lord, graciously hear us.

Simon and Joseph, Mary and John became part of your Church in Jerusalem.
Bring into your Church today a varied company of people,
to walk with Christ in the way of his passion
and to find their salvation in the victory of his cross.
Lord of the Church,     hear our prayer,
and make us one in heart and mind
to serve you in Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the Prayer Diary of the Diocese in Europe, Church of England we are asked to:
Pray for the Church of Sweden. Pray for the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople (Turkey), for Patriarch Bartholomew and the autocephalous Orthodox Churches and their leaders. Pray for threatened Syrian Orthodox communities in Turkey.

In the Ecumenical Prayer Cycle of the World Council of Churches we remember the peoples and Christians in the Balkans – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovenia.

Prayers for a Season of Repentance

Today, the fifth Sunday in Lent, is the focus of the Primates’ Task Group’s call for a period of prayer and repentance in the Anglican Communion. The Bishop of West Malaysia, Moon Hing, is a member of the Task Group and has written this prayer, which the Task
Group offers to the Anglican Communion for use today.

Almighty God,
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Sovereign Lord of the universe, Creator of humankind,
we, your unfaithful children, are truly sorry for our sins and the lives that we have lived.
We sincerely believe and confess in our hearts that only through the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary,
can we obtain Your forgiveness.
We repent that:

In thought, word or deed, we have committed serious offences against You and our neighbours;
In laziness, despair and lust for power, we have provoked hatred, division and hurt within our communities;
In greed, deceit and indifference, we have caused serious damage, unnecessary conflict and aggravated destruction to our
refugee and migrant brothers and sisters;
In selfishness, insensitivity and bias, we have encouraged and emboldened those who inflict hurt, pain and sorrow on our
loved ones and families;
In the name of religion, doctrine and even of Christ himself, we have wounded believers and pursuers of holiness and faith;
In stubbornness, pride and arrogance, we have caused division and strife within Your church and among Your children;

Mercifully send Your Holy Spirit – the Spirit of order and comfort –
and cleanse us from all unrighteousness;
restore in us true faith in Christ which brings truth, peace and harmony;
and help us to walk together with our brothers and sisters
in the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ to the glory of Your name. Amen.

One can download further prayers here: a-season-of-repentance-en.

Prayers in the Great Pandemic

You may want to use some of the prayers from last week’s resources blog. Some great prayers written by Jewish rabbis may be found here. Here are two more from Christian sources.

A ‘New’ Prayer from Rev’d Dr Sam Wells (Vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, London)
A Prayer as Things Get Harder:
God of gentle presence,
you knew the ultimate separation
when on the cross Christ felt he was forsaken;
be with all who feel their Good Friday has come today.
Comfort those who have the virus.
Empower all who care for those in distress,
through medicine, acts of kindness or imaginative communication.
Be present to any who feel utterly alone,
without companion or health or hope.
Show us your face amid grief and bewilderment.
Inspire us to find new ways to be one with one another and with you.
And bring this time of trial to an end.
In Christ our Lord. Amen.