Bishop of London reads for Abbey podcast
Sunday, 17th May 2020
The Bishop of London, the Right Reverend and Right Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, who is leading the Church of England’s response to the coronavirus, has recorded a reading from St John’s Gospel for the Abbey’s latest podcast published today.
The podcast for the Sixth Sunday of Easter focuses on God’s abiding love. It is twenty-minutes long and was recorded earlier this week for worshippers everywhere who are missing church services during lockdown.
Introduced by the Reverend Canon Dr James Hawkey, Canon Theologian, it has a reading, short address, anthem, prayers and blessing. Bishop Sarah reads John 14: 15–2. The anthem, ‘The Spirit of the Lord’, from The Apostles Op. 49, composed by Edward Elgar, sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey conducted by James O’Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers was kindly supplied by Hyperion Records.
In the Address the Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle says:
The love that Jesus speaks of is the love that the Father has and gives. It is not our experience, it is a summons into something we can barely even imagine. It is powerful, it sustains the agony of the cross, it is transforming and rises from the dead and yet it is not overbearing or even jealous.
The Abbey’s next podcast will be published on Ascension Day on Thursday 21st May.
Social distancing following government guidelines was observed by everyone who took part. It was edited and posted remotely by Abbey staff working from home.
