Lord Mayor of Westminster reads for Abbey podcast

The podcast for the First Sunday After Trinity focusses on Jesus sending the apostles out to proclaim the good news that the kingdom of heaven is near. It was recorded earlier this week at the North Door, originally the grand entrance of the Abbey, and made for worshippers worldwide who are missing services during lockdown.

Introduced by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle, the twenty-two minute service has a reading, a short address, an anthem, prayers and a blessing. The Lord Mayor reads Matthew 9:35-10:8. The anthem, William Walton's The Twelve, is sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey conducted by James O'Donnell, Organist and Master of the Choristers, and kindly supplied by Hyperion Records.

The address is given by the Abbey's Canon Theologian, the Reverend Dr James Hawkey, who said:

In the gospels, Jesus gathers disciples around him, and then sends them out to share his mission in the world. His mission is our mission, yet we do not possess it. Rather it can become the narrative which gives shape to our lives.

Links between the Abbey and the City of Westminster date back centuries. Since 1935, the Abbey’s most senior lay officer, its High Steward, has each year appointed the serving Lord Mayor of Westminster as Deputy High Steward of Westminster.

Social distancing guidelines were observed by everyone who took part in the podcast recording. The episode was edited and posted remotely by Abbey staff working from home.

Listen to the podcast