Welcome to Westminster Abbey. Daily prayer has been offered in this place for over a thousand years, and your participation in today's service is warmly welcomed. At choral Evensong most of the service is sung by the choir on our behalf. We participate through our presence and our listening, that the words and the music might become a prayer within us and lift us to contemplate God's beauty and glory.

The service always includes one or more psalms. These ancient prayers, taken from the Old Testament, reflect the full range of human emotions and experiences; from the depths of anger, resentment, and abandonment to the heights of ecstatic joy and praise. They were used by Jesus, and have always been at the heart of the Church's daily prayer.

The canticles Magnificat (Luke 1: 46–55) and Nunc dimittis (Luke 2: 29–32) reflect two responses to the Incarnation (God becoming fully human in Jesus Christ). Both speak of the fulfilment of God's promises, not just to 'Abraham and his seed', but also 'to be a light to lighten the Gentiles' (all nations). With their themes of fulfilment and completion, these texts have been given central place for many centuries in the Church's prayers for the evening and at the end of the day.

Please join in saying the words and singing the hymns printed in bold type.

The church is served by a hearing loop. Users should turn their hearing aid to the setting marked T.

Photography, filming, and sound recording are not allowed in the Abbey during services. Please ensure that mobile telephones and other electronic devices are silent.

During the Abbey Choir's vacation we welcome visiting choirs from the United Kingdom and beyond to lead the music at our services. Today's service is sung by Exultate.

During the final hymn, a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between the Commonwealth Forestry Association and the work of the Abbey. The Commonwealth Forestry Association exists to promote the conservation and sustainable management of the world's forests and the contributions they make to peoples' livelihoods.

Order of Service

All stand as the choir and clergy enter

The officiant welcomes the congregation

All remain standing as the officiant introduces a general Confession

Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me;

All kneel or sit

Almighty and most merciful Father,
we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep.
We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts.
We have offended against thy holy laws.
We have left undone those things which we ought to have done;
and we have done those things which we ought not to have done;
and there is no health in us.
But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders.
Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults.
Restore thou them that are penitent;
according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord.
And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake,
that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
to the glory of thy holy name.
Amen.

The officiant gives the Absolution

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live; and hath given power and commandment to his ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins: he pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him, which we do at this present; and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure, and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

All say together the Lord's Prayer

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.

All stand. The officiant and choir sing the Responses

Music: Bernard Rose (1916–96)

All sit. The choir sings Psalm 49

O hear ye this, all ye people : ponder it with your ears, all ye that dwell in the world;
high and low, rich and poor : one with another.
My mouth shall speak of wisdom : and my heart shall muse of understanding.
I will incline mine ear to the parable : and shew my dark speech upon the harp.
Wherefore should I fear in the days of wickedness : and when the wickedness of my heels compasseth me round about?
There be some that put their trust in their goods : and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches.
But no man may deliver his brother : nor make agreement unto God for him;
for it cost more to redeem their souls : so that he must let that alone for ever.
Yea though he live long : and see not the grave.
For he seeth that wise men also die, and perish together : as well as the ignorant and foolish, and leave their riches for other.
And yet they think that their houses shall continue for ever : and that their dwelling places shall endure from one generation to another; and call the lands after their own names.
Nevertheless, man will not abide in honour : seeing he may be compared unto the beasts that perish; this is the way of them.
This is their foolishness : and their posterity praise their saying.
They lie in the hell like sheep, death gnaweth upon them, and the righteous shall have domination over them in the morning : their beauty shall consume in the sepulchre out of their dwelling.
But God hath delivered my soul from the place of hell : for he shall receive me.
Be not thou afraid, though one be made rich : or if the glory of his house be increased;
for he shall carry nothing away with him when he dieth : neither shall his pomp follow him.
For while he lived, he counted himself an happy man : and so long as thou doest well unto thyself, men will speak good of thee.
He shall follow the generation of his fathers : and shall never see light.
Man being in honour hath no understanding : but is compared unto the beasts that perish.

All stand

Chant: John Stainer (1840–1901)

All sit for the first Lesson, Job 28

Job said:
'Surely there is a mine for silver,
   and a place for gold to be refined.
Iron is taken out of the earth,
   and copper is smelted from ore.
Miners put an end to darkness,
   and search out to the farthest bound
   the ore in gloom and deep darkness.
They open shafts in a valley away from human habitation;
   they are forgotten by travellers,
   they sway suspended, remote from people.
As for the earth, out of it comes bread;
   but underneath it is turned up as by fire.
Its stones are the place of sapphires,
   and its dust contains gold.

'That path no bird of prey knows,
   and the falcon's eye has not seen it.
The proud wild animals have not trodden it;
   the lion has not passed over it.

'They put their hand to the flinty rock,
   and overturn mountains by the roots.
They cut out channels in the rocks,
   and their eyes see every precious thing.
The sources of the rivers they probe;
   hidden things they bring to light.

'But where shall wisdom be found?
   And where is the place of understanding?
Mortals do not know the way to it,
   and it is not found in the land of the living.
The deep says, "It is not in me",
   and the sea says, "It is not with me."
It cannot be bought for gold,
   and silver cannot be weighed out as its price.
It cannot be valued in the gold of Ophir,
   in precious onyx or sapphire.
Gold and glass cannot equal it,
   nor can it be exchanged for jewels of fine gold.
No mention shall be made of coral or of crystal;
   the price of wisdom is above pearls.
The chrysolite of Ethiopia cannot compare with it,
   nor can it be valued in pure gold.

'Where then does wisdom come from?
   And where is the place of understanding?
It is hidden from the eyes of all living,
   and concealed from the birds of the air.
Abaddon and Death say,
   "We have heard a rumour of it with our ears."

'God understands the way to it,
   and he knows its place.
For he looks to the ends of the earth,
   and sees everything under the heavens.
When he gave to the wind its weight,
   and apportioned out the waters by measure;
when he made a decree for the rain,
   and a way for the thunderbolt;
then he saw it and declared it;
   he established it, and searched it out.
And he said to humankind,
"Truly, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom;
   and to depart from evil is understanding."'

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Evening Canticles in D minor, Thomas Attwood Walmisley (1814–56)

All sit for the second Lesson, Hebrews 11: 17–31

By faith Abraham, when put to the test, offered up Isaac. He who had received the promises was ready to offer up his only son, of whom he had been told, 'It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named after you.' He considered the fact that God is able even to raise someone from the dead—and figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. By faith Isaac invoked blessings for the future on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, 'bowing in worship over the top of his staff.' By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his burial.

By faith Moses was hidden by his parents for three months after his birth, because they saw that the child was beautiful; and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called a son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to share ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered abuse suffered for the Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, unafraid of the king's anger; for he persevered as though he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as if it were dry land, but when the Egyptians attempted to do so they were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had received the spies in peace.

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Evening Canticles in D minor, Thomas Attwood Walmisley

All face east to say together the Apostles' Creed

I believe in God the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth:
and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

Let us pray.

All kneel or sit. The officiant and choir sing the Lesser Litany; the Lord's Prayer and the Responses

Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

The officiant sings the Collects; of the day, for peace, and for aid against all perils

Let thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble servants; and that they may obtain their petitions make them to ask such things as shall please thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Lighten our darkness we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Music: Bernard Rose

All sit. The choir sings the Anthem

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.

Pass the time of your sojourning here in fear.

Love one another with a pure heart fervently, see that ye love one another: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God. For
'all flesh is as grass,
   and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.
The grass withereth,
   and the flower thereof falleth away:
but the word of the Lord endureth for evermore.'
   Amen.

Words: 1 Peter 1: 3–5, 15, 17b, 22b–25a
Music: Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810–76)

All kneel or remain seated for the Intercessions

The officiant says the Prayers; for the Royal Family, and for the Members of the Order of the Bath

Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless our most gracious Sovereign Lord King Charles, Queen Camilla, William Prince of Wales, the Princess of Wales, and all the Royal Family: endue them with thy Holy Spirit; enrich them with thy heavenly grace; prosper them with all happiness; and bring them to thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

God save our Gracious Sovereign, and all the Members of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath living and departed. Amen.

All say

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore.
Amen.

All stand to sing the Hymn

Lord, thy word abideth,
and our footsteps guideth;
who its truth believeth,
light and joy receiveth.

When our foes are near us,
then thy word doth cheer us,
word of consolation,
message of salvation.

When the storms are o'er us,
and dark clouds before us,
then its light directeth,
and our way protecteth.

Who can tell the pleasure,
who recount the treasure
by thy word imparted
to the simple-hearted?

Word of mercy, giving
succour to the living;
word of life, supplying
comfort to the dying.

O that we discerning
its most holy learning,
Lord, may love and fear thee,
evermore be near thee!

Words: Henry Williams Baker (1821–77)
Tune: 'Ravenshaw' NEH 407, in Michael Weisse's 'Ein neu Geseng buchlen' Jungbunzlau, 1531, adapted by William Henry Monk (1823–89)

The Sermon by The Venerable Tricia Hillas, Canon in Residence

All stand to sing the Hymn during which a collection will be taken. Alternatively, cash and contactless donations may be given as you leave via the Great West Door

Firmly I believe and truly
   God is Three, and God is One;
and I next acknowledge duly
   Manhood taken by the Son.

And I trust and hope most fully
   in that Manhood crucified;
and each thought and deed unruly
   do to death, as he has died.

Simply to his grace and wholly
   light and life and strength belong,
and I love supremely, solely,
   him the holy, him the strong.

And I hold in veneration,
   for the love of him alone,
holy Church as his creation,
   and her teachings as his own.

Adoration ay be given,
   with and through the angelic host,
to the God of earth and heaven,
   Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
      Amen.

Words: John Henry Newman (1801–90) from 'The Dream of Gerontius'
Tune: 'Shipston' 360 NEH, traditional English melody

The Blessing. All respond Amen.

All remain standing as the clergy depart

Music after the service

Fuge über den Choral 'Ad nos, ad salutarem undam' S259ii, Franz Liszt (1811–86)

Those who wish to may sit for the remainder of the organ voluntary

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Hymns covered by Christian Copyright Licensing (International) Ltd are reproduced under CCL no 1040271 and MRL no 1040288. Common Worship (Church House Publishing, 2000), material from which is included in this service, is copyright © The Archbishops' Council. Scripture Readings are from the New Revised Standard Version.