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 St Margaret's Church during services. Please ensure that mobile telephones and other electronic devices are silent.

The service is sung by the St Margaret's Choristers and Consort.

Setting: Missa brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo, Joseph Haydn (1732–1809)

During the offertory hymn, a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between Open Doors and the work of the Abbey. Open Doors helps persecuted Christians around the world continue to follow Jesus courageously.

Order of Service

The choir sings the Introit

Locus iste a Deo factus est, inaestimabile sacramentum: irreprehensibilis est.

This place was made by God: a priceless and unblemished sign of his presence.

Words: Gradual, Mass for the dedication of a church
Music: Anton Bruckner (1824–96)

All stand as the choir and clergy enter, and to sing the Hymn

Christ is our corner-stone,
   on him alone we build;
with his true saints alone
   the courts of heaven are filled:
on his great love
   our hopes we place
   of present grace
and joys above.

Oh, then with hymns of praise
   these hallowed courts shall ring;
our voices we will raise
   the Three in One to sing;
and thus proclaim
   in joyful song,
   both loud and long,
that glorious name.

Here may we gain from heaven
   the grace which we implore;
and may that grace, once given,
   be with us evermore,
until that day
   when all the blest
   to endless rest
are called away.

Words: 'Angularis fundamentum lapis' before 9th century, translated by John Chandler (1806–76)
Tune: 'Harewood' 206 NEH, Samuel Sebastian Wesley (1810–76)

All remain standing. The president introduces the Prayers of Penitence, after which all say

Almighty God, our heavenly Father,
we have sinned against you
and against our neighbour
in thought and word and deed,
through negligence, through weakness,
through our own deliberate fault.
We are truly sorry
and repent of all our sins.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
who died for us,
forgive us all that is past
and grant that we may serve you in newness of life
to the glory of your name.
Amen.

The president gives the Absolution

Almighty God, who forgives all who truly repent, have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and keep you in life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The choir sings Gloria in excelsis Deo

Gloria in excelsis Deo,

All sit

et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis.

Laudamus te, benedicimus te, adoramus te, glorificamus te, gratias agimus tibi propter magnam gloriam tuam, Domine Deus, Rex caelestis, Deus Pater omnipotens.

Domine Fili unigenite, Jesu Christe; Domine Deus, Agnus Dei, Filius Patris, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis; qui tollis peccata mundi, suscipe deprecationem nostram; qui sedes ad dexteram Patris, miserere nobis.

Quoniam tu solus Sanctus, tu solus Dominus, tu solus Altissimus, Jesu Christe, cum Sancto Spiritu, in gloria Dei Patris. Amen.

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will.

We praise you, we bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God almighty Father.

Lord Jesus Christ, only begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us.

For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

All stand for the Collect

Let us pray.

All sit for the Epistle, Ephesians 2: 19–end

You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling-place for God.

All stand for the Procession of the Gospel. The choir sings

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

and all repeat

Lord, we love the house of your habitation and the place where your glory abides.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The reader announces the Gospel, John 2: 13–22

The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money-changers seated at their tables. Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. He told those who were selling the doves, 'Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father's house a market-place!' His disciples remembered that it was written, 'Zeal for your house will consume me.' The Jews then said to him, 'What sign can you show us for doing this?' Jesus answered them, 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' The Jews then said, 'This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?' But he was speaking of the temple of his body. After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

The Sermon by The Reverend Helena Bickley-Percival, Chaplain

Mr Dean, I present to you N to be welcomed as junior choristers at St Margaret's Church, Westminster Abbey.

The Dean says

I welcome you into this Choir and into the fellowship of this church. May almighty God accept the offering of your worship, and lead you in the light and obedience of Christ. Amen.

The Director of Music leads the new Choristers to the Dean and says

Mr Dean, I present to you N to be admitted as Choristers of this Church.

The Dean says

The Choristers comprise the senior girls in the Choir, whose experience and leadership provide an example to the other girls. With this in mind and so far as in you lies, do you promise to remain a faithful member of this Choir?

I do.

Will you continue to give of your best in all that you do within this Abbey?

I will, with the help of God.

Will you strive to set an example to your colleagues through your singing and your behaviour?

I will, with the help of God.

May almighty God accept the offering of your worship, and lead you in the light and obedience of Christ. Amen.

The Dean admits each Chorister, taking her by the hand and saying

N, you have promised to serve God in this Choir and to lead his people in worship and praise. I therefore admit you to Choir, and we welcome you into our fellowship with a glad heart; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Dean addresses the Choristers

Take heed that what you sing with your lips you may believe in your heart, and that what you believe in your heart you may show forth in your daily life.

The Dean leads the Choristers to the stalls, then says

Let us pray.

All stand

O God, whom saints and angels delight to worship in heaven: be ever present with thy servants who seek in this place through art and music to perfect the praises of thy people; and grant to them even now such glimpses of thy beauty, that they may at length be found worthy to behold it unveiled for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

The president introduces the Peace

Peace to this house from God our heavenly Father. Peace to this house from his Son who is our peace. Peace to this house from the Holy Spirit, the life-giver.

All may greet one another with the words Peace be with you.

All remain standing to sing the Hymn during the Preparation of the Altar. A collection will be taken. Alternatively, cash and contactless donations may be given as you leave via the Great West Door

Angel-voices ever singing
   round thy throne of light,
angel-harps for ever ringing,
   rest not day nor night;
thousands only live to bless thee
and confess thee
   Lord of might.

Thou who art beyond the farthest
   mortal eye can scan,
can it be that thou regardest
   songs of sinful man?
Can we know that thou art near us,
and wilt hear us?
   Yea, we can.

For we know that thou rejoicest
   o'er each work of thine;
thou didst ears and hands and voices
   for thy praise design;
craftsman's art and music's measure
for thy pleasure
   all combine.

In thy house, great God, we offer
   of thine own to thee;
and for thine acceptance proffer
   all unworthily
hearts and minds and hands and voices
in our choicest
   psalmody.

Honour, glory, might, and merit
   thine shall ever be,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
   blessèd Trinity.
Of the best which thou hast given
earth and heaven
   render thee.

Words: 'For the Dedication of an Organ or for a Meeting of Choirs' Francis Pott (1832–1909)
Tune: 'Angel Voices' 336 NEH, Edwin George Monk (1819–1900)

All remain standing for the Eucharistic Prayer. The president says

It is indeed right and good, our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give you thanks, almighty and eternal Father, enthroned upon the praises of your people. We thank you for this house of prayer, in which you bless your family as we come to you in pilgrimage. Here you reveal your presence in sacramental signs and make us one with you through the unseen bond of grace. Here you build your temple of living stones, and bring the Church to its full stature as the body of Christ throughout the world, to reach its perfection at last in the heavenly city of Jerusalem which is the vision of your peace. Therefore, in union with the heavenly Jerusalem, with angels in joyful assembly, with all whose names are written in heaven, and with the spirits of the righteous made perfect, we lift up our voices to join in the triumphal song of praise.

The choir sings Sanctus and Benedictus

Sanctus, sanctus, sanctus Dominus Deus Sabaoth, pleni sunt caeli et terra gloria tua. Hosanna in excelsis. Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini. Hosanna in excelsis.

Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might, heaven and earth are full of your glory. Hosanna in the highest. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest.

The president continues the Eucharistic Prayer

Lord, you are holy indeed, the source of all holiness; grant that by the power of your Holy Spirit, and according to your holy will, these gifts of bread and wine may be to us the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ;

who, in the same night that he was betrayed, took bread and gave you thanks; he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying: Take, eat; this is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of me.

In the same way, after supper he took the cup and gave you thanks; he gave it to them, saying: Drink this, all of you; this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for you and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.

Great is the mystery of faith:
Christ has died: Christ is risen: Christ will come again.

And so, Father, calling to mind his death on the cross, his perfect sacrifice made once for the sins of the whole world; rejoicing in his mighty resurrection and glorious ascension, and looking for his coming in glory, we celebrate this memorial of our redemption. As we offer you this our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, we bring before you this bread and this cup and we thank you for counting us worthy to stand in your presence and serve you.

Send the Holy Spirit on your people and gather into one in your kingdom all who share this one bread and one cup, so that we, in the company of [N and] all the saints, may praise and glorify you for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord; by whom, and with whom, and in whom, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all honour and glory be yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

All remain standing. The president introduces the Lord's Prayer

As we join our prayers with those of the Church Universal, so we say, each in our own language, the prayer that Jesus Christ has taught us,

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 remain standing for the Breaking of the Bread

The congregation is invited to sit as the president and other ministers begin the distribution of Holy Communion. Those wishing to receive come forward as directed by the Stewards. If you receive communion in your own church you are welcome to do so here. Gluten-free wafers are available. Please refrain from dipping the wafer in the chalice. Those who do not wish to receive communion are invited to come for a blessing; please bow your head as you approach. The minister says to each communicant

The body of Christ. Amen.

The blood of Christ. Amen.

During the giving of communion, the choir sings Agnus Dei and the Motet

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.

O how amiable are thy dwellings,
   thou Lord of hosts!
My soul hath a desire and longing
   to enter into the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh rejoice
   in the living God.

Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house,
   and the swallow a nest,
where she may lay her young,
   even thy altars, O Lord of hosts,
   my King and my God.
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house,
   they will be alway praising thee.

The glorious majesty of the Lord our God be upon us,
   prosper thou the work of our hands upon us—
   O prosper thou our handy-work.

Words: Psalms 84: 1–4; 90: 17
Music: Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)

All stand to sing the Hymn

In our day of thanksgiving one psalm let us offer
   for the saints who before us have found their reward;
when the shadow of death fell upon them, we sorrowed,
   but now we rejoice that they rest in the Lord.

In the morning of life, and at noon, and at even,
   he called them away from our worship below;
but not till his love, at the font and the altar,
   had girt them with grace for the way they should go.

These stones that have echoed their praises are holy,
   and dear is the ground where their feet have once trod;
yet here they confessed they were strangers and pilgrims,
   and still they were seeking the city of God.

Sing praise then, for all who here sought and here found him,
   whose journey is ended, whose perils are past:
they believed in the Light; and its glory is round them,
   where the clouds of earth's sorrow are lifted at last.

Words: 'Remembrance of Past Worshippers' William Draper (1855–1933)
Tune: 'St Catherine's Court' 208 NEH, Richard Strutt (1848–1927) 

Let us pray.

All remain standing. The president says the Prayer after Communion

The president pronounces the Blessing

God give you the will to live each day in life eternal. Amen.

God bring you to the home that Christ prepares for all who love him. Amen.

And the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

Music after the service

Fugue in G BWV 541ii, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)

Choristerships at Westminster Abbey

St Margaret's Choristers

If you have a daughter aged 10 or 11 who would like to sing with the St Margaret's Choristers, please contact Greg Morris, Director of Music, St Margaret's Church, [email protected]. Find out more about Music at St Margaret's Church.

The Choir of Westminster Abbey

If you have a son who enjoys singing, you can find out more information about our world-renowned Abbey Choir and its unique Choir School. 

Alternatively, please contact Dr Emma Margrett, Headteacher, Westminster Abbey Choir School, [email protected]. Mr Andrew Nethsingha, Organist and Master of the Choristers, [email protected].

If you attend worship at the Abbey regularly, you may like to add this page to your home screen for easy access to our orders of service.

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.