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.

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.

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.

Following the service, a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between Trussell and the work of the Abbey. Trussell works together to ensure no one in the UK needs a food bank to survive, while providing emergency support for people left without enough money to live on.

Order of Service

All stand as the clergy enter

The officiant says a Sentence of Scripture

All remain standing for the Responses

O Lord, open thou our lips
and our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord's name be praised.

All sing the Hymn

While shepherds watched their flocks by night,
   all seated on the ground,
the angel of the Lord came down,
   and glory shone around.

'Fear not', said he (for mighty dread
   had seized their troubled mind);
'glad tidings of great joy I bring
   to you and all mankind.

'To you in David's town this day
   is born of David's line
a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
   and this shall be the sign:

the heavenly Babe you there shall find
   to human view displayed,
all meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
   and in a manger laid.'

Thus spake the seraph; and forthwith
   appeared a shining throng
of angels praising God, who thus
   addressed their joyful song:

'All glory be to God on high,
   and on the earth be peace;
good will henceforth from heaven to men
   begin and never cease.'

Words: 'Song of the Angels at the Nativity of our Blessed Saviour' attributed to Nahum Tate (1652–1715)
Tune: 'Winchester Old' 42 NEH, first published in Thomas Este's 'Psalter' 1592 

All sit to say Venite exultemus Domino

All remain seated to say Psalms 120, 121, and 122

When I was in trouble I called upon the Lord :
and he heard me.
Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips :
and from a deceitful tongue.
What reward shall be given or done unto thee, thou false tongue :
even mighty and sharp arrows, with hot burning coals.
Woe is me, that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech :
and to have my habitation among the tents of Kedar.
My soul hath long dwelt among them :
that are enemies unto peace.
I labour for peace, but when I speak unto them thereof :
they make them ready to battle.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills :
from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh even from the Lord :
who hath made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved :
and he that keepeth thee will not sleep.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel :
shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord himself is thy keeper :
the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand;
so that the sun shall not burn thee by day :
neither the moon by night.
The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil :
yea, it is even he that shall keep thy soul.
The Lord shall preserve thy going out, and thy coming in :
from this time forth for evermore.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

I was glad when they said unto me :
We will go into the house of the Lord.
Our feet shall stand in thy gates :
O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city :
that is at unity in itself.
For thither the tribes go up, even the tribes of the Lord :
to testify unto Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord.
For there is the seat of judgement :
even the seat of the house of David.
O pray for the peace of Jerusalem :
they shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls :
and plenteousness within thy palaces.
For my brethren and companions' sakes :
I will wish thee prosperity.
Yea, because of the house of the Lord our God :
I will seek to do thee good.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

All remain seated for the first Lesson, Isaiah 41: 21—42: 1

Set forth your case, says the Lord;
   bring your proofs, says the King of Jacob.
Let them bring them, and tell us
   what is to happen.
Tell us the former things, what they are,
   so that we may consider them,
and that we may know their outcome;
   or declare to us the things to come.
Tell us what is to come hereafter,
   that we may know that you are gods;
do good, or do harm,
   that we may be afraid and terrified.
You, indeed, are nothing
   and your work is nothing at all;
   whoever chooses you is an abomination.

I stirred up one from the north, and he has come,
   from the rising of the sun he was summoned by name.
He shall trample on rulers as on mortar,
   as the potter treads clay.
Who declared it from the beginning, so that we might know,
   and beforehand, so that we might say, 'He is right'?
There was no one who declared it, none who proclaimed,
   none who heard your words.
I first have declared it to Zion,
   and I give to Jerusalem a herald of good tidings.
But when I look there is no one;
   among these there is no counsellor
   who, when I ask, gives an answer.
No, they are all a delusion;
   their works are nothing;
   their images are empty wind.

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
   my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
   he will bring forth justice to the nations.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand to say Te Deum laudamus

We praise thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.
All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting.
To thee all angels cry aloud, the heavens and all the powers therein.
To thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry,
Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth;
heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory.
The glorious company of the apostles praise thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise thee.
The noble army of martyrs praise thee.
The holy Church throughout all the world doth acknowledge thee,
the Father, of an infinite majesty;
thine honourable, true, and only Son,
also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter.

Thou art the King of Glory, O Christ;
thou art the everlasting Son of the Father.
When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst not abhor the Virgin's womb.
When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father.
We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge.
We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood.
Make them to be numbered with thy saints, in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heritage.
Govern them and lift them up for ever.
Day by day we magnify thee,
and we worship thy name ever world without end.
Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this day without sin.
O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.
O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee.
O Lord, in thee have I trusted; let me never be confounded.

All sit for the second Lesson, 1 John 1: 1–7

We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life—this life was revealed, and we have seen it and testify to it, and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us—we declare to you what we have seen and heard so that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him while we are walking in darkness, we lie and do not do what is true; but if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand to say Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
for he hath visited, and redeemed his people;
and hath raised up a mighty salvation for us
in the house of his servant David,
as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets,
which have been since the world began,
that we should be saved from our enemies
and from the hands of all that hate us;
to perform the mercy promised to our forefathers,
and to remember his holy covenant,
to perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham,
that he would give us,
that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
in holiness and righteousness before him
all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest;
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways,
to give knowledge of salvation unto his people
for the remission of their sins.
Through the tender mercy of our God,
whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us,
to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death,
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

All face east to say together the Apostles' Creed

The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

All kneel or sit to say the Lesser Litany; the Lord's Prayer and the Responses

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

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.

O Lord, shew thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.

O Lord, save The King.
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Endue thy ministers with righteousness.
And make thy chosen people joyful.

O Lord, save thy people.
And bless thine inheritance.

Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.

O God, make clean our hearts within us.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

The officiant says the Collects; of the day, for Peace, and for Grace

Almighty God, who hast given us thy only-begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; grant that we being regenerate, and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy Holy Spirit; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

O God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom; defend us thy humble servants in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O Lord, our heavenly Father, Almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day; defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

All stand to sing the Hymn

Behold, the great Creator makes
   himself a house of clay,
a robe of virgin flesh he takes
   which he will wear for ay.

Hark, hark! The wise eternal Word,
   like a weak infant cries!
In form of servant is the Lord,
   and God in cradle lies.

This wonder struck the world amazed,
   it shook the starry frame;
squadrons of spirits stood and gazed,
   then down in troops they came.

Glad shepherds ran to view this sight;
   a choir of angels sings,
and eastern sages with delight
   adore this King of kings.

Join then, all hearts that are not stone,
   and all our voices prove,
to celebrate this holy One,
   the God of peace and love.

Words: Thomas Pestel (1584–1659)
Tune: 'This endris nyght' 23 NEH, English 15th-century carol

All remain standing for the Blessing, to which all respond Amen.

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

Sunday Lunch

Come and join us for Sunday lunch at the Cellarium

Enjoy a traditional lunch with a selection of starters and desserts. Open from noon. From £20.00 per person.

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.