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.

The service is sung by the Lay Vicars of Westminster Abbey.

Setting: Missa brevis 2024, Brian Chapple (b 1945)

During the offertory hymn, a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between Westminster House Youth Club and the work of the Abbey. Since 1888, Westminster House Youth Club has been supporting young people aged 8–18 to make positive life choices, by providing for them purposeful activities, both recreational and educational.

Order of Service

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

Hail to the Lord's Anointed!
   great David's greater Son;
hail, in the time appointed,
   his reign on earth begun!
he comes to break oppression,
   to set the captive free;
to take away transgression,
   and rule in equity.

He comes with succour speedy
   to those who suffer wrong;
to help the poor and needy,
   and bid the weak be strong;
to give them songs for sighing,
   their darkness turn to light,
whose souls, condemned and dying,
   were precious in his sight.

He shall come down like showers
   upon the fruitful earth,
and love, joy, hope, like flowers,
   spring in his path to birth:
before him on the mountains
   shall peace the herald go;
and righteousness in fountains
   from hill to valley flow.

Kings shall fall down before him,
   and gold and incense bring;
all nations shall adore him,
   his praise all people sing;
to him shall prayer unceasing
   and daily vows ascend;
his kingdom still increasing,
   a kingdom without end.

O'er every foe victorious,
   he on his throne shall rest,
from age to age more glorious,
   all-blessing and all-blest:
the tide of time shall never
his covenant remove;
   his name shall stand for ever;
   that name to us is Love.

Words: James Montgomery (1771–1854) after Psalm 72
Tune: 'Crüger' 55 NEH, adapted by William Henry Monk (1823–89) from a chorale by Johann Crüger (1598–1662)

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 Reading from the Old Testament, Isaiah 43: 1–7

Thus says the Lord,
   he who created you, O Jacob,
   he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
   I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
   and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
   and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
   the Holy One of Israel, your Saviour.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
   Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you.
Because you are precious in my sight,
   and honoured, and I love you,
I give people in return for you,
   nations in exchange for your life.
Do not fear, for I am with you;
   I will bring your offspring from the east,
   and from the west I will gather you;
I will say to the north, 'Give them up',
   and to the south, 'Do not withhold;
bring my sons from far away
   and my daughters from the end of the earth—
everyone who is called by my name,
   whom I created for my glory,
   whom I formed and made.'

This is the word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The choir sings Psalm 29

Antiphon I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.

Ascribe to the Lord, you powers of heaven,
   ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the honour due to his name;
   worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

The voice of the Lord is upon the waters;
   the God of glory thunders,
   the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is mighty in operation;
   the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedar trees;
   the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
   and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord splits the flash of lightning.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
   the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord makes the oak trees writhe,
   and strips the forests bare;
   in his temple all cry, 'Glory!'

The Lord sits enthroned above the water flood;
   the Lord sits enthroned as king for evermore.
The Lord shall give strength to his people!
   The Lord shall give his people the blessing of peace!

The Reading from the New Testament, Acts 8: 14–17

When the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. The two went down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit (for as yet the Spirit had not come upon any of them; they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

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

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

and all repeat

This is my Son, the Beloved; with whom I am well pleased.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The reader announces the Gospel, Luke 3: 15–17, 21–22

As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, John answered all of them by saying, 'I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing-fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing-floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.'

Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'

The Sermon by The Reverend Dr James Hawkey, Canon Theologian and Almoner

All stand to say the Creed

We believe in one God,
the Father, the Almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all that is,
seen and unseen.

We believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ,
the only Son of God,
eternally begotten of the Father,
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made,
of one Being with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
was incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate;
he suffered death and was buried.
On the third day he rose again
in accordance with the Scriptures;
he ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead,
and his kingdom will have no end.

We believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
We believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.

All remain standing for the Prayers of Intercession. At the end of each petition there is said

The intercession ends

Merciful Father,
accept these prayers
for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour Jesus Christ.
Amen.

The president introduces the Peace

God has made us one in Christ. He has set his seal upon us and, as a pledge of what is to come, has given the Spirit to dwell in our hearts. Alleluia!

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

Thou whose almighty word
chaos and darkness heard,
   and took their flight;
hear us, we humbly pray,
and where the gospel-day
sheds not its glorious ray
   let there be light.

Thou who didst come to bring
on thy redeeming wing
   healing and sight,
health to the sick in mind,
sight to the inly blind,
O now to all mankind
   let there be light.

Spirit of truth and love,
life-giving, holy Dove,
   speed forth thy flight;
move o'er the waters' face,
bearing the lamp of grace,
and in earth's darkest place
   let there be light.

Blessèd and holy Three
glorious Trinity,
   Wisdom, Love, Might,
boundless as ocean's tide
rolling in fullest pride,
through the world far and wide
   let there be light.

Words: John Marriott (1780–1825)
Tune: 'Moscow' 466 NEH, after Felice Giardini (1716–96) in Martin Madan's 'Collection of Psalm Tunes' 1769

All remain standing for the Eucharistic Prayer. The president says

It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation, always and everywhere to give you thanks, holy Father, almighty and eternal God. You celebrated your new gift of baptism in signs and wonders at the Jordan. Your voice was heard from heaven to awaken faith in the presence among us of your Word made flesh. Your Spirit was seen as a dove, revealing Jesus as your servant, and anointing him with the oil of gladness to preach the good news to the poor. Therefore, as we celebrate the union of earth and heaven, we rejoice to echo the song of the angels in heaven for ever praising you and saying:

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

Believing the promises of God, 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 nata lux de lumine
Jesu Redemptor saeculi,
Dignare clemens supplicum
Laudes precesque sumere.

Qui carne quondam contegi
Dignatus es pro perditis,
Nos membra confer effici
Tui beati corporis.

O Light born of light, Jesus Redeemer of the world, deign in mercy to hear the prayers and praises of those who kneel before you.

You who once deigned to take flesh for the sake of those who were lost, make us members of your blessed body.

Words: anonymous, 10th century
Music: Piers Connor Kennedy (b 1991)

All stand to sing the Hymn

O love, how deep, how broad, how high!
how passing thought and fantasy
that God, the Son of God, should take
our mortal form for mortals' sake.

He sent no angel to our race
of higher or of lower place,
but wore the robe of human frame,
and he himself to this world came.

For us baptized, for us he bore
his holy fast, and hungered sore;
for us temptations sharp he knew;
for us the tempter overthrew.

For us to wicked men betrayed,
scourged, mocked, in crown of thorns arrayed;
for us he bore the cross's death;
for us at length gave up his breath.

For us he rose from death again,
for us he went on high to reign,
for us he sent his Spirit here
to guide, to strengthen, and to cheer.

All honour, laud, and glory be,
O Jesu, Virgin-born to thee,
all glory, as is ever meet,
to Father and to Paraclete.
   Amen.

Words: from 'Apparuit benignitas' Germany, 15th century, translated by Benjamin Webb (1819–85)
Tune: 'Eisenach' 425 NEH, Johann Schein (1586–1630)

Let us pray.

All remain standing. The president says the Prayer after Communion

Lord of all time and eternity, you opened the heavens and revealed yourself as Father in the baptism of Jesus your beloved Son: by the power of your Spirit complete the heavenly work of our rebirth through the waters of the new creation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The president pronounces the Blessing

Music after the service

Épiphanie, Gaston Litaize (1909–91)

Sunday Lunch

Come and enjoy Sunday lunch at the Cellarium

The Cellarium Café and Terrace serves a traditional roast lunch, with a selection of starters and desserts. From £20.00 per person. Open from noon.

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.