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 Cathedral Music Trust and the work of the Abbey. Cathedral Music Trust supports the valuable work of musicians who enrich so many lives through the power of cathedral music.

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

We sing the praise of him who died,
   of him who died upon the cross;
the sinner's hope let men deride,
   for this we count the world but loss.

Inscribed upon the cross we see
   in shining letters, 'God is love';
he bears our sins upon the tree;
   he brings us mercy from above.

The cross! it takes our guilt away:
   it holds the fainting spirit up;
it cheers with hope the gloomy day,
   and sweetens ev'ry bitter cup.

It makes the coward spirit brave,
   and nerves the feeble arm for fight;
it takes its terror from the grave,
   and gilds the bed of death with light;

the balm of life, the cure of woe,
   the measure and the pledge of love,
the sinner's refuge here below,
   the angels' theme in heaven above.

Words: Thomas Kelly (1769–1854)
Tune: 'Bow Brickhill' 94 NEH, Sydney Nicholson (1875–1947) Organist of Westminster Abbey 1918–27

All sit to say Venite exultemus Domino

All remain seated to say Psalms 140 and 141

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man :
and preserve me from the wicked man.
Who imagine mischief in their hearts :
and stir up strife all the day long.
They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent :
adders' poison is under their lips.
Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the ungodly :
preserve me from the wicked men, who are purposed to overthrow my goings.
The proud have laid a snare for me, and spread a net abroad with cords :
yea, and set traps in my way.
I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God :
hear the voice of my prayers, O Lord.
O Lord God, thou strength of my health :
thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.
Let not the ungodly have his desire, O Lord :
let not his mischievous imagination prosper, lest they be too proud.
Let the mischief of their own lips fall upon the head of them :
that compass me about.
Let hot burning coals fall upon them :
let them be cast into the fire and into the pit, that they never rise up again.
A man full of words shall not prosper upon the earth :
evil shall hunt the wicked person to overthrow him.
Sure I am that the Lord will avenge the poor :
and maintain the cause of the helpless.
The righteous also shall give thanks unto thy name :
and the just shall continue in thy sight.

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.

Lord, I call upon thee, haste thee unto me :
and consider my voice when I cry unto thee.
Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense :
and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice.
Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth :
and keep the door of my lips.
O let not mine heart be inclined to any evil thing :
Let me not be occupied in ungodly works with the men that work wickedness, lest I eat of such things as please them.
Let the righteous rather smite me friendly :
and reprove me.
But let not their precious balms break my head :
yea, I will pray yet against their wickedness.
Let their judges be overthrown in stony places :
that they may hear my words, for they are sweet.
Our bones lie scattered before the pit :
like as when one breaketh and heweth wood upon the earth.
But mine eyes look unto thee, O Lord God :
in thee is my trust, O cast not out my soul.
Keep me from the snare that they have laid for me :
and from the traps of the wicked doers.
Let the ungodly fall into their own nets together :
and let me ever escape them.

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 35

The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad,
   the desert shall rejoice and blossom;
like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly,
   and rejoice with joy and singing.
The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it,
   the majesty of Carmel and Sharon.
They shall see the glory of the Lord,
   the majesty of our God.

Strengthen the weak hands,
   and make firm the feeble knees.
Say to those who are of a fearful heart,
   'Be strong, do not fear!
Here is your God.
   He will come with vengeance,
with terrible recompense.
   He will come and save you.'

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,
   and the ears of the deaf unstopped;
then the lame shall leap like a deer,
   and the tongue of the speechless sing for joy.
For waters shall break forth in the wilderness,
   and streams in the desert;
the burning sand shall become a pool,
   and the thirsty ground springs of water;
the haunt of jackals shall become a swamp,
   the grass shall become reeds and rushes.

A highway shall be there,
   and it shall be called the Holy Way;
the unclean shall not travel on it,
   but it shall be for God's people;
   no traveller, not even fools, shall go astray.
No lion shall be there,
   nor shall any ravenous beast come up on it;
they shall not be found there,
   but the redeemed shall walk there.
And the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
   and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
   they shall obtain joy and gladness,
   and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand to say Benedicite omnia opera

O all ye works of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye angels of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye heavens, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye waters that be above the firmament, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye powers of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye sun, and moon, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye stars of heaven, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye showers, and dew, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye winds of God, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye fire and heat, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye winter and summer, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye dews, and frosts, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye frost and cold, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye ice and snow, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye nights, and days, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye light and darkness, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye lightnings, and clouds, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O let the earth bless the Lord : yea, let it praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye mountains, and hills, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye green things upon the earth, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye wells, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye seas, and floods, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
All ye fowls of the air, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye beasts, and cattle, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye children of men, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O let Israel bless the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye holy and humble men of heart, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord : praise him, and magnify him for ever.

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 sit for the second Lesson, Romans 7: 21—8: 4

I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with my mind I am a slave to the law of God, but with my flesh I am a slave to the law of sin.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

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, of Lent, for Peace, and for Grace

Almighty and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent; create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 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

In the cross of Christ I glory,
   tow'ring o'er the wrecks of time;
all the light of sacred story
   gathers round its head sublime.

When the woes of life o'ertake me,
   hopes deceive and fears annoy,
never shall the cross forsake me:
   lo! it glows with peace and joy.

When the sun of bliss is beaming
   light and love upon my way,
from the cross the radiance streaming,
   adds more lustre to the day.

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
   by the cross are sanctified;
peace is there that knows no measure,
   joys that through all time abide.

Words: 'The Cross of Christ' John Bowring (1792–1872)
Tune: 'Wychbold' 379 NEH, Walter Whinfield (1865–1919)

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.