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.

Setting: Missa Puerorum Op 62, Josef Rheinberger (1839–1901)

During the offertory hymn, a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between The King's Trust and the work of the Abbey. The King's Trust helps young people from disadvantaged communities and those facing the greatest adversity by supporting them to build the confidence and skills to live, learn, and earn.

Order of Service

All stand. The choir sings the Introit

Alleluia!

Rejoice to God our helper: sing aloud to the God of Jacob.

Words: Introit for the First Sunday after Easter
Music: from An Easter Sequence, Kenneth Leighton (1929–88)

All sing the Hymn, during which the clergy enter

Alleluia, sing to Jesus,
   his the sceptre, his the throne;
alleluia, his the triumph,
   his the victory alone:
hark the songs of peaceful Sion
   thunder like a mighty flood;
Jesus, out of every nation,
   hath redeemed us by his blood.

Alleluia, not as orphans
   are we left in sorrow now;
alleluia, he is near us,
   faith believes, nor questions how;
though the cloud from sight received him
   when the forty days were o'er,
shall our hearts forget his promise,
   'I am with you evermore'?

Alleluia, Bread of angels,
   thou on earth our food, our stay;
alleluia, here the sinful
   flee to thee from day to day;
Intercessor, Friend of sinners,
   earth's Redeemer, plead for me,
where the songs of all the sinless
   sweep across the crystal sea.

Alleluia, King eternal,
   thee the Lord of lords we own;
alleluia, born of Mary,
   earth thy footstool, heaven thy throne:
thou within the veil hast entered,
   robed in flesh, our great High Priest;
thou on earth both Priest and Victim
   in the eucharistic feast.

Words: 'Redemption by the Precious Blood' William Dix (1837–98)
Tune: 'Hyfrydol' 271 NEH, Rowland Prichard (1811–87) 

Alleluia! Christ is risen.
He is risen indeed. Alleluia!

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 New Testament, Acts 1: 6–14

When the apostles had come together, they asked Jesus, 'Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?' He replied, 'It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.' When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.'

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.

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

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

Alleluia!

On the day of my resurrection, saith the Lord, I will go before you into Galilee.

After eight days, the door being shut, Jesus stood in the midst of his disciples, and said: 'Peace be to you.'

Words: Gradual for the First Sunday after Easter
Music: from An Easter Sequence, Kenneth Leighton

The reader announces the Gospel, John 17: 1b–11

Jesus looked up to heaven and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all people, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth by finishing the work that you gave me to do. So now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had in your presence before the world existed.

'I have made your name known to those whom you gave me from the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you have given me is from you; for the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they have received them and know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me. I am asking on their behalf; I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you gave me, because they are yours. All mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I have been glorified in them. And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one.'

The Sermon by The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle KCVO MBE, Dean of Westminster

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. The choir sings the Offertory during the Preparation of the Altar. A collection will be taken; alternatively, cash and contactless donations may be given as you leave

An angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and said to the women, 'He whom ye seek is risen, as he said.' Alleluia!

Words: Offertory for the First Sunday after Easter
Music: from An Easter Sequence, Kenneth Leighton

All remain standing for the Eucharistic Prayer. The president says

It is indeed right, our duty and our joy, always and everywhere to give you thanks, holy Father, almighty and eternal God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. For he is our great high priest who has entered once for all into the heavenly sanctuary, evermore to pour upon your Church the grace and comfort of your Holy Spirit. He is the one who has gone before us, who calls us to be united in prayer as were his disciples in the upper room while they awaited his promised gift, the life-giving Spirit of Pentecost. Therefore all creation yearns with eager longing as angels and archangels sing the endless hymn of praise:

The choir sings Sanctus

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

Being made one by the power of the Spirit, 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 Communion

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, miserere nobis.

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

The Lord is my shepherd, therefore can I lack nothing.
   He shall feed me in a green pasture;
and lead me forth beside the waters of comfort;
   he shall convert my soul,
and bring me forth in the paths of righteousness
   for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
   I will fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
   thy rod and thy staff
   comfort me.

But thy loving-kindness and mercy shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
   for ever.

Alleluia! I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep, and they know me. Alleluia!

Words: Psalm 23: 1–4, 6, and Communion for the Second Sunday after Easter
Music: from An Easter Sequence, Kenneth Leighton

All stand to sing the Hymn

Crown him with many crowns,
   the Lamb upon his throne;
hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
   all music but its own:
awake, my soul, and sing
   of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King
   through all eternity.

Crown him the Virgin's Son,
   the God incarnate born,
whose arm those crimson trophies won
   which now his brow adorn:
Fruit of the mystic Rose,
   as of that Rose the Stem;
the Root whence mercy ever flows,
   the Babe of Bethlehem.

Crown him the Lord of love!
   Behold his hands and side,
rich wounds yet visible above
   in beauty glorified:
no angel in the sky
   can fully bear that sight,
but downward bends his burning eye
   at mysteries so bright.

Crown him the Lord of peace,
   whose power a sceptre sways
from pole to pole, that wars may cease,
   absorbed in prayer and praise:
his reign shall know no end,
   and round his piercèd feet
fair flowers of paradise extend
   their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown him the Lord of years,
   the Potentate of time,
creator of the rolling spheres,
   ineffably sublime.
Glassed in a sea of light,
   where everlasting waves
reflect his throne—the Infinite!
   who lives—and loves—and saves.

Words: Matthew Bridges (1800–94)
Tune: 'Diademata' 352 NEH, George Elvey (1816–93)

Let us pray.

All remain standing. The president says the Prayer after Communion

Eternal God, giver of love and power, your Son Jesus Christ has sent us into all the world to preach the gospel of his kingdom: confirm us in this mission, and help us to live the good news we proclaim; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The president pronounces the Blessing

The Spirit of truth lead you into all truth, give you grace to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, and strengthen you to proclaim the word and works of God; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

The choir sings the Sortie, during which the clergy depart

God is ascended in jubilee, and the Lord with the sound of the trumpet. Alleluia!
Rejoice to God our helper, sing aloud to the God of Jacob. Alleluia!

Words: Antiphon at First Vespers of Ascension Day
Music: from An Easter Sequence, Kenneth Leighton

Music after the service

Paean, Kenneth Leighton

Choristerships at Westminster Abbey

St Margaret's Choristers

St Margaret's Church has a rich tradition of liturgical music, dating back to the present building's consecration in 1523. The St Margaret's Choristers were established in 2023, to sing at regular services in St Margaret's and play an important role in the wider musical life of the Abbey; you can find out more about this exciting new venture at westminster-abbey.org/st-margarets-church/music-at-st-margarets. If you have a daughter aged 10 or 11 who enjoys singing and would like to sing with the St Margaret's Choristers, please contact Greg Morris, Director of Music at St Margaret's Church: [email protected].

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 at choirschool.westminster-abbey.org. Alternatively, please contact Dr Emma Margrett, Headteacher, Westminster Abbey Choir School, and Mr Andrew Nethsingha, Organist and Master of the Choristers, by emailing [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.