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 Choir of Westminster Abbey and the St Margaret's Choristers and Consort.

Setting: Messe solennelle, Jean Langlais (1907–91)

During the offertory hymn, a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between Christian Aid and the work of the Abbey. Christian Aid exists to create a world where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty.

Order of Service

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

Take up thy cross, the Saviour said,
   if thou wouldst my disciple be;
deny thyself, the world forsake,
   and humbly follow after me.

Take up thy cross; let not its weight
   fill thy weak spirit with alarm;
his strength shall bear thy spirit up,
   and brace thy heart, and nerve thine arm.

Take up thy cross, nor heed the shame,
   nor let thy foolish pride rebel;
the Lord for thee the cross endured,
   to save thy soul from death and hell.

Take up thy cross then in his strength,
   and calmly every danger brave;
'twill guide thee to a better home,
   and lead to vict'ry o'er the grave.

Take up thy cross, and follow Christ,
   nor think till death to lay it down;
for only he who bears the cross
   may hope to wear the glorious crown.

To thee, great Lord, the One in Three,
   all praise for evermore ascend;
O grant us in our home to see
   the heavenly life that knows no end.
      Amen.

Words: Vision of Death, Charles Everest (1814–77)
Tune: Breslau 76 NEH, from Hymnodus sacer, Leipzig, 1625, adapted from a tune in the Lochamer Gesangbuch, c 1450

Blessed be God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit:
blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.

There is one body and one spirit:
there is one hope to which we were called;

one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all.

Peace be with you
and also with you.

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, Jeremiah 20: 7–13

O Lord, you have enticed me,
   and I was enticed;
you have overpowered me,
   and you have prevailed.
I have become a laughing-stock all day long;
   everyone mocks me.
For whenever I speak, I must cry out,
   I must shout, 'Violence and destruction!'
For the word of the Lord has become for me
   a reproach and derision all day long.
If I say, 'I will not mention him,
   or speak any more in his name',
then within me there is something like a burning fire
   shut up in my bones;
I am weary with holding it in,
   and I cannot.
For I hear many whispering:
   'Terror is all around!
Denounce him! Let us denounce him!'
   All my close friends
   are watching for me to stumble.
'Perhaps he can be enticed,
   and we can prevail against him,
   and take our revenge on him.'
But the Lord is with me like a dread warrior;
   therefore my persecutors will stumble,
   and they will not prevail.
They will be greatly shamed,
   for they will not succeed.
Their eternal dishonour
   will never be forgotten.
O Lord of hosts, you test the righteous,
   you see the heart and the mind;
let me see your retribution upon them,
   for to you I have committed my cause.

Sing to the Lord;
   praise the Lord!
For he has delivered the life of the needy
   from the hands of evildoers.

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

The choir sings Psalm 69: 14–20

Antiphon Answer me, Lord, for your loving-kindness is good; turn to me in your mercy.

As for me, I make my prayer to you, O Lord.
   At an acceptable time, O God,
   answer me, O God, in the abundance of your mercy,
and with your sure salvation;
   draw me out of the mire, that I sink not;
let me be rescued from those who hate me
   and out of the deep waters.
Let not the water flood drown me,
   neither the deep swallow me up;
   let not the pit shut its mouth upon me.

Answer me, Lord, for your loving-kindness is good;
   turn to me in the multitude of your mercies.
Hide not your face from your servant;
   be swift to answer me, for I am in trouble.
Draw near to my soul and redeem me;
   deliver me because of my enemies.

The Epistle, Romans 6: 1b–11

Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin go on living in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be destroyed, and we might no longer be enslaved to sin. For whoever has died is freed from sin. But if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. The death he died, he died to sin, once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

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

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

and all repeat

We do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!

The reader announces the Gospel, Matthew 10: 24–39

Jesus said, 'A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

'So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground unperceived by your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

'Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

'Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.
For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's foes will be members of one's own household.
Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.'

The Sermon by The Right Reverend Graeme Knowles CVO

All remain seated for the Presentation of the Candidates. The candidates stand before the bishop who says

As members of this community you have come today to be confirmed. Each of you has been nurtured here in the faith of the Church. Now you are to express for yourselves your allegiance to Christ and your rejection of all that is evil. Therefore I ask these questions:

The bishop asks the candidate for baptism

N, do you wish to be baptised?
I do.

The bishop asks the candidates for confirmation

Have you been baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit?
I have.

Are you ready with your own mouth and from your own heart to affirm your faith in Jesus Christ?
I am.

The bishop addresses the whole congregation

People of God, will you welcome these candidates and uphold them in their life in Christ?
With the help of God, we will.

The bishop says to the candidates

In baptism, God calls us out of darkness into his marvellous light. To follow Christ means dying to sin and rising to new life with him. Therefore I ask:

Do you turn to Christ?
I turn to Christ.

Do you repent of your sins?
I repent of my sins.

Do you renounce evil?
I renounce evil.

The bishop makes the Sign of the Cross on the forehead of the candidate for baptism

Christ claims you for his own. Receive the sign of the cross. Do not be ashamed to confess the faith of Christ crucified.
Fight valiantly as a disciple of Christ
against sin, the world, and the devil,
and remain faithful to Christ to the end of your life.

May almighty God deliver you from the powers of darkness, restore in you the image of his glory, and lead you in the light and obedience of Christ. Amen.

All remain seated for the Prayer Over the Water

Praise God who made heaven and earth,
who keeps his promise for ever.

Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give thanks and praise.

Almighty God, whose Son Jesus Christ was baptised in the river Jordan, we thank you for the gift of water to cleanse us and revive us. We thank you that through the waters of the Red Sea you led your people out of slavery to freedom in the Promised Land. We thank you that through the deep waters of death you brought your Son, and raised him to life in triumph. Bless this water, that your servants who are washed in it may be made one with Christ in his death and in his resurrection, to be cleansed and delivered from all sin. Send your Holy Spirit upon them, bring them to new birth in the household of faith, and raise them with Christ to full and eternal life; for all might, majesty, authority, and power are yours, now and for ever. Amen.

The bishop addresses the congregation

Brothers and sisters, I ask you to profess together with these candidates the faith of the Church.

Do you believe and trust in God the Father?
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.

Do you believe and trust in his Son Jesus Christ?
I believe in Jesus Christ,
his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried;
he descended to the dead.
On the third day he rose again;
he ascended into heaven,
he is seated at the right hand of the Father,
and he will come to judge the living and the dead.

Do you believe and trust in the Holy Spirit?
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.

N, is this your faith?
This is my faith.

The bishop pours water on the candidate, saying

N, I baptise you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The bishop sprinkles the remaining candidates with holy water as a reminder of their baptism, then says

Almighty God, we thank you for our fellowship in the household of faith with all who have been baptised into your name. Keep us faithful to our baptism, and so make us ready for that day when the whole creation shall be made perfect in your Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The bishop stands before those who are to be confirmed, and says

Our help is in the name of the Lord
who has made heaven and earth.

Blessed be the name of the Lord
now and for ever. Amen.

The bishop extends his hands towards those to be confirmed, and says

Almighty and ever-living God, you have given these your servants new birth in baptism by water and the Spirit, and have forgiven them all their sins. Let your Holy Spirit rest upon them: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding; the Spirit of counsel and inward strength; the Spirit of knowledge and true godliness; and let their delight be in the fear of the Lord. Amen.

The bishop addresses each candidate

N, God has called you by name and made you his own.

Anointing with the oil of Chrism and laying his hands on the candidate's head, the bishop says

Confirm, O Lord, your servant with your Holy Spirit. Amen.

The bishop addresses those receiving a blessing, saying

N, may the light of Christ shine on you in your journey of faith; may he nourish you in word and sacrament and keep you in the household of faith; and may almighty God bless you; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, today and always. Amen.

When all have received the laying on of hands, the bishop invites the congregation to pray for those confirmed

Defend, O Lord, these your servants with your heavenly grace, that they may continue yours for ever, and daily increase in your Holy Spirit more and more until they come to your everlasting kingdom. Amen.

All stand. The bishop introduces the Peace

God is love and those who live in love live in God and God lives in them.

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

Come down, O Love divine,
seek thou this soul of mine,
   and visit it with thine own ardour glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
within my heart appear,
   and kindle it, thy holy flame bestowing.

O let it freely burn,
till earthly passions turn
   to dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
and let thy glorious light
shine ever on my sight,
   and clothe me round, the while my path illuming.

Let holy charity
mine outward vesture be,
   and lowliness become mine inner clothing;
true lowliness of heart,
which takes the humbler part,
   and o'er its own shortcomings weeps with loathing.

And so the yearning strong,
with which the soul will long,
   shall far outpass the power of human telling;
for none can guess its grace,
till he become the place
   wherein the Holy Spirit makes his dwelling.

Words: Discendi amor santo, Bianco da Siena (c 1350–1434) translated by Richard Littledale (1833–90)
Tune: Down Ampney 137 NEH, Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958)

All remain standing for the Eucharistic Prayer. The bishop says

Father, we give you thanks and praise through your beloved Son Jesus Christ, your living Word, through whom you have created all things; who was sent by you in your great goodness to be our Saviour. By the power of the Holy Spirit he took flesh; as your Son, born of the blessed Virgin, he lived on earth and went about among us; he opened wide his arms for us on the cross; he put an end to death by dying for us; and revealed the resurrection by rising to new life; so he fulfilled your will and won for you a holy people. Therefore with angels and archangels, and with all the company of heaven, we proclaim your great and glorious name, for ever praising you and saying:

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 bishop 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 bishop 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.

The spirit of the Lord is upon me,
   because he hath anointed me
to preach the gospel to the poor:
   he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives,
   and recovering of sight to the blind,
to preach the acceptable year of the Lord;
   to give unto them that mourn a garland for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning,
   the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness,
that they might be called trees of righteousness,
   the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

For as the earth bringeth forth her bud,
   and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise
   to spring forth before all the nations;
as the earth bringeth forth her bud.

Words: Isaiah 61: 1–3, 11
Music: from The Apostles Op 49, Edward Elgar (1857–1934)

All stand to sing the Hymn

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
   'Come unto me and rest;
lay down, thou weary one, lay down
   thy head upon my breast:'
I came to Jesus as I was,
   weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in him a resting-place,
   and he has made me glad.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
   'Behold, I freely give
the living water, thirsty one;
   stoop down, and drink, and live:'
I came to Jesus, and I drank
   of that life-giving stream;
my thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
   and now I live in him.

I heard the voice of Jesus say,
   'I am this dark world's Light;
look unto me, thy morn shall rise,
   and all thy day be bright:'
I looked to Jesus, and I found
   in him my Star, my Sun;
and in that light of life I'll walk
   till travelling days are done.

Words: Horatius Bonar (1808–89)
Tune: Kingsfold 376 NEH, traditional melody

Let us pray.

All remain standing. The bishop says the Prayer after Communion

O God, whose beauty is beyond our imagining and whose power we cannot comprehend: show us your glory as far as we can grasp it, and shield us from knowing more than we can bear until we may look upon you without fear; through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

The bishop pronounces the Blessing

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord; and the blessing of God almighty, the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit, be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

God has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and has given us a place with the saints in light. You have received the light of Christ; walk in this light all the days of your life.
Shine as a light in the world
to the glory of God the Father.

Music after the service

Hymne d'actions de grâces 'Te Deum' (from Trois paraphrases grégoriennes Op 5), Jean Langlais

Choristerships at Westminster Abbey

The St Margaret's Choristers

The St Margaret's Choristers were established in 2023, giving an opportunity for girls aged 11–17 to join the rich tradition of choral music in the Abbey and St Margaret's Church; 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].

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.