Order of Service
Today's services
Sunday, 7th January 2024
10:00
The Baptism of Christ - First Sunday of EpiphanyMatins
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. At Matins most of the service is sung by the choir on our behalf. We participate through our presence and our listening, that the words and the music might become a prayer within us and lift us to contemplate God's beauty and glory.
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 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.
After the service a collection will be taken; the money from today's services will be divided equally between St Andrew's Club and the work of the Abbey. St Andrew's is a community-based youth club, established over 150 years ago, which enriches young lives by providing a sense of belonging, fun, and informal education.
Order of Service
All stand as the choir and clergy enter
The officiant says a Sentence of Scripture
The officiant and choir sing the Responses
and to the Holy Ghost;
world without end. Amen.
Music: Thomas Tallis (c 1505–85)
All sit. The choir sings Venite exultemus Domino
let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation!
and shew ourselves glad in him with psalms!
and a great King above all gods.
and the strength of the hills is his also.
and his hands prepared the dry land.
and kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is the Lord our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
and to the Holy Ghost;
world without end. Amen.
All remain seated. The choir sings Psalm 89: 20–30
Thou spakest sometime in visions unto thy saints, and saidst : I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.
I have found David my servant : with my holy oil have I anointed him.
My hand shall hold him fast : and my arm shall strengthen him.
The enemy shall not be able to do him violence : the son of wickedness shall not hurt him.
I will smite down his foes before his face : and plague them that hate him.
My truth also and my mercy shall be with him : and in my name shall his horn be exalted.
I will set his dominion also in the sea : and his right hand in the floods.
He shall call me, Thou art my Father : my God, and my strong salvation.
And I will make him my first-born : higher than the kings of the earth.
My mercy will I keep for him for evermore : and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
His seed also will I make to endure for ever : and his throne as the days of heaven.
All stand
and to the Holy Ghost;
world without end. Amen.
All sit for the first Lesson, 1 Samuel 16: 1–3, 13
The Lord said to Samuel, 'How long will you grieve over Saul? I have rejected him from being king over Israel. Fill your horn with oil and set out; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.' Samuel said, 'How can I go? If Saul hears of it, he will kill me.' And the Lord said, 'Take a heifer with you, and say, "I have come to sacrifice to the Lord." Invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; and you shall anoint for me the one whom I name to you.' Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the presence of his brothers; and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.
Here ends the first lesson.
All stand. The choir sings Te Deum laudamus
and we worship thy name ever world without end.
First Service, Thomas Tomkins (1572–1656)
All sit for the second Lesson, John 1: 29–34
John saw Jesus coming towards him and declared, 'Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, "After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me." I myself did not know him; but I came baptizing with water for this reason, that he might be revealed to Israel.' And John testified, 'I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, "He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit." And I myself have seen and have testified that this is the Son of God.'
Here ends the second lesson.
All stand. The choir sings Jubilate Deo
O be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness;
and come before his presence with a song.
Be ye sure that the Lord he is God.
It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving,
and into his courts with praise.
Be thankful unto him, and speak good of his name.
For the Lord is gracious;
his mercy is everlasting,
and his truth endureth from generation to generation.
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.
Music: plainsong
All face east to say together the Apostles' Creed
I believe in God the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth:
and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell;
the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic Church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
Let us pray.
All kneel or sit. The officiant and choir sing the Lesser Litany; the Lord's Prayer and the Responses
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.
The officiant sings the Collects; of the day, for Peace, for Grace:
O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people which call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; 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.
Music: Thomas Tallis
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
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,
be with us all evermore.
Amen.
All stand as the choir and clergy depart
Music after the service
Christ unser Herr zum Jordan kam BWV 684, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
Those who wish to may sit for the remainder of the organ voluntary
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The Abbey is grateful for your support. Cash and contactless donations may be given as you leave via the Great West Door and will be divided equally between the work of the Abbey and the charities it supports.
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Saturday, 27th April 2024 | ||
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8.00am | Holy Communion | St Faith's Chapel |
said | ||
8.40am | Morning Prayer | St Faith's Chapel |
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5.00pm | Evensong | Quire |
marking the centenary of the burial of Charles Villiers Stanford (1852–1924), composer; sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey | Rose Responses |
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View Order of Service | ||