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.

During the final hymn a collection will be taken. The money from today's services will be divided equally between Peek Vision and the work of the Abbey. Peek Vision is a social enterprise that powers eye health providers working in low- and middle-income countries to optimise their services and strengthen health systems.

Order of Service

The choir sings the Introit

Salva nos Domine vigilantes custodi nos dormientes ut vigilemus cum Christo et requiescamus in pace.

Save us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ and asleep may rest in peace.

Words: from the office of Compline
Music: Jean Mouton (c 1459–1522)

All stand as the choir and clergy enter

The officiant welcomes the congregation

All remain standing as the officiant introduces a general Confession

Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me;

All kneel or sit

Almighty and most merciful Father; we have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy name. Amen.

The officiant gives the Absolution

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live; and hath given power and commandment to his ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins: he pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him, which we do at this present; and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure, and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

All say together the Lord's Prayer

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 stand. The officiant and choir sing the Responses

Music: plainsong

All sit. The choir sings Psalm 44

We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us : what thou hast done in their time of old;
how thou hast driven out the heathen with thy hand, and planted them in : how thou hast destroyed the nations, and cast them out.
For they gat not the land in possession through their own sword : neither was it their own arm that helped them;
but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance : because thou hadst a favour unto them.
Thou art my King, O God : send help unto Jacob.
Through thee will we overthrow our enemies : and in thy name will we tread them under, that rise up against us.
For I will not trust in my bow : it is not my sword that shall help me;
but it is thou that savest us from our enemies : and puttest them to confusion that hate us.
We make our boast of God all day long : and will praise thy name for ever.
But now thou art far off, and puttest us to confusion : and goest not forth with our armies.
Thou makest us to turn our backs upon our enemies : so that they which hate us spoil our goods.
Thou lettest us be eaten up like sheep : and hast scattered us among the heathen.
Thou sellest thy people for nought : and takest no money for them.
Thou makest us to be rebuked of our neighbours : to be laughed to scorn,
and had in derision of them that are round about us.
Thou makest us to be a by-word among the heathen : and that the people shake their heads at us.
My confusion is daily before me : and the shame of my face hath covered me;
For the voice of the slanderer and blasphemer : for the enemy and avenger.
And though all this be come upon us, yet do we not forget thee :
nor behave ourselves frowardly in thy covenant.
Our heart is not turned back : neither our steps gone out of thy way;
No, not when thou hast smitten us into the place of dragons : and covered us with the shadow of death.
If we have forgotten the name of our God, and holden up our hands to any strange god : shall not God search it out?
For he knoweth the very secrets of the heart.
For thy sake also are we killed all the day long : and are counted as sheep appointed to be slain.
Up, Lord, why sleepest thou : awake, and be not absent from us for ever.
Wherefore hidest thou thy face : and forgettest our misery and trouble?
For our soul is brought low, even unto the dust : our belly cleaveth unto the ground.
Arise, and help us : and deliver us for thy mercy's sake.

All stand

Chant: plainsong

All sit for the first Lesson, the Prayer of Manasseh

O Lord Almighty,
God of our ancestors,
of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob
and of their righteous offspring;
you who made heaven and earth
with all their order;
who shackled the sea by your word of command,
who confined the deep
and sealed it with your terrible and glorious name;
at whom all things shudder,
and tremble before your power,
for your glorious splendour cannot be borne,
and the wrath of your threat to sinners is unendurable;
yet immeasurable and unsearchable
is your promised mercy,
for you are the Lord Most High,
of great compassion, long-suffering, and very merciful,
and you relent at human suffering.
O Lord, according to your great goodness
you have promised repentance and forgiveness
to those who have sinned against you,
and in the multitude of your mercies
you have appointed repentance for sinners,
so that they may be saved.
Therefore you, O Lord, God of the righteous,
have not appointed repentance for the righteous,
for Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, who did not sin against you,
but you have appointed repentance for me, who am a sinner.

For the sins I have committed are more in number than the sand of the sea;
my transgressions are multiplied, O Lord, they are multiplied!
I am not worthy to look up and see the height of heaven
because of the multitude of my iniquities.
I am weighted down with many an iron fetter,
so that I am rejected because of my sins,
and I have no relief;
for I have provoked your wrath
and have done what is evil in your sight,
setting up abominations and multiplying offences.

And now I bend the knee of my heart,
imploring you for your kindness.
I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,
and I acknowledge my transgressions.
I earnestly implore you,
forgive me, O Lord, forgive me!
Do not destroy me with my transgressions!
Do not be angry with me for ever or store up evil for me;
do not condemn me to the depths of the earth.
For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent,
and in me you will manifest your goodness;
for, unworthy as I am, you will save me according to your great mercy,
and I will praise you continually all the days of my life.
For all the host of heaven sings your praise,
and yours is the glory for ever. Amen.

Here ends the first lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Magnificat

Magdalen College Service, Grayston Ives (b 1948)

All sit for the second Lesson, James 5

Come now, you rich people, weep and wail for the miseries that are coming to you. Your riches have rotted, and your clothes are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver have rusted, and their rust will be evidence against you, and it will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure for the last days. Listen! The wages of the labourers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. You have lived on the earth in luxury and in pleasure; you have fattened your hearts on a day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the righteous one, who does not resist you.

Be patient, therefore, beloved, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious crop from the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and the late rains. You also must be patient. Strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near. Beloved, do not grumble against one another, so that you may not be judged. See, the Judge is standing at the doors! As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Indeed we call blessed those who showed endurance. You have heard of the endurance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Above all, my beloved, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your 'Yes' be yes and your 'No' be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.

Are any among you suffering? They should pray. Are any cheerful? They should sing songs of praise. Are any among you sick? They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord. The prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise them up; and anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, so that you may be healed. The prayer of the righteous is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being like us, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain and the earth yielded its harvest.

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

Here ends the second lesson.

All stand. The choir sings Nunc dimittis

Magdalen College Service, Grayston Ives

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, of Lent, for peace, and for aid against all perils

Grant, we beseech thee, almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

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, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee we being defended from the fear of our enemies may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Lighten our darkness we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Music: plainsong

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, Camilla the Queen Consort, 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 sit. The choir sings the Anthem

Tribulatio proxima est et non est qui adjuvet. Sed tu Domine, defensor vitae meae, vindica me.

Contumelias et terrores passum sum ab eis. Adjutor et protector meus es tu. Domine ne moreris.

Trouble is near at hand and there is none to help. But you, Lord, the defence of my life, avenge me.

Insults and terrors have I suffered from them. You are my helper and my deliverer: O Lord, do not delay.

Words: a free text incorporating verses of Psalms 22 and 70 and an antiphon for Wednesday in Holy Week
Music: William Byrd (c 1540–1623) Sacrarum Cantionum 1591

All kneel or remain seated for the Intercessions, at the end of which 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 to sing the Hymn

Judge eternal, throned in splendour,
   Lord of lords and King of kings,
with thy living fire of judgement
   purge this realm of bitter things:
solace all its wide dominion
   with the healing of thy wings.

Still the weary folk are pining
   for the hour that brings release:
and the city's crowded clangour
   cries aloud for sin to cease;
and the homesteads and the woodlands
   plead in silence for their peace.

Crown, O God, thine own endeavour;
   cleave our darkness with thy sword;
feed the faithless and the hungry
   with the richness of thy word:
cleanse the body of this nation
   through the glory of the Lord.

Words: Prayer for the Nation Henry Holland (1847–1918)
Tune: Rhuddlan 490 NEH from Edward Jones' Musical Relicks of Welsh Bards 1800

The Sermon by The Right Reverend Anthony Ball, Canon in Residence

All stand to sing the Hymn during which the collection will be taken. Alternatively, cash and contactless donations may be given as you leave via the Great West Door

Through all the changing scenes of life,
   in trouble and in joy,
the praises of my God shall still
   my heart and tongue employ.

O magnify the Lord with me,
   with me exalt his name;
when in distress to him I called,
   he to my rescue came.

The hosts of God encamp around
   the dwellings of the just;
deliverance he affords to all
   who on his succour trust.

O make but trial of his love,
   experience will decide
how blest are they, and only they,
   who in his truth confide.

Fear him, ye saints, and you will then
   have nothing else to fear;
make you his service your delight,
   your wants shall be his care.

To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
   the God whom we adore,
be glory, as it was, is now,
   and shall be evermore.
      Amen.

Words: Psalm 34 in Nahum Tate and Nicholas Brady's New Version of the Psalms of David 1696
Tune: Wiltshire 467 NEH, George Thomas Smart (1776–1867)

The Blessing. All respond Amen.

All remain standing as the clergy depart

Music after the service

Passacaglia in C minor BWV 582i, Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)

Those who wish to may sit for the remainder of the organ voluntary

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