Westminster Abbey

Sermon given at the Sung Eucharist by The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, on Ash Wednesday, 10th February 2016 at Westminster Abbey. #westminsterabbey #ashwednesday #churchofengland #christian #religion

Father Raniero Cantalamessa O.F.M. CAP, Preacher to the Papal Household gives the Sermon at a Service of Holy Communion at the Inauguration of the Tenth General Synod of the Church of England at Westminster Abbey on Tuesday 24th November 2015

Speaker: Baroness Jowell Interlocutor and Chair: Baroness D'Souza, Lord SpeakerIt is neither superheroes nor automata but human beings who pace the corridors of Westminster and Whitehall, often feeling anything but powerful. Bound by party politics, the executive, the minister, public opinion, the media: sometimes these constraints are real, sometimes not. Who, or what, is running the country? How is power balanced around Parliament Square between the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive? What of the soft power of religion and the monarchy? In its autumn programmeIn Power? Westminster Abbey Institute will offer a series of lectures, dialogues and seminars to explore these pressing questions.

The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster, delivers the sermon on All Souls Day, 2nd November 2015

The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dr Richard Chartres KCVO, Bishop of London, gives the sermon at a special service to commemorate the 600th anniversary of The Battle of Agincourt

The Right Reverend and Right Honourable Dr Richard Chartres KCVO gives the address at a special service celebrating the lives of Armenian martyrs

Speaker: Sir David NormingtonInterlocutor and Chair: Professor Lord HennessyIt is neither superheroes nor automata but human beings who pace the corridors of Westminster and Whitehall, often feeling anything but powerful. Bound by party politics, the executive, the minister, public opinion, the media: sometimes these constraints are real, sometimes not. Who, or what, is running the country? How is power balanced around Parliament Square between the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive? What of the soft power of religion and the monarchy? In its autumn programme "In Power?" Westminster Abbey Institute offers a series of lectures, dialogues and seminars to explore these pressing questions.

Sermon given by The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster at the Sung Eucharist for the Dedication of Westminster Abbey on Sunday 18th October 2015

Sermon given by The Right Reverend Stephen Platten, Honorary Assistant Bishop, Diocese of London, at the Festival Eucharist on the National Pilgrimage to the Shrine of St Edward the Confessor - 17th October 2015

Sermon given by The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster at Sung Eucharist on 13th October 2015, The Translation of St Edward the Confessor, 1163, 1269

It is neither superheroes nor automata but human beings who pace the corridors of Westminster and Whitehall, often feeling anything but powerful.Bound by party politics, the executive, the minister, public opinion, the media: sometimes these constraints are real, sometimes not. Who, or what, is running the country? How is power balanced around Parliament Square between the Legislature, the Judiciary and the Executive? What of the soft power of religion and the monarchy? In its autumn programme In Power? Westminster Abbey Institute will offer a series of lectures, dialogues and seminars to explore these pressing questions.

The Lord Mayor of Westminster, Councillor The Lady Flight, attended a Service of Thanksgiving to mark the Centenary of Blind Veterans UK at Westminster Abbey at Noon on Tuesday 6th October 2015. The address was given by the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall

The annual Judges Service took place at Westminster Abbey on Thursday 1st October 2015.The Reverend Robin Griffith-Jones, Master of the Temple, gave the address.Find out more about the Judges Service 2015:

The Venerable (Air Vice-Marshal) Jonathan Chaffey QHC RAF Chaplain-in-Chief, Royal Air Force, gives the sermon at a service of thanksgiving and rededication to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain

Sermon given at Sung Eucharist on St Peter's Day by The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you." @deanwestminster The Very Reverend Dr John Hall preaches at Sung Eucharist on The Day of Pentecost, Sunday 2015.

Confession is big business. As family relationships are laid bare for daytime TV audiences and mock courtrooms try real cases for entertainment, calls for repentance echo everywhere. Those who hold power; religious, political, legal and cultural; are held to account by a free media and unregulated internet. In these contexts, what can the Church say about the Christian requirement for mercy as a public value? Is the quest for purity as damaging as it is noble? Do our public conversations confuse sincerity with truth? And is there any such thing as innocence? Speaker: The Reverend Lucy Winkett, Rector, St James's PiccadillyLucy Winkett was ordained in 1995, having worked previously as a professional soprano. With degrees from Cambridge and Birmingham Universities, she served her title in Manor Park, Newham before moving to St Paul's Cathedral where she later became Canon Precentor, the first woman priest to be appointed there. She became Rector of St James's Church Piccadilly in 2010. She is a long-standing contributor to Radio 4's Thought for the Day, was a founding advisor for the public theology think tank "Theos" and is one of the co-founders of "Leading Women", a national development programme for women clergy. Read a transcript of this lecture on Westminster Abbey's website.

The sermon, preached by The Right Reverend and Right Honourable The Lord Williams of Oystermouth, formerly Archbishop of Canterbury, at The Ordination and Consecration of Bishops at Westminster Abbey - 14th May 2015

The Dean of Westminster, The Very Reverend Dr John Hall delivers the sermon at Sung Eucharist on Ascension Day, 14th May 2015

The Address given by Professor Michael Wheeler, Visiting Professor at the Universities of Lancaster, Roehampton and Southampton at the 50th Annual Service to Commemorate the Life of Florence Nightingale.

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby delivers the Address at the Service of Thanksgiving Marking the 70th Anniversary of Victory in Europe Day, 2015. #VEDay70

The Dean of Westminster Abbey, The Very Reverend John Hall, delivers the address at A Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving to mark the Centenary of the ANZAC Landings on Saturday 25th April 2015

Speaker: Canon Professor Vernon White Stand and Be Counted offers lectures and symposia for all those concerned with the health of Politics. This lecture is one of a series of 3 lectures, focussing on "Idealism and Compromise in Public Service: When the eye sees further than the hand can reach."

Speaker: Canon Professor Vernon WhiteStand and Be Counted offers lectures and symposia for all those concerned with the health of Politics. This lecture is one of a series of 3 lectures, focussing on "Idealism and Compromise in Public Service: When the eye sees further than the hand can reach."

Speaker: Canon Professor Vernon WhiteStand and Be Counted offers lectures and symposia for all those concerned with the health of Politics. This lecture is one of a series of 3 lectures, focussing on "Idealism and Compromise in Public Service: When the eye sees further than the hand can reach."

Recorded on Monday 23rd February at The Lady Chapel, WestminsterSpeakers: Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Assistant Comissioner Helen King and selected police officersThe forthcoming General Election falls on the 750th anniversary of the First Parliament which convened in the Chapter House of Westminster Abbey, and the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta.Has our politics lived up to the expectations of its historic foundations? Elected and appointed public servants now face an allegedly cynical public. How do you win an election without selling your soul? What if you want to be idealistic and the world won’t let you?Stand and Be Counted offers lectures and symposia for all those concerned with the health of politics.

Speakers: Professor David Reynolds and Professor Sir Hew Strachan Chair: Mark Easton, BBC Home EditorThose gathered around the decision-making table in 1914 were only too aware of the moral issues at stake. What can those facing potential conflict today learn from the moral complexities then?

In a wide-ranging lecture entitled Humanising Hell – our Restless Conscience and the Search for Peace, Mr Hague reflected on the legacy of conflict from World War One to today, and called on Britain to maintain the ideas and ambition needed to prevent future conflict and to improve the condition of humanity.

The Feast of Dedication of a church is a celebration of the church building as a house of God and place of prayer.The present Abbey Church was dedicated in 13th October 1269. Since 13th October is the principal feast of St Edward, here at the Abbey we keep the Feast of Dedication on the following Sunday.

The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster#AdmiralPhillip

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales attended a Service of Thanksgiving for the Life and Work of Sir John Tavener at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday 11th June at 12 noon.

Speaker: The Reverend Dr Sam Wells‘What does one do in the face of the daily diminishment of human beings?’ The Revd Dr Sam Wells explores and challenges different understandings of justice and asks whether the church can model a way of life beyond justice.Read a transcript of this lecture on Westminster Abbey's website.

The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of WestminsterWe must admire the strength of character and determination of Edith Cavell and her commitment as a nurse to care for all without discrimination. She stands as an icon, an example and an inspiration, alongside Florence Nightingale whom we honour today and for whom we thank God, of nursing at its best, even in the most difficult circumstances. Simply expressed, the praise is of the highest. She was a good nurse.

His Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester attended the annual Service of Commemoration and Thanksgiving to mark ANZAC Day at Westminster Abbey on Friday 25th April 2014.

Speaker: Claire Foster-Gilbert, Director, Westminster Abbey InstituteChair: The Right Honourable The Baroness D’Souza CMG, Lord SpeakerEven if we know what is the right thing to do, and we want very much to do it, what then gives us the courage to act? What reminds those in public office of their vocation to serve? Powerful stories of journeys that resonate with the stories in our own lives can waken the giant within and remind us that the best, most interesting lives are lived for others. In this lecture, Claire Foster-Gilbert described the ‘hero’s journey’ as a map for lives of public service.

Speaker: Claire Foster-Gilbert, Director, Westminster Abbey Institute.Why should we be moral? What motivates public servants to keep serving the common good? Claire Foster-Gilbert argues that our moral sensibilities arise from the way we perceive the world around us. She suggests perceptions that can refresh our vison and evoke a will to be good, describing the spheres of interdependent life in which all participate; the sacredness of creation; the priesthood of all humanity; and the Sabbath principle.

Speaker: Claire Foster-Gilbert, Director, Westminster Abbey Institute.A robust moral decision is one that clearly identifies the moral issues at stake and takes them into account. For those in public office, being able to explain how they came to make such decisions is also critical. In this lecture, Claire Foster-Gilbert offers a framework for making comprehensive and comprehendable moral decisions by describing goal-based, duty-based and right-based thinking processes.

Audio includes:Wilfred Frost reads 'Remember Me' by David HarkinsGeorge Frost reads his Poem following the dedication of the Memorial Stone.Joanna Lumley reads 'A Sonnet of Sorts for a Star' by Joanna Lumley/Richard Stilgoe

Audio includes:Her Majesty The Queen's Commonwealth Day Message A performance by the Pipes and Drums of Gordon's School A reflection by the Right Honourable The Lord Coe Gaelic Anthem sung by the Choir of Westminster Abbey A reflection by The Right Honourable The Baroness Grey-Thompson Unbelievable Dream by Laura Mvula

Speaker: The Right Reverend Professor NT Wright, University of St Andrews Chair: Canon Professor Vernon WhiteThe faithfulness of God is a controlling theme of Pauls’ writings. Divine faithfulness, both to covenant and to creation, raises questions of considerable contemporary urgency: the new challenge to unity, a vision of ecological stewardship, the quest for holiness, and the renewal of mission, particularly in relation to social and political moods and structures. In these areas Paul cuts across the lines of fashionable thinking now, as he did in his own day: this lecture will explore the key current debates, and expound a fresh way of reading Paul (as in the author’s recent book).Read a transcript of this lecture on Westminster Abbey's website.

We commit ourselves to living this Lent self-sacrificially, giving up ourselves to the service and love of God and spreading the gift and spirit of reconciliation.

His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales represented Her Majesty The Queen at a Service to Celebrate the Life and Work of Nelson Mandela, former President of the Republic of South Africa, at Westminster Abbey on Monday 3rd March 2014. The service was also attended by the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable David Cameron MP, and the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe.

His Royal Highness Prince Henry of Wales represented Her Majesty The Queen at a Service to Celebrate the Life and Work of Nelson Mandela, former President of the Republic of South Africa, at Westminster Abbey on Monday 3rd March 2014. The service was also attended by the Prime Minister, the Right Honourable David Cameron MP, and the Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa, Kgalema Motlanthe.

The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster Can we come to see God, to know God? The question is as old as time. And it has seemed to tease people throughout history and throughout the world. Can we come to see God, to know God?

The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster

The Very Reverend Dr John Hall, Dean of Westminster

The Right Honourable Alistair Carmichael MP, Secretary of State for Scotland and Nicola Sturgeon MSP, Deputy First Minister for Scotland attended a Service of Remembrance to mark the 25th anniversary of the Lockerbie Air Disaster at Westminster Abbey on Saturday 21st December.

Michael Ward chairing a panel discussing the strengths and weaknesses of Lewis's various endeavours and taking questions from the audience. On the panel are novelist Jeanette Sears, theologian Judith Wolfe, and apologists William Lane Craig, Peter S. Williams, and Michael Ramsden