Holy Week and Easter at St Martin-in-the-Fields

This Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week with, at St Martin-in-the-Fields, a Palm Sunday procession, led by a donkey, with the Regent Hall Salvation Army Band and the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and our Eucharist includes the dramatization of the Passion Gospel, led by members of the St Martin’s community.The procession begins as we gather behind Admiralty Arch at 9.45am. For those not joining the procession the service in church begins as usual at 10.00am.

At 5.00pm on Palm Sunday, ‘From Creation to Salvation’ is a powerful service of readings and music as we enter into Holy Week, telling the story of salvation, with the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields.

We welcome you to all of our services for Holy Week and Easter. Join with us as we follow the way of Christ through death to resurrection. Meditations on the Stations of the Cross feature on Monday and there will be a Eucharist on Tuesday. Both are in the Dick Sheppard Chapel. Alternative Stations of the Cross, 6.00pm on 15 April will include pictures, poems and prayers that enable us to follow Jesus on his journey to the cross reflecting both on the significance and the pain of that journey as we do so. The poems are by Jonathan Evens and the pictures by Henry Shelton.

Bread for the World on Wednesday evening concludes the Confessions of Augustine with Sam Wells preaching and presiding. Maundy Thursday Foot Washing and Institution of the Eucharist starts at 6.30pm with Vigil until 10pm. Good Friday includes an All Age Service at 10am and The Three Hours, with reflections by Guli Francis-Dehqani, Bishop of Loughborough at 12-3pm, followed by hot cross buns and coffee in St Martin's Hall.



The Rt Revd Guli Francis-Dehqani is the preacher in our Good Friday Three Hours service of reflections on the passion of Christ. Her theme is ‘A Cry from the Cross for a Lost Homeland.’ With music from the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields. Bishop Francis-Dehqani comes originally from Iran. Since 2017 she has served the Church of England as the Bishop of Loughborough and has a particular interest in work related to diverse cultures and ethnic minority communities within the Diocese.

Easter Sunday begins with the Vigil and First Eucharist of Easter, with the lighting of the new fire on the Portico at 5.30am. It will be followed by Easter Breakfast, Parish Eucharist at 10.00am. 

Find out more about services during Holy Week and Easter here.

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Will Todd - Sabat Mater.

The most marvellous Pentecost Sunday

Today has been, I think, the most marvellous Pentecost Sunday I can remember experiencing and enjoying.

Feel the Spirit - A Celebration for Pentecost was broadcast live from St Martin-in-the-Fields on BBC1. The preacher was the new bishop of London, the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, and the Mass setting, Will Todd's wonderful Jazz Missa Brevis, was sung by the combined choirs of St Martin's and directed by Andrew Earis. Hymns include the 'Every Time I Feel the Spirit', 'God is Love', 'Let Heaven Adore Him' and 'Come Down, O Love Divine'. The service also included a moving Pentecost drama with members of our congregation as the disciples speaking in their mother tongues, as well as a specially written Affirmation of Faith and intercessions. This was a tremendous celebration of the gift of the Spirit to the church through the wonderful diversity of the St Martin’s community.

Then I went to Regent Hall Salvation Army for the Churches Together in Westminster Pentecost Service with a great variety provided by the Regent Hall Band, Songsters, Worship Group and young people's band and choir. The service was led by Major Richard Mingay and the preacher was Fr Dominic Robinson SJ. We also viewed the video above of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry exploring what we mean when we pray 'Thy Kingdom Come'. I was interviewed about my upbringing, calling to ordained ministry, partnership development role at St Martin's, and my co-authored book 'The Secret Chord'. 

I talked about the Spirit's leading in my call through the thought that I had built up a set of skills and experiences through my work in the Civil Service and lay ministry that would be of use in ordained ministry. As I explored ordination I came to see that it could bring together my interests in partnership work, social action, spirituality and the Arts. I spoke of 'The Secret Chord' as an impassioned study of the role of music in cultural life, written through the prism of Christian belief. By exploring artistic dilemmas from a range of different perspectives the book draws its readers into an appreciation of harmony in performance as revealing the Secret Chord. 

HeartEdge is a growing ecumenical and international network of churches and other organisations initiated by St Martin’s, and focused around the model of mission with which St Martin’s works – congregation, commerce, culture and compassion. HeartEdge aims to catalyse kingdom communities by building association, learning, development and resource. The Spirit has been active in calling, creativity and the emerging HeartEdge community. I said that ecumenical partnerships and relationships are important because they place us at the heart of Jesus' prayer for unity among his disciples and provide the fullest expression of the Body of Christ.

Finally, the Choir of St Martin-in-the-Fields gave us the most magnificent Choral Evensong to end  Pentecost Sunday. The service included: Purcell's 'I was glad' as the Introit; Responses by Rose, Canticles from the Evening Service in B flat by Stanford; and Parry's 'Blest pair of sirens' as the anthem.

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Regent Hall Band - Expressions.

Pentecost Services

This year at St Martin-in-the-Fields, we are delighted to host the live BBC One worship broadcast for Pentecost on Sunday 20 May. All are warmly invited to this service as we celebrate the gift of the Spirit to the church through the wonderful diversity of the St Martin’s community. Our preacher will be the Rt Revd Sarah Mullally, the new Bishop of London. The service is led by Revd Dr Sam Wells, with the combined choirs of St Martin’s and the Will Todd Ensemble, directed by Andrew Earis. Please be seated in church by 9.30am.

The 2018 Churches Together in Westminster Pentecost Service will be held at 3.00pm on Sunday, 20 May, and will kindly be hosted by The Salvation Army, Regent Hall, 275 Oxford St, Mayfair, London W1C 2DJ. Again, all are welcome! The service will be led by Major Richard Mingay, the preacher will be Fr Dominic Robinson SJ and I will be interviewed about my ministry and my partnership development role at St Martin-in-the-Fields.

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Will Todd - Mass in Blue (Jazz Mass).