The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word NOCTURNS
I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
N
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Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "parts of a church service" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case parts of a church service = nocturns.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does NOCTURNS mean?
NOCTURNS noun- The night office of the Christian liturgy of the Hours, such as is performed in monasteries.
- A portion of the psalter used during nocturns.