I’m a sentimental Welshman. But I confess to being quite a committed monarchist.
I sang the national anthem
at the Remembrance service last week with more than the usual feeling.
Many of us have been
praying for Her Majesty The Queen during her recent illnesses and struggles.
Whether or not you’re republican, we might all admit that the Queen’s 69 year reign has been the most remarkable record of public service.
Much of that has been the
product of her own personal Christian faith.
The Queen has been such a
good monarch because she has kept the example of King Jesus before her.
There was a good little
booklet produced to mark the Queen’s 90th birthday in 2016 and it
was appropriately titled: The Servant Queen and the
King She Serves
The Servant
Queen and the King She Serves
One senior Vatican
official has called the Queen “The Last Christian Monarch”.
We confidently pray that
it will not be so, of course!
And today is the Feast of
Christ the King.
I’ve sometimes thought
that the Queen has been the nation’s most influential preacher.
She wasn’t able to attend
the new General Synod this week but Prince Edward read a message on her behalf.
Some of my friends who
were there said it was the best bit of the whole Synod!
She said:
“None of us can slow the
passage of time; and while we often focus on all that has changed in the
intervening years, much remains unchanged, including the Gospel of Christ and
his teachings.”
‘The list of tasks
facing that face General Synod may sound familiar to many of you… but one
stands out supreme: “to bring the people of this country to the knowledge and
the love of God”
It’s useful, isn’t it, to
be remined by our Supreme Governor, what the Church of England is for:
The unchanging Gospel of
Christ and his teachings:
Bringing to the people of
this country the knowledge and love of God.
Of course we care for our
buildings.
And there is much good we
can do in our communities.
But we do it all in the
name of Christ and with the good news about him on our lips.
In her Christmas message,
the Queen has frequently spoken of Jesus as her “inspiration” and “role-model”,
as the anchor of her life”, and of the strength she draws daily from putting
her “trust in God” and “from the message of hope in the Christian gospel”.
She knows Jesus not only
as her example, but as her “Saviour with the power to forgive.”
The Queen has said that
she is sustained by the prayers of her people and that at Christmas she prays
for us that we might all find room in our lives for the message of the angels and
for the love of God through Jesus Christ.
So there is much that we
could say to liken the reign of her majesty to the reign of Christ her King.
But we must also say
something by way of contrast.
cf. Daniel 7 - The everlasting sovereign power of Christ
A God-given Kingdom - cf. The Divine Right of Kings?! - "Elizabeth II, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Her other Realms and Territories Queen, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith."
The orb under the cross is a symbol that all the kings of the earth must bow to King Jesus
cf. John 18 - A Kingdom not from this world
Contrast Pilate / Caesar and Christ - who is the true judge, saviour, Son of God, King of Kings etc.?
Jesus' preaching of Good news of the Kingdom which calls for repentance of faith
(Good news - of the birth of a new king, of the victory of a king in battle - which makes all the difference for the people who will receive them)
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https://www.biblesociety.org.uk/get-involved/the-servant-queen-and-the-king-she-serves/
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/dec/24/queens-christmas-message-article-of-christian-faith
It would be nice to have
an up to date anthology of all Her Majesty’s references to Jesus and
Christianity. Does anyone know of one?
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