Thy Kingdom Come

I am looking out on the bluest sky and radiant sun. At the colour of the garden and a gentle breeze moving the branches and leaves of the trees. A butterfly fluttering. A sparrow hawk winging in the clear air.

I blink away tears of grief and of gratitude as I thank God for His creation!

These extraordinary days have revealed to us all the depth of response from thousands of people, not only in the United Kingdom but across the world, to the loss of Her Majesty, our Queen.

Her reign has been retold to us, on TV and radio. To me, the outstanding fact emerging is her faith. I have been meditating on what I hear of her generosity in gently sharing her faith, “an uncomplicated but profound faith” (from a commentator).

This not only from her role, her sovereignty, but personally. She has confidently declared that she has been guided in her life and work by what she believes.

At every opportunity our Queen has spoken afresh of how the values of God’s love and peace have inspired her. She shared that with us and with others. She radiated her faith, in a light and natural way, but she did not hold back.

The Queen has drawn us together at those times, and now, as we mourn her passing. She demonstrated and she told of her experience, inviting us to share those values of love, hope, peace and eternal life with everyone. I am convinced that this is her legacy to us all.

The death of our great monarch has caused us to pause and reflect on so much: our Queens life, the history of of our country, and our own values and hopes for ourselves, the people of our future and the population of the world.

David McKenzie knew something of my meditations. He found and very kindly, passed on an article from Primary Christianity. I will share some of it here. The thinking is wonderful and expressed so clearly.

It writes of “How the Queen’s death is revealing ‘a latent spirituality’ in the UK. There is something about a major event like this that suspends our behaviour and allows, or even compels, us to reveal hidden longings, and ask questions that wouldn’t normally be asked. It uncovers deeper significance.”

The article tells, “of volunteer clergymen who had spent several hours on The Embankment, talking to whoever wanted to chat. Normally, if you approach people in the street to ask about their personal lives and emotions you get short shrift, but this time people were eager to talk.”

Wordsworth’s words: ‘A presence that disturbs me with the joy of elevated thoughts; a sense of the sublime, of something more deeply infused.’

“The monarchy has been a sign of or symbol of permanence, but the Queen would agree, that it speaks of a longer permanence. Yet the monarchy has always only been a sign of an even greater permanence – the faithfulness of God.”

“Our dwelling place throughout all generations.” Psalm 90:1

Perhaps underneath ‘the latent spirituality’ of the past few weeks lies this longing for permanence, stability, something that can relied on. ‘In the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us.’ Luke 1:68

In all the liturgical forms of church and state formalities we have recently experienced we are reminded how intricately woven Christian faith is into the fabric of our national life and the roots go deep.

No doubt the solemnity, the tried and tested words of Christian worship help us in times of change and in our grief. These practices remain unfamiliar to many. The task of the church from here is to show how this ancient faith has the wisdom, not just to provide consolation at these times, but that it can also be a guide to ordinary life.

It needs, as our great monarch did, to live and speak with confidence and wisdom, of a spirituality for life and work, the everyday. This is the faith in a God of ages – the God who raises the dead. He can fulfill the longings of new found spirituality.

I pray, that as a church, we will have the confidence and the courage to live and speak of that permanence and steadiness, in God’s name, for those who crave it now.

Compassionate God,
as you know each star you have created,
so you know the secrets of every heart;

in your loving mercy bring to your table,
all who are fearful and broken,
all who are wounded and needy,
that our hungers may be satisfied in the city of your peace;

through Christ who is our peace.

Amen

Church of England Common Worship