Rector's letter for May Fowey News
Dear Friends
What is royal? What is kingly? Let me suggest that, above all else, it is to serve.
Although she was not born to be Queen, her late Majesty served our country and Commonwealth for over 70 years. Famously, in a radio broadcast from Cape Town, South Africa when she was 21 the Princess Elizabeth dedicated her life to her future role: “I declare before you that my whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service… God help me to make good my vow, and God bless all of you who are willing to share it.”
That commitment sprang from her Majesty’s deep and personal Christian faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in her own words, her “inspiration and role model”; her “anchor” and “hope”; her “source of strength and courage”; the one in whom she trusted and to whom she has given her heart. In her 2008 Christmas broadcast, the Queen highlighted what she called Jesus’ “outgoing, unselfish and sacrificial life,” and the way the Lord Jesus, “makes it clear that genuine human happiness and satisfaction lie more in giving that receiving, more in serving than being served.” One commentator, Mark Greene, observed, “The reality is that Elizabeth the 2nd … consistently, winsomely and publicly honoured the God she served and has been an extraordinary example of joyful, persevering, life-affirming, generous hearted, unstinting, wise service on behalf of others.”
As we celebrate the coronation of her son the King, it is not the pomp and the pageantry, it is not ceremonial or even the crowns, which lie at the heart of the service, but rather the continuity of that commitment to the example of The Servant King.
In his Coronation Oath, the King will promise to govern his peoples according to their respective laws and customs and to preserve true religion. After he has signed the Oath, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland will present him with a Bible, saying, “This is the most valuable thing that this world afford. Here is wisdom; this is the royal law; these are the lively oracles of God.” It is a remarkable statement to make to a man holding or wearing elements of the Crown Jewels which include some of the world’s most valuable gem stones. It locates the King’s majesty and rule in the teaching and example of the Lord Jesus Christ.
In an age of celebrity culture, service is neither lauded, valued nor respected, but it emphatically is in the New Testament where the idea of a servant has three great focal points: First, Christ, the King above all, who became the servant for all, entering our mess, dying our death so that we could be invited into his life and family; secondly, the way in which we follow him by being his servants; and, thirdly, the way in which that service entails being the servants of others.
King Charles has sought to make a difference for others throughout his life, for example, through the Prince’s Trust, or using his position to bring together the best minds to tackle issues. Now in the Coronation, he will commit himself to be the embodiment of such service for his nation as an example. Let’s pray for him in that.
with every blessing
Philip