Sermon to commemorate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on 11 October 2022
We remember before God the life, faith and witness of Her late Majesty the Queen. We mourn, but in the reassurance of her everlasting life.
The Queen’s faith.
When Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in 1952, she vowed to commit her life to service to God and the people, through the sacred promises she made to God and to her people. The titles she received as Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England are titles she took seriously, at all times.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has commented “As a faithful Christian disciple, and also Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she lived out her faith every day of her life,” and how “Her trust in God and profound love for God was foundational in how she led her life – hour by hour, day by day.” At the heart of these are justice, law and faith.
The Queen’s witness
Christian biographers of the queen have observed that since the year 2000, there has been a marked change, the queen became much more open about her faith, the influence of Jesus on her life, and how the forgiveness she has received through Christ has been a model for her own reign. It is as if she had found a fresh dimension to the faith that had already been there, She had faith but it became more real, more personal, like discovering a lost coin and rejoicing; a jigsaw with an missing piece.
If we reflect on the reading from the epistle of St Paul to Timothy, we observe that her late Majesty was a good minister of Christ Jesus, nourished on the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that she followed.
Not only this but she was open in sharing her faith, as Paul comments, The queen did indeed point out the benefits of her faith, as a minister of Christ in her capacity as monarch, most notably in her Christmas broadcasts.
For example, in her Christmas message of 2016, the queen said: “Billions of people now follow Christ’s teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. I am one of them because Christ’s example helps me see the value of doing small things with great love, whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe.”
For someone private about her personal opinions, she acknowledged the kingship of Jesus, this is a kingship that is eternal and transformational, and as human beings, we tap into this. It is our vocation as Christians to share our faith, through the power of testimony as the queen herself did. Through joys and through difficult times and struggles, of which they were many, it was her faith in Christ that strengthened her to continue joyfully and dutifully in the work that she saw as her calling.
The queen’s life of service, 96 years, and continuously since the age of 21, was always underpinned by her coronation vow, “with the help of God I will”. In times of emergency and trouble, such the Aberfan pit disaster in 1966, when 112 children were killed by the coal heap falling onto their school, she visited as a young queen, showing compassion and she continued to visit. She treated all people with dignity and respect, as created in the image of God. This is our witness, that we live out practically what we preach, acts of mercy, compassion and kindness reflect Jesus Christ. For us, being Christian in the workplace, is being there for people as a representative of Christ, that the light of Christ will shine through us and those in darkness will be captivated by the light.
Conclusion.
We see the example of St Paul, that is why we labour and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, and especially of those who believe.
As we remember the life and witness of Queen elizabeth, we do thank God that she lived her life on her foundation of Jesus Christ.
