This week truly is a momentous one in the life of our country. We have a new Prime Minister, and we also of course mourn the death of the Queen. For a lot of us, she is the only monarch we have ever known in this country and she represented, whatever people’s views of the monarchy, a stability which I think we have treasured.
She also gave an example of a dedication to a calling which few of us can ever hope to match, and underpinning that dedication was her faith, a faith she was not afraid to talk about and in fact talked about even more in her later life even as our society seemed to move away from, or even sometimes become hostile to, such talk.
And I think those 2 things, dedication to her calling and commitment to her faith represent great examples to each of us.
When we think of calling, we often think of people with a vocation to ordained ministry, or perhaps to become a doctor, nurse or a teacher for example, but each of us has a calling. God has created us as people with gifts to be used. Sometimes we miss what they might be, or we get scared of putting ourselves forward for things or we don’t quite think we’re good enough in some way.
The Queen as I said represented an amazing example of dedication to her calling, but I’m pretty sure she wasn’t perfect and I don’t for a moment think she would have claimed to be. But her shining example was one that should inspire all of us to reach out to discover and follow our calling.
For some the call will be dramatic, life changing, obvious to other people, but for most of us, our calling may be quieter, to live trying to display the sort of love that Jesus showed, to live as people of peace and reconciliation, to live as people sharing good news with others, to live praying for others. We each have a calling…
And that leads to the second point and that is about the commitment the Queen showed to her faith. Time and time again she referred to her faith in public addresses, and as much as we know, her commitment to her faith continued in her private prayer and devotion as well. And as her 70 year reign progressed such proclamations about faith from lots of people have diminished. Afraid to offend others, we talk of maintaining a private faith.
But that private faith is not one that Jesus understood – he said to go out and make disciples, he taught us in word and example to love extravagantly, to forgive immeasurably… He taught us to reveal our faith through words and actions, and that is what the Queen tried to do in her life.
And actually as she spoke some pretty clear words about Jesus, about her faith, there was little criticism, but rather I think a desire for people to know more, a desire to make some contact with God who had clearly influenced and changed the life of the Queen so powerfully.
Today, as congregations in our churches are at critically low levels in lots of places, we need to talk about our faith. This isn’t about ramming it down the throats of others, but about sharing good news, about sharing hope and peace, and revealing the life changing grace and love of God, who walks alongside us every moment of every day, ready to guide us, to support us, to strengthen us…
And in our gospel reading today (Luke 15:1-10), we see something of this extravagant love of God through 2 stories that Jesus told. And it’s important to notice that he wasn’t just talking to his followers here – I think it’s relevant to notice that amongst those listening were the Pharisees and the scribes who wanted nothing to do with Jesus – he spoke out then in the middle of opposition. There is somewhere a lesson for the church today in that as well.
But back to the stories he told. The first was about the person with 100 sheep and 1 goes missing. Here the owner is faced with a bit of a choice. He or she can go off looking for the 1 but that means potentially leaving 99 unattended, or perhaps do the sensible thing and accept the loss of 1 to ensure that the 99 are safe.
The story has the person going off to find the 1 sheep and that is the picture of God – so full of love and grace and compassion that he isn’t prepared to let even 1 of his sheep go without trying to call them back. Ridiculous in some ways, but absolutely consistent with the love that would lead Jesus to the cross to offer life for everyone.
And then there is the parable of the lost coin – again the search for this one coin seems a bit extreme – think of the time taken, think of the cost of the party that we’re told happened after, but the cost is not the important thing, it is the reclaiming of that coin that is important…
Each one of us represents to God someone amazing, someone who is loved immeasurably… As Jesus went to the cross he took with him that love for people everywhere, that love for people of every generation, in order to offer a way of life, of hope, of peace, won through his resurrection.
And the invitation to each one of us is simply to accept that offer of life transforming love day by day… I’ll finish with some words of the Queen which she said in her Christmas address back in 2002, and which I think represent both a challenge and an inspiration for us all…
‘I know just how much I rely on my faith to guide me through the good times and the bad. Each day is a new beginning. I know that the only way to live my life is to try to do what is right, to take the long view, to give of my best in all that the day brings, and to put my trust in God.’ AMEN
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