The Queen, the Church and the Faith

In the last few days, a huge amount has been written and said about Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Like so many, she was the Queen when I was born and so I have known no other. I grew up praying for the Queen and the Royal Family each week in my (thoroughly evangelical) Church of England church. As a family, we always stopped on Christmas Day to watch the Queen's speech (we have continued to do so in my family!). And, of course, I was eventually ordained into the Church of England, swearing my allegiance to the Queen and her successors. At a personal level, it saddened me greatly to hear of her death. As many have said, one of the few constants of our society has left us and so we feel that gap.

There's much to be said about church and state and what it means for the Church of England to be an established church and the role of a monarch in that. As with all things, there are those (including clergy and bishops) in the Church of England who are actually republican, but the majority (as in the country) are supportive of the monarchy and perhaps especially of the Queen.

In fact, over the last few days it has been interesting and encouraging to have so much talk of the Christian God, and the personal and committed faith of the Queen in part because of our established church. It reminds us that the Christian faith is the backdrop to our history and our society. It was interesting that His Majesty King Charles III committed himself in his first address to the faith of the Church of England. And yet, part of the sadness I've felt at the death of the Queen is how it has emphasised to me how out of place true Christian faith is in the UK now. It is simply such a long time since we have heard so much "God-talk" in the media. I can't imagine when we will again, bar a great work of revival by God.

For myself, I have always been glad that our country has an overt (if too often nominal) recognition of the Protestant faith. I have appreciated over the years how the Queen found ways to express her personal faith. I know there are Christians who doubt how clear that faith was and of course we can't see into another's heart, especially into the heart of such a carefully managed public life (which I think also makes me wary of doubting the reality of her faith). It does seem to me from what she said that her faith was orthodox and genuine. The reminiscences of Billy Graham and Carl Trueman encourage me in that conclusion.

It was commonly noted that Queen seemed to be able to express Christian truth more clearly and faithfully than her archbishops, bishops and other clergy! Sadly (with respect to the clergy of the Church of England) I think that has been demonstrated rather too well again on our television screens over the last few days. Perhaps the greatest part of my sadness is that it feels like the end of an era in which we had a clear Christian monarch who understood the importance of faith in Jesus. In that context, we have an established church which is so unsure of itself and its gospel that it is often painful and it is is left to a small remnant inside and outside that church to speak up for Jesus in a country so shaped by his gospel. We have one less voice in that task and a significant and respected voice at that (although we must remember that there have often been few such voices - 1 Corinthians 1:26). It is a reminder to Christians to pray and take up the challenge once again to proclaim the gospel to the nation.

Of course this is sadness from a distance. It is nothing like the grief of family and those who were close to the Queen. We must pray for them. And we must pray for King Charles (as we do all our leaders - 1 Timothy 2:1-2). He has new responsibilities and his responsibilities impinge on the Christian faith in our country.

I'm grateful for the life of our Queen, especially her Christian faith and service. I'm saddened at her death like so many, but I'm most grateful that her faith and mine points to hope in the face of death.

For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. (1 Thessalonians 4:14 ESV)