Service of Holy Communion

 

Sunday 7th May 2023                               Sermon

The Coronation of King Charles III

 

Theme: - Celebrating Community, Faith And Service.

 

 

Prayer: - O God, our Father, the fountain of love, power and justice, the God who cares, grant us through your Word and the Holy Spirit your guidance and wisdom so that we may serve the world you have entrusted to us, through Jesus Christ. Amen

 

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit .Amen

 

“Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall

 mount up with wings like eagles.” Isaiah 40.31

 

These words which I quote from Prophet Isaiah, bring comfort and hope to men and women of faith. They only have to trust the Lord,

so that they become stronger than ever.

 

This is what we witnessed yesterday as the Coronation Service unveiled the underlying feature of the anointing and crowning of King Charles III. Out of the Faith and the hope with which he is imbued, he has shown that he wishes to follow in the footsteps of the King of Kings,Jesus Christ, the one who has come to serve. Therefore, the first Coronation of this 21st century  has surely impacted millions round the world, as it has been a celebration of community, faith and service.

 

The symbols used during this historic and unique religious service, that is, the relic of the true Cross, offered by His Holiness Pope Francis to His Majesty, now part of the processional cross of Wales which led the Coronation procession, the Anointing Screen celebrating the Commonwealth of Nations and the glorious words of Handel we heard. Zadok the Priest, were indicators to a “heartfelt act of humility and Christian Service that the Coronation symbolises for our day and time.”

 

This is an important witness to our world, as many of us in positions of authority and power are caught by the trappings of earthly power.

 

We were reminded by the Archbishop of Canterbury in his Sermon how “the weight of the task given to the New King and Queen is only bearable by the Spirit of God.” These words affirm that  the tasks and responsibilities entrusted to those in authority by God should be undertaken with a great spirit of humility and the readiness  to learn and be transformed. It is only then in the face of uncertainty and trouble, that one is able to fight the odds of life with serenity, determination, courage and hope.

 

It would be appropriate for us to also note that the central act of the Coronation was the anointing of the King. In the Holy Scriptures,the application of oil was always associated with times of rejoicing and celebration and it also possessed a deeper significance including that of being singled out by God for special responsibilities. Brothers and sisters in Christ,  the unction of oil on the King’s head, breast  and hands, should remind us of our own anointing, received inwardly at our  baptism and confirmation as we share in the Holy Spirit’s anointing of Jesus Christ as we  are entrusted with the responsibility of establishing the Kingdom of God.

 

The Epistle to the Colossian read during the service has been chosen, “ to reflect the theme of service to others and the loving rule of Christ over all people and all things.” The Coronation service is first and foremost an act of Christian Worship which reminds us that God is the servant king.

 

This new era  in the life of the United Kingdom, which is multi religious and cultural today, will surely influence the world we live in as the King has signified his wish to encourage and urge on the Commonwealth of Nations to work in harmony and as expressed in The King’s  prayer “ that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace.”

 

What kind of Kingdom are we then expecting?

 

Here I wish to quote the Swiss Theologian Hans Küng who beautifully describes this expected  KIngdom, in his book: -

“On  being a Christian”.

 

“It will be a Kingdom where, in  accordance with the promises of Jesus, the poor , the hungry, those who weep and those who are downtrodden will finally come into their own; where pain, suffering and death will have an end. It will be a Kingdom, in accordance with Jesus’s prayer, when God’s name is truly hallowed, his will is done on earth, men and women will have everything in abundance, all sin will be forgiven and all evil overcome.”

 

Friends, as we have come here to celebrate the Coronation of His Majesty King Charles III, we are all called to build up the Kingdom that comes from God in Jesus Christ - a Kingdom of justice, freedom, self-giving love, peace and reconciliation.

 

May this act of worship this morning sustain us all to be instruments of God’s grace in the world as we give thanks to him for the Coronation of King Charles the III which instils in us the longing “to serve others and not to be served.”

 

God save the King!

Amen