Queen's Diamond Jubilee: Living Faith Article

Walsall Advertiser Living Faith Article: Published 31 May 2012

This weekend events will be taking place across the borough to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.  The only other British monarch to celebrate a Diamond Jubilee was Queen Victoria in 1897.

The world has seen a lot of changes during the sixty years of the Queen’s reign.  When she came to the throne on the 6 February 1952, Winston Churchill was Prime Minister and Britain still had an Empire.  Six decades later the world is a very different place, but through all the political and economic change and upheaval, the Queen has been a constant presence.

Throughout her long reign, the Queen has always had a very strong sense of duty and calling, and at the age of 86 shows no signs of slowing down.  In a speech given to both Houses of Parliament in March she rededicated herself to "the service of our great country and its people now and in the years to come."

This strong sense of duty and calling is rooted in her deeply held Christian faith.  In her Christmas broadcast in the year 2000 she said “For me the teachings of Christ and my own personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult times from Christ’s words and example.”

Jesus said he came to serve and not to be served; as we celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, we can see how this sense of calling to serve the people of this nation and the Commonwealth continues to inspire and motivate our Queen.  Long may she continue to reign! 

This specially composed prayer will be used in the Jubilee Thanksgiving Service in St Paul's Cathedral on Tuesday, 5 June:

God of time and eternity,
whose Son reigns as servant, not master;
we give you thanks and praise
that you have blessed this Nation, the Realms and Territories
with Elizabeth
our beloved and glorious Queen.
In this year of Jubilee,
grant her your gifts of love and joy and peace
as she continues in faithful obedience to you, her Lord and God
and in devoted service to her lands and peoples,
and those of the Commonwealth,
now and all the days of her life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.