One of the truly lovely things about being Archbishop of York is that I am, for a short period of time, custodian of Bishopthorpe Palace. This is a place Her Majesty the Queen visited as a young Princess and where she stayed during the Royal Ascot meeting in 2005. And in the garden today, there is an avenue of trees planted to mark this Platinum Jubilee year.A slightly curious thing about living in such a place, is that as I walk the rooms and corridors, I am followed by the gaze of my predecessors staring out of their portraits that adorn the walls. I’m fortunate to stand on their shoulders. One of the most captivating portraits I think is of Archbishop William Temple who was Archbishop of York between 1929 and 1942. During that period, whilst not only trying to do all of the things that Archbishops are supposed to do, he found time to write extensively not least the 1942 work entitled "Christianity and Social Order". In that period, at the start of the second world war and through the darkest days of the blitz, with the sort of mind-set that only true visionaries have, Temple was asking the big question " when this is all over, what sort of nation do we want to be?" Although he did not live to see it, much of his thought is foundational to so many things we take for granted today, not least the welfare state, the NHS, and our universal education system. At the core of what Temple was striving for, as with so many other social reformers in this great City of York, was to improve the lives of people and see those lives transformed. This reminds me of how far, as a country, we have come from those days – yes there is still much to do and Temple’s question is one for us now, but it is worth reflecting that throughout all of this change we have lived with one Monarch, whose Jubilee we marked last weekend. As we gathered in the grounds of the Palace last week with pupils, staff and governors from the Archbishop of York Junior school, we reflected on what celebrating this Jubilee means and of how our Queen has been a wonderful beacon of hope, integrity, stability, and unity for our country and beyond. There are few that remember a monarch before her. This stability has been a reassuring and encouraging presence in the midst of so much change, and of course the Monarchy itself has changed. Continuity and change have been hallmarks of this Elizabethan age.The profound commitment Her Majesty the Queen made in 1947 at just age 21 when she said, "I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service", has been faithfully realised. And at the heart of that commitment has been the Queen’s own deep faith, that in continuity and change she has relied on God and on a model of service which we see in Jesus Christ. So as we mark the Platinum Jubilee, it is my prayer that we remember that all of us are called by God to serve others in our homes, schools, communities and we are also invited to build our foundations on Jesus Christ. For when we serve others, we have the best opportunity of achieving the fairer and more just society which I hope we all wish to see.
Hello again. What did you do over the Platinum Jubilee weekend? Did you attend events or watch services? I want to hear all about it – drop me a line! It all makes excellent sermon material! (Naturally, you will not be quoted in person, or held up to public ridicule during any church service or sermon. And all replies will be treated with the utmost village confidentiality and respect, which means, I’ll give it to about lunchtime before EVERYONE knows!) Naturally, I jest. You can trust me. I am a man of the cloth. And an accountant. And I’m also quite good with puppets. Talking of which, did you see the Hascombe Village Fete Punch and Judy show? My three-year-old was transfixed by the Victorian colour, melodrama and violence of it all! Doesn’t do them any harm at all, in my humble opinion… far too protective, parents these days. There were no safety assessments when I was rolling around in the dirt and the woods at the age of seven. As one of our church wardens tee shirts boldly declares: ‘It’s not MY fault if they left me unsupervised!’ I hope many of us will have some good memories of the long weekend, as I do. From Her Majesty’s wonderfully engaging sketch with Paddington Bear, to Prince Louis holding his ears during the flypast (never do a live show with children or animals?) to England actually winning a test match (I am unsure which causes more anxiety or stress – winning or losing? Discuss!) I missed all the rocky horror show rock concerts and trooping of the colour parades (too busy with church stuff) but I bet they were spectacular also. Did we all need cheering up? Yes, absolutely. From years of Covid and lockdowns, to environmental disaster messages (not minimising those – but it’s hard work sometimes!) to bitter disputes in national and European politics, to crazy rising prices, and then the ghastly Ukraine war and its global implications. Did we need something to cheer about? Well, judging from the millions who tuned in and turned out for the celebrations and events, dead right we did. So, what happens when the parades are over? Back to work, back to difficulties, back to nothing to cheer about? Well, I suppose that’s rather up to us. The Christian message is one of hope in despair, light in darkness, and life out of death. We are a resurrection people, and Easter is our song. The message of the Bible is that there is new life in Christ precisely to carry us forwards into Monday mornings, when God can be a living reality of light and hope in the everyday. Christians, of all people, believe in transcendence – that is, being changed from one degree of glory into another. Through faith in Christ, Monday can be even better than Sunday! Let’s pray, and give it a try. Feedback please. Of course, it can work the other way. For example, how do you turn an ordinary bed into a sofa bed? Simple. Just forget your wife’s birthday. And if that doesn’t get me into trouble, nothing will. Have a lovely week, everyone. Rutton@stnicolascranleigh.org.uk
We trust you're enjoying the Jubilee weekend. Don't forget to join Dunsfold and Hascombe Churches Together in their part of the village Royal knees-up. They are meeting at the KGV at noon on Sunday and being part of the grand procession around the Common.Before that we will have our joint parish Holy Communion service at 10am at St Mary and All Saints' Church, Dunsfold. The Queen has herself made many references during her reign about the importance of her Christian faith and our thanks for her leadership will be reflected in our service.We hope you can be there in person. If you are elsewhere, or housebound, you can join the service by clicking on this link.<a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5253921788?pwd=MC9kNmpldmFrRSsrV1pkc1k5aU1vZz09">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5253921788?pwd=MC9kNmpldmFrRSsrV1pkc1k5aU1vZz09</a>
Churches and cathedrals across the country are to welcome their communities for thousands of events to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, from barbecues, tree planting and flower festivals to services of thanksgiving, the ringing of bells and lighting of beacons.Platinum Jubilee beacons will be lit on Thursday at venues across the country including churches and cathedrals, to mark the Queen’s 70 years of service as Monarch and Head of the Commonwealth.Beacons will be lit at venues including Lambeth Palace and St Mary’s Church in Putney in south west London as well as the tower of Derby Cathedral and outside Lichfield Cathedral, before the medieval Cathedral is illuminated in red, white and blue.At Bradford Cathedral a vertical light beam will be lit from tomorrow evening into the night sky, while in the city, a torch will be passed between faith leaders, including the Revd Canon Paul Maybury, the Cathedral’s Acting Dean, before it lights the beacon in Bradford's City Park.Bells will ring out in cathedrals and parishes on Friday to coincide with the service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral and at events throughout the four-day Jubilee weekend.The lighting of beacons and ringing of bells comes as a more than 1,000 events and services to mark the Jubilee were posted on the church finding website AChurchNearYou.com in parishes and cathedrals across the country.In Devon, St Andrew's Church in Ashburton is one of a number holding Jubilee-themed flower festivals. On Sunday hundreds of Jubilee balloons will be released inside the church during a special Jubilee service.At St Andrew's Church, Sampford Courtenay, in Devon, there will be a service of celebration on Sunday that will include hymns and music from the Queen's Coronation service at Westminster Abbey, with trumpeters accompanying the church choir. The Bishop of Exeter, the Rt Revd Robert Atwell, said: "By custom, we call a 70th anniversary a ‘platinum’ anniversary and such a noble designation is certainly worthy of the reign of Her Majesty the Queen.“Her constancy in times of pressure and difficulty, as well as in times of joy, has been exemplary. Public service, duty and a devout Christian faith continue to be hallmarks of Queen Elizabeth’s reign. Her trust in Jesus Christ is central to her life.“As we mark the Queen's Jubilee, let us pray for grace to build communities of trust, service and fairness worthy not only of our Queen but of the God who in Jesus Christ promises us the gift of abundant life."St John’s Church in Kensal Green, West London, will mark the Jubilee by unveiling new stained glass windows. The Flowers of the Commonwealth were designed by stained glass artist John Reyntiens, who also designed the Diamond Jubilee window in Westminster Hall.In Southsea, Portsmouth, refugees and asylum seekers launched a week of Jubilee celebrations at St Luke’s church with a concert that embraced art and culture from across the world.Churchgoers and residents at All Saints Church, Denmead, Hampshire, knitted and crocheted around 2,700 red, white and blue flowers, which were sewn together to create bunting.
