Although a little bleary eyed this morning we managed to make it to church on time. Last night we stayed up to watch the Coronation of King Charles III and his wife, Camilla. I'm still trying to process the event and my reactions.
It was unlike any previous royal ceremony that has been televised during my lifetime. As a child, not fully understanding what was happening or its significance, I watched the wedding of Princess Anne to Captain Mark Phillips. As a teen and early twenty-something, there was the fairy-tale wedding of Prince Charles to Lady Diana Spencer, followed a number of years later by the wedding of Prince Andrew to Sarah Ferguson. More recently we have been afforded the opportunity to watch the next generation of weddings: Prince William to Catherine Middleton, and Prince Harry to Meghan Markle, to name a few.
There have also been some less joyous occasions: Princess Diana's funeral (who will ever forget the sight of those two young boys courageously walking behind their mother's coffin), Prince Philip's funeral (and the sad sight of Queen Elizabeth II sitting alone in an almost empty sanctuary due to COVID and lockdown restrictions), and, only last year, the funeral of the beloved Queen Elizabeth II with all its pageantry and symbolism.
These two elements - pageantry and symbolism - were present in the Coronation Service, and yet, for me, there was something about it that felt off. I have my own opinions as to whether King Charles III will be a good king. Certainly, Great Britain, and the Commonwealth, have known their share of good and bad monarchs, just as any country that has, or has had, a royal family (and just as Israel and Judah did in the Bible). There have certainly been some notable rulers, and some unworthy ones. In my view, the late Queen was one of the former. Her example is going to be a hard one to follow.
The Coronation Service drew on a lot of traditions from the Church of England. Hymns, choral pieces, Bible readings, all had particular significance, and even though the service is different to what I'm accustomed to (probably having more in common with the nonconformists), I could appreciate some of these elements. Despite Britain (and the majority of Commonwealth countries such as New Zealand) no longer considered Christian, it was, to all intents and purposes, a deeply religious service that reflected the beliefs and practices and drew on the traditions (including prayer and the reading of the Word of God) of Christianity.
And therein lies my disquiet. Not with the differences in worship but in the marrying of these elements and what they stand for with other faiths. King Charles III, as the reigning monarch, pledged to be "committed to the true profession of the Gospel" during his reign and in the countries and territories over which he reigns. He did so, while at the same time, pledging to "foster an environment in which people of all faiths and beliefs may live freely" and praying that God would grant that he "may be a blessing to all thy children, of every faith and belief, that together we may discover the ways of gentleness and be led into the paths of peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord." [Refer Order of Service.]
I felt troubled when I first heard these words. Now as I read them, I am even more troubled. I am reminded of how Jesus threw the moneychangers out of the synagogue because they were making a House of Prayer into a den of thieves. I believe that there were those present at the Coronation service, and many more who were watching, who have been deceived. Deliberately or otherwise.
The Bible tells us that there is only one way to God, and that is through Christ Jesus. Not through my faiths or beliefs or convictions, or by living a good life, or through gentleness or being at peace with my neighbour. No, the only way to God is through His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us. Who paid the price for our sins on the cross and then rose again. That is the Gospel.
Nor are we all God's children if we are not saved by faith. Regardless of whatever good deeds we may clothe ourselves with, they are as filthy rags before a holy and righteous God if we have not believed on the name of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverent Justin Welby, may believe that there was "nothing that offends against Christian worship" in the inclusion of peoples of different faiths, or in the pledge or prayer that King Charles made or were made on his behalf, but I have to respectfully disagree.
As Christians we should be offended when a false gospel is preached. As Christians, we should be offended when other religions are presented as an equal way to God. As Christians, we should be offended when all we know to be true is watered down to please the non-believer or make them feel comfortable.
Yes, we all desire peace, and should pray to that end. But peace shouldn't come at the cost of someone's soul. Letting people believe that there are many ways to God, is not showing love. The truth may offend but should not be sacrificed on the altar of niceness or not wanting to upset the apple cart.
King Charles III may feel "bound to respect those who follow other spiritual paths, as well as those who seek to live their lives in accordance with secular ideals", and we acknowledge that people have a right to choose what they will or will not believe, and whether they will or will not accept Christ, but a deeply religious ceremony, such as the Coronation was, should not reinforce the idea that all faiths lead to God. They don't.
Sadly, this has become all too common in Christianity today. Charles III and The Archbishop of Canterbury are not alone in this. Too often churches compromise with the world so that people are not offended. It's become a pandemic in the modern church.
So what can we do?
Pray. God is still God and He still answers prayers. And if there's ever a time when people need to hear the Gospel without apology, it's now.
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11, NKJV.
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