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The beginning of June this year is an important time, because it marks Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. Her Majesty takes her rôle as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England very seriously, and the event is to be marked by a special service which will be held in St Paul’s Cathedral on 5th June.
The concept of a jubilee has its roots in the Old Testament. In Leviticus, God commands Moses to ‘Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants’ (Leviticus 25.10). Such liberty was seen in the release of slaves and the return of all property to its original owners. In comparison with the surrounding nations, Israel was to be a model of a fair, free and open society, and this fresh start was one of the primary means of achieving it.
Societies need fresh starts. So do individuals. The Bible teaches that we can always have a fresh start with God, because his love is ‘new every morning’ (Lamentations 3.23). Perhaps you can think of something you are enslaved by – a habit, or a memory, or a fear about the future. The concept of jubilee should encourage you to begin again with God, by putting your faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We all need to do that, not just every fifty years, but every day.
The fifty year jubilee in Israel was a clear reminder of God’s concern for all of his people. As our Head of State, Her Majesty has a particular responsibility before God to safeguard the freedom of all. It is right that we pray for her. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York have commended to us this prayer, and I hope you will use it:
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.
Liam Beadle
June 2012
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