Phillip Jensen recalls the issues surrounding the arrangements for the Commonwealth Day Service at which Queen Elizabeth was to be present and makes some observations about life’s priorities.
“This is as good as it gets” the man assured me. I was initially shocked, but then deeply saddened by his statement. It was an astonishing statement but there was no doubting the sincerity with which he was speaking.
It was the night before the Commonwealth Day Service in the Cathedral. Queen Elizabeth II, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Prince Edward were all to be present. We had been engaged in difficult negotiations for months, as the different vested interests tried to dictate how we should run the service. To their annoyance, there was no way we would budge from faithfulness to Christ and the ministry of the gospel. A repetition of the multi-faith, and Christless service, conducted each year in Westminster Abbey was totally unsuitable. But the gathering had to express the values and diversity of the Commonwealth of Nations. So we constructed a new liturgy that would satisfy the requirements of the Palace, the Commonwealth office, the Federal and State governments, while maintaining our own integrity as servants of the gospel of Jesus. We had worked through innumerable meetings and roadblocks and come up with a solution that had gained acceptance from all parties involved. Or at least I thought we had. But at the rehearsal on the night before the big day the conflicts arose again – this time over the seating!
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