Queen Elizabeth’s faith has often been talked about. She mentioned it herself in many speeches, that her faith was an “anchor” and that she was a follower of Jesus. However, what did her faith look like in practice?
Preparation for worship
Several years ago, I heard a ministry colleague share the story of serving at a church near Balmoral, Scotland. One Saturday afternoon he received a phone call from the Queen’s personal secretary informing him that Her Majesty the Queen would be attending his church for Sunday worship.
He was excited about the prospect of hosting the Queen at his church and thought it was a courtesy call. However, the secretary was quick to quash this idea informing him that the Queen takes her faith seriously and spends time on a Saturday evening preparing for Sunday worship.
As a result, she had requested his sermon outline and key Bible verses that would be read.That story has always been a rebuke for me as I casually go to Sunday church with little thought of what I am doing or how I should approach the Creator of the Universe.
The tradition of preparation
The Queen had wanted to prepare herself for her weekly corporate worship the night before.This pattern of preparation has a long tradition yet is uncommon today. The ancient Jews saw the Sabbath as the highlight of the week. It was seen as a time to come together to worship God on this “day of rest.”
As a result, the Jews would see the day before the Sabbath as the “day of preparation.” Many churches in the past had a similar principle of spending time on Saturday preparing for Sunday services. This meant reading the Bible and praying for the day.
Before Communion/The Lord’s Supper some church leaders would visit church members before the Sunday to help them prepare their hearts for the sacrament asking them if they had any impediment with others and reviewing the gospel message of sin and salvation.
The Queen’s practice of preparation comes out of a long tradition of Christians earnestly wanting to grow in their knowledge and love of Jesus and living this out in their practice. She gives a firm correctionfor the casual way weview worship together and spiritual practices that reflect our relationship with God.
Over the next few months much will be written about this woman, her service and contributions. However, one of her greatest legacies will be the way she put her faith into practice.