Christian Focus Embedded in Jubilee -

By Jane Harris-Zsovan -

The Queen would like to be on your prayer list this Sunday.

Canadian Christians are invited to join others across the Commonwealth in praying for the Queen as she celebrates 60 years on the throne.

You’ll find the following prayer, created at the Queen’s request for use at St. Paul’s Cathedral at the Jubilee Thanksgiving Service in St. Paul’s Cathedral, Tuesday June 5, up on the website Eastern Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. http://easternsynod.org/ministries/worship/2012/05/14/prayer-for-the-queens-diamond-jubilee/

 God of Time and Eternity, whose son reins 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,

A noted 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

Anglicans across Canada will pray for the Queen this Sunday and other denominations are also invited to join them in giving thanks for the Queen’s reign.  In at least one Canadian city, a community wide service is being organized. St. Augustine’s Anglican Church in Lethbridge, Alberta invites Christians from all denominations to join them in a ‘Right Royal Celebration’ that, unlike most secular Diamond Jubilee events, includes scripture readings and Christian music June 3^rd at 4pm: http://staug.org/modules/core/home/1/pdfs/60poster.pdf

The Christian theme of the Jubilee extends well beyond what is the Central Weekend of Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee Celebration (June 2 to June 5).

“Even the concept of a Jubilee is rooted in the Bible,” noted the Queen February 12 at Lambeth Palace in the United Kingdom. Several old Testament and New Testament verses, including Leviticus 25:1-55 and  Luke 4:19, refer to a Jubilee year of Thanksgiving to God.

Old Testament Jubilee celebrants forgave loans, allowed the poor to join in feasting, freed slaves, and returned property. Not surprisingly, The Canadian jubilee celebrations focus on service to others. According to Prime Minister Harper, the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall’s Victoria Day Weekend tour of Canada celebrated Canada’s history, future and “the selfless devotion of thousands of Canadians who have made significant contributions to their communities and our country.” http://pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=1&featureId=6&pageId=26&id=4540

During his Diamond Jubilee tour, Prince Charles visited one of Canada’s oldest Christian ministries, Toronto’s Yonge Street Mission, located in one of Canada’s poorest neighbourhoods. The Prince is also helping fund the Mission through his newly minted Prince’s Charities Canada “Seeing is Believing” program. http://www.princescharities.ca/

The mission’s program director, Andrew Williams, received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal http://www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=14019 from Prince Charles.

Canada’s Diamond Jubilee medal, designed by the Royal Canadian Mint, recognizes 60,000 Canadians who have made a significant contribution to a particular province, territory, region or community within Canada, or an achievement abroad that brings credit to Canada. Several Christian organizations including The Association of the Coptic Orthodox Community of Greater Montreal and World Vision Canada are Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal Partners.

Canadians Christians should be proud that many of their contributions to the Diamond Jubilee Celebration and to Canada are recognized by the Crown and ordinary Canadians. One of the biggest contributions any Canadian can make is to pray for others. No, you probably won`t get a medal for it, but Her Majesty would appreciate you adding her family to your pray list, anyway.

Feature photo: Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh during their tour to Winnipeg, Manitoba. July 3, 2010. [Department of Canadian Heritage]

Article photo: Queen Elizabeth II poses with a painted portrait of her great-great-grandmother Queen Victoria, who celebrated her own Diamond Jubilee as Queen in 1897. Rideau Hall. Ottawa, Ontario. July 1, 2010. [Department of Canadian Heritage]

Jane Harris-Zsovan writes about how history shapes contemporary Canada. Her most recent book, Eugenics and the Firewall (J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing), investigates populism and religion in Alberta. Jane’s articles appear in both Christian and secular media. She lives in Lethbridge, Alberta. janehz@telus.net