A sermon given during Holy Communion (BCP) at St Giles-in-the-Fields on The Accession Day, Sunday 8th September 2024, drawing on the texts of 1 Peter 2.11-17 and Matthew 22.16-22.
Why ought we to pray for the King? A former Rector of St Giles-in-the-Fields (and Chaplain to King George II) helps us to understand why…
Earlier this year, Reverend Kenneth MacKenzie was
honoured by the King for his service to the late Queen and to the rest of the
Royal Family before and after her death.
As well as being Domestic Chaplain to the monarch,
the minister of the Parish of Braemar and Crathie also serves the considerable
number of staff who live and work on the Balmoral Estate.
To date, Reverend MacKenzie has remained tight
lipped about the specifics of his ministry at the time of the Accession of King
Charles III. However, addressing the Scottish Parliament shortly
before the Coronation last year, he revealed that when he last saw the King, he
assured him that he was currently “the most prayed for man in Christendom” –
and, in a rare dropping of the guard, he added how moved His Majesty appeared
to be by such a declaration.
On Sunday mornings we pray for the King twice.
Before our readings from scripture, a priest reads the Collect for the
Sovereign and in a few minutes time during the intercessions, we will petition
God:
“to
save and defend all Christian kings, princes and governors; and specially thy
servant Charles our King, that under him we may be godly and quietly governed.”
But
despite being the titular head – or Supreme Governor – of the Church of
England, praying for the King is not something that happens ordinarily in most
churches these days. At least not the ones I know – except on particular royal
occasions or if they have some sort of royal connection. Churches that use the
Prayer Book, like here at St Giles, are the exception rather than the norm in
praying for the sovereign each week.
So why bother? Why should we pray for the King?
What does it mean to do so?
In striving to answer these questions I am indebted
to a man who would have stood in this very spot nearly 300 years ago.
Reverend Henry Gally was Rector of St
Giles-in-the-Fields from 1732 and throughout his time in that post also served
as Domestic Chaplain to King George II, including at the time of his death and
the accession of George III. Like Kenneth Mackenzie, Henry Gally appears to
have left no written record about the detail of his ministry at that pivotal
moment in history.
However, on Accession Day in 1739, Dr Gally gave a sermon at St Margaret’s Westminster before members of
the House of Commons in which he set out three reasons why we
are obliged to pray for the King.
Henry Gally was speaking within living memory of
what the history books call ‘The Glorious Revolution’, which marked the
transition from absolute to constitutional monarchy in this country. This was
followed by the Act of Settlement which further limited the power of the King
in favour of parliament and ensured the Protestant succession to the throne.
The passage of time makes it somewhat easier to
pass over the sectarian point scoring in his sermon that might otherwise
distract us, we can examine whether the substance of Henry Gally’s
argument still stands.
The first of his three points is that we are
obliged to pray for the King because “there is an inseparable connection
between the Life, Virtue and Right Administration of Governors and the Welfare
of their Subjects.”
When those in positions of authority act justly and
with integrity, society benefits. When they do the opposite, societies suffer.
Dr Gally states that history proves that in the body
politic, the community “suffers more by errors of the Head than those of
private persons.”
It is natural, therefore, for us to pray for our
King, his good works and all those in authority under him. By doing so, we are
in fact praying to God to do us good through them.
But praying for them in this way is not simply a case
of selfishly sending our good wishes, delegating any personal responsibility
for the righteousness of the nation at large. Because the act of prayer also,
Gally says, moves us to serve as loyal subjects - to offer our Kings “real
assistance” in their work.
Gally also makes clear that you cannot separate the
private character of a leader from their public character. A person who acts
justly in private will make a just King in public.
To say that the connection between the character of
individuals in authority, their ability to lead and their affect on the nation
at large remains a prominent feature of our contemporary political discourse -
is perhaps the understatement of the decade.
But what of our relationship with the monarch - with
King Charles?
Is there, as Henry Gally suggests, an absolute and
inseparable connection between the King’s character and our lives at the root
of our prayer for him?
In the absence of a close personal relationship with
the monarch we must draw on books and documentaries to glimpse the King’s
character.
Robert Hardman’s recent biography reminds us that
Charles is the first British monarch to have had a conventional education, who
feels he has earned the right to hold opinions on a variety of subjects and has
had to learn the hard way how best to express them as a member of the Royal
family.
Perhaps his struggle to find his own voice and manner
of expressing it connects with us?
Or his love of the arts, classical music,
Shakespeare, or the practical skills of the man first addressed as Your Majesty
while behind the wheel of a Land Rover on the B976.
Perhaps we can connect with a King who has said they
want to be modern - but not too modern - to be always “just behind the curve.”
A man who continues to navigate complex close family relationships - to receive
treatment for cancer while keeping up a packed
programme of public engagements.
Perhaps we can connect with the inevitable tensions
between the person and the role he performs. A monarch who as a dashing young
Prince said: “There’s nothing better than hanging [from a helicopter] in a force ten
gale…very good for the soul.” Whose famous temper occasionally breaks through
the Royal mystique (remember “that bloody pen”)? An action man who has stepped
in to a feminine world - a position held by women for the majority of time
since the French dispensed with their monarchy.
Or perhaps we might be inspired by his work as an
environmental campaigner who, aides joke when he goes AWOL, is probably off
planting a tree - and more often than not they are proved right; an activity he
describes as “re-clothing” the landscape.
If we are seeking connections between the King’s
character and our lives as the basis for our prayer, - through which we might
learn how to offer “real assistance” to him, some or all of the
above might prove fruitful starting points?
But as a group of people who engage with scripture
regularly, perhaps a change made by the King to the readings in his coronation liturgy can offer us particular insight in this regard?
King Charles chose to replace the verses from the
First Letter of Peter which we have just heard in our first lesson - a passage reminding us
to submit ourselves to earthly authority, to Honour the King for the Lord’s
sake - with a text from Colossians - that
implores all of us to pray that we might be filled with wisdom and
understanding and to walk in the manner of Christ.
Perhaps in this change of scriptures we can come
closest to understanding the character of King Charles and how we might offer
real assistance to him in his work?
Henry Gally’s second point is that we are obliged to
pray for our Kings because “they have an equitable right to expect such
a grateful return for the labours and pains they are at.”
Ruling a nation is not always a barrel of laughs.
No matter how virtuous our leaders, how
well planned their publicity machines, they can be thrown off course by circumstances
outside of their control. The
first coins struck with the King’s face were unveiled by the Royal Mint on the
same day that Prince Harry announced the publication of his autobiography. Guess
which made the headlines? Events
dear boy, events. In view
of which Dr Gally chastises the
public for being too quick to judge the King and those in authority under him.
Too quick to think we would do a better job. Which may be true. Although it is
equally the case that we may do a
lot worse.
We are thus duty bound to offer prayers for the King
in solidarity. In acknowledgement of our shared humanity. The reality that no
matter high a pedestal we place our leaders upon, they, like us, must
ultimately submit to God’s will, whatever circumstances we all find ourselves
in.
Which leads to Henry Gally’s third reason to pray for
the King. “Because Government in general is the Appointment of God himself” in
whom lies all power and authority.
The Christian religion, Dr Gally explains, has
not favoured one form of government over another but it does implore us to
support those who are in authority over us as they seek to effect gods
will as his ministers at that time.
“Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are
Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's” as Jesus reminds us in today’s
gospel reading.
So what to make of Henry Gally’s three points nearly three hundred years on. His three reasons why we should pray for the King and the purpose it serves?
· First, when we stop to think about it, there are many connections between the King’s life and character and ours and the welfare of all the people he serves. The extent of these connections - perhaps like those between us and members of our own family - are often only in the forefront of our minds at times of significant life events. But there are connections nonetheless which it may be fruitful for us to remember as we pray, not only on days like today.
· Second, being a monarch is a tough gig and despite his best efforts things will go awry; and although we might complain now and then we are, frankly, glad that it’s him in the job and not us and he deserves our support;
· and finally, because it is our duty to pray for those who hold positions of authority and influence; that they, like us, might submit to the one true source of power and authority, which is God himself.
And it’s worth remembering Henry Gally’s observation that the action of prayer isn’t just one way. It changes us. As we pray, we are moved towards acting in service in support of the King. And we can be assured, as Reverend Kenneth MacKenzie let slip, that the King himself will also be moved.
A Prayer for the King’s Majesty:
O Lord our heavenly Father,
high and mighty, King of kings, Lord of lords, the only Ruler of princes,
who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth;
most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour
to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lord, King Charles;
and so replenish him with the grace of thy Holy Spirit,
that he may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way:
endue him plenteously with heavenly gifts;
grant him in health and wealth long to
live;
strengthen him that he may vanquish and overcome all his enemies;
and finally, after this life, he may attain everlasting joy and felicity;
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Links
God Save our Gracious Church - A Homily Given at Choral Evensong on The Accession Day 2024 drawing on the imagery of Proverbs 8.1-17 and Revelation 21.22-22.4 the words of the first verse of the national anthem
Her Majesty's Life of Faith - September 2022
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