ST ANDREW'S HARLESTONE - October 2022

When Revd Andrea briefed churchwardens on Operation London Bridge some time ago, it was for a contingency we hoped would be long-in-the-awaiting, and I thought to myself that having completed all the actions, like most things in life, having the plan would mean we wouldn't need it (on the illogical basis that not having a plan generally means that the wretched thing happens!).

On reflection, it allowed us to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of our-longest-reigning monarch in June, in a packed church and with lots of readings from words written by our late monarch. For the last time, we unwittingly sang 'Long may she reign'. We saw Her Majesty in some frailness as she saw out her 14th Prime Minister and saw in her 15th. The rest is unprecedented history and most of us will remember what we were doing and where we were when the reign of Queen Elizabeth II was announced to have ended.

I nipped in to the conservatory on Dad's call to see Huw Edwards' sombre announcement. Next I lowered the Ukrainian flag on the house flagpole and raised the Union flag to half-mast. I sent a message to the chat group for my team at work - 'The Queen is dead. Long live the King', and hastily pulled together all the props for the Op London Bridge church plan: the framed portrait of the Queen in yellow dress with corgi, long awhile purchased from the National Gallery, the candlesticks and electric candles, and the black book of condolence. Justin had just bought me some flowers for supporting him through a surgical procedure that afternoon, so I asked if I could use them. I picked up my gardening gloves (the rope on the church flagpole is notoriously unkind to the vexillologist!). I texted Clive Skinner 'I don't suppose you're free to toll the bell for half an hour, are you?' Within a minute he'd responded, 'Yes, I'll be there in 5 minutes.'

So, Operation London Bridge for St Andrew's, and churches all over the country swung into action. The bell was tolled until dusk, the flag was lowered to half mast within the hour, a flower pedestal was arranged by this untrained churchwarden, and flowers put in vases, with all other church clutter cleared, assisted by Graham Mortimer, and developments whatsapped pictorially for the Rector's approval. Arrangements were made to have the church opened daily during daylight hours (thanks to all). Church services were altered for the next two Sundays, Harvest Festivals cancelled and so on. Then the CCTV paid silent witness to numerous people who came into church to reflect and sign the condolence book, including the 7 year old who laid flowers and pored over his written tribute.

Rather than continue this narrative, it has been clear that locally and nationally, the Church of England, of which the late Queen was Supreme Governor, has been given, and has responded handsomely to the challenge of the nation's reaction to the end of an era and the constancy of her late Majesty' part of our wider family. So, having been silent in recent editions, I reflect (or bounce around) in bullet points on some of the memorable moments of the past ten days. You will hopefully see why and reflect yourself.

PSALM 16 ON DEATH: On the preceding Monday, we had laid to rest our friend and former colleague churchwarden, Maureen Walton, in a service befitting a good Christian woman who lived a good life. Wendy Henley read (beautifully) from Psalm 16, which we used on 11th at Harlestone as we gathered to mourn the Queen's death. "I am always aware of the Lord's presence; he is near, and nothing can shake me. And so I am thankful and glad, and I feel completely secure, because you protect me from the power of death. I have served you faithfully, and you will not abandon me to the world of the dead." 

HYMNS WITH MEANING:  Almost as a God-given energisation to our weariness after events of recent weeks, and with the unbelievable galvanising of the nation, I was reminded of the second verse from the hymn we sang at the Platinum Jubilee, and with gusto at the Service of Commemoration on the eve of the State Funeral, "Living stones, by God appointed, each to his allotted place; kings and priests, by God anointed, shall ye not declare his grace? Ye, a royal generation, tell the tidings of your birth, tidings of a new creation, to an old and weary earth." We were reminded of our own mortality in another hymn we sang, based on the second Collect of Evening Prayer, to Dudley-Smith's beautiful words, "To that last hour, when heaven's day is dawning, far spent the night that knows no earthly waking; keep us as watchmen, longing for the morning, till that day's breaking." The words of many of the hymns chosen throughout the week had similar impact. Read afresh the words to 'All my hope on God is founded.' 

TRIBUTES: The tributes in the convened House of Commons from Boris Johnson, Keir Starter, Jess Phillips, Theresa May showed how oratory can be done when sincere and without clanging cymbals. The tributes of Emmanuel Macron and Joe Biden were worthy of googling and reflecting: we had lost our Queen. The rest of the world had lost THE Queen. 

WORK MATTERS: My day job and my conversations with the Chief Constable discussed the ramifications of the days which followed, with officers being deployed on what we call 'mutual aid' to the Metropolis for the biggest policing operation ever. We had over 70 officers who responded in hours just to take the place of one officer to be part of the ceremonial team on the funeral route, in addition to the scores of officers billeted in London for all manner of duties including diplomatic protection. The planning was unprecedented - how do we deal with a public holiday with less than 8 days notice? Changing my twitter homepage to black, reducing normal social media activity brought another poignancy amid the protocols of a period of state mourning. 

THAT FUNERAL: And then the funeral itself. Immense, moving and beautiful. Aside the eulogies which tend to grace funerals of the majority of us, the liturgy was the solid wording and structure to all funerals. For the Archbishop of Canterbury, a sermon on servant leadership to the largest congregation in history, a challenge to which he rose admirably. As I tweeted his quotes afterwards, "People of loving service are rare in any walk of life. Leaders of loving service are still rarer. But in all cases, those who serve will be loved and remembered when those who cling to power and privileges are long forgotten." 

CHURCH AT FUNERALS: Baroness Scotland brought the words of St Paul to vivid life, as though they had been written in the newspaper letters page yesterday. Both funeral and committal showed musical and liturgical standards of the highest order, reminding us all of how the CofE does this so well in cathedrals and churches, and how the theology of music is so vital.

REFLECTING AFTER THE FUNERAL: I went up to St Andrew's to raise the flag to full mast and close the condolence book after the Funeral Service, but was prevented from doing so, because even at 6.30pm, there were six people in church, prompting our decision to leave things as they were. This meant that I was in the car to happen across 'Beyond Belief' on BBC Radio 4 with Andrew Carwood (Director of Music at St Paul's Cathedral', Catherine Pepinster (Commentator on Religion & journalist), Douglas Davies (Professor of Religion, Durham university), Rev Giles Fraser (Vicar of Kew). Go to BBC Sounds, and find this edition on the evening of 19th and be inspired by the review of the funeral which needs no more explaining by me. I thoroughly recommend it. 
 Revd Sue Kipling recommended 'Love divine' for our family funerals, and explained the relevance of the last verse. It was sung at the State Funeral "Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place, till we cast our crowns before thee..." In unprecedented televised poignant drama, we saw the Queen's coffin stripped of the sceptre, orb and Imperial Crown - symbols of the office to which she was anointed, placed on the altar as he Lord Chamberlain's wand of office was snapped in half. She had indeed 'cast her crown' before her, and our Lord, as she had changed from glory into glory. 

CHANGED FROM GLORY INTO GLORY: And so we were all changed by the week that was. With the words of the Archbishop on servant leadership ringing in my ears (the theme chosen by Rev John Evans when he preached at the Platinum Jubilee), I draw to an end with the tweet I sent when social media was back on. "Till we cast our crowns before thee' ... Whatever our status in life, whatever our crown, sceptre or orb, they too are laid at the altar in death. A great leveller and reminder of the relevance of humility in life and leadership and yes, even in work." 

LOOKING FORWARD: And really finally, the words of Lyn - the coordinator of Harlestone Village Institute - another great village institution - as we bumped into each other as she tearfully signed the condolence book on her return from holiday, and I was faffing in church - 'please can village hall and church organisations work together when it comes to a Coronation?', to which a resounding yes please, and a reminder of the hope to come as we all now get used to singing an amended national anthem, and as I conclude. 'God save the King.'