Two Cheers

Dear me, at various churches in the Deanery there are manifold celebrations of the Queen's birthday taking place this weekend, although I must say that at Chapter this week I did detect a certain degree of reluctance to be quite as gung-ho about it as doubtless some Surrey parishioners would like to be. At Swanvale Halt our suggestions were gradually diluted until they amounted to a cake after tomorrow's Mass, provided by one of the churchwardens. Whether it turns out to be corgi-shaped, I'm not sure. They could be bunting, we have some in a box somewhere. 

I have carried out my threat to do a little display about the significance of the Coronation and its liturgy and am quite pleased with how it worked out - pointing out the similarities between it and ordination, and the anointings of baptisms and confirmations, the vows and rings of weddings. The point is not so much that 'the Queen is just like the rest of us', as that we, in God's eyes, are Royal.