英格蘭聖公會坎特伯里大主教韋爾比在英女王伊利沙伯二世安息禮上的講章

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一篇得到香港眾牧讚譽的講章！
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「英女王生前最後致辭：基督教誨是我一生的指南」
#英格蘭聖公會坎特伯里大主教韋爾比在英女王伊利沙伯二世安息禮上的講章#
許多領導者的模式是生前被高舉，死後被遺忘。所有侍奉上帝的人，著名的或默默無聞、受尊重或被忽視, 他們的模式是, 死亡是通往榮耀的大門。女王陛下在 21 歲生日廣播中宣布，她的一生將致力於為國家和英聯邦服務。
很少人能遵守這樣一生的承諾, 她卻做到了！很少領袖能像女王一樣，得到萬人敬仰和愛慕。
耶穌說：「我就是道路、真理和生命」。女王陛下的榜樣不是通過她的地位或她的野心樹立的，而是因她跟隨耶穌。我知道陛下和他的母親一樣對耶穌基督有同樣的信心和希望。有同樣的服務意識和責任感。
1953 年，女王在祭壇前以默祷开始了她的加冕典禮。在任何人對她效忠之前，她就已經先對上帝效忠了。跟隨基督,是她為這個國家、英聯邦和世界上如此多人服務的基礎。耶穌說，他“來不是為了被服務，而是為了服務和獻出自己的生命作為許多人的救贖”
熱衷服務的人在世上很少見。熱愛服務的領導者更少。但在任何情況下，當那些執著權力和特權的人早已被遺忘時，那些服務的人仍受到愛戴和銘記。
今天的悲傷，不僅是已故女王的家人，而是在全國、英聯邦和全世界都感受到了，這是源於她豐富的生活和充滿愛心的服務，這些現在都離我們而去。她已往的喜樂，曾出現在很多人面前，觸動了無數人的生命。
我們特別為她所有家人祈叮?麄兌枷褚话銌识Y的每個家庭一樣悲痛, 包括世界各地許多最近失去親人的家庭，所不同的，是這個家庭的喪禮，是在最耀眼的聚光燈下進行。
願上帝醫治他們的悲傷，願他們已往愉快的回憶, 能帶給他們一些安慰。
在 Covid 封鎖期間，女王陛下的廣播以「我們將再次見面」結尾，這是 Vera Lynn 的一首歌曲中的希望之詞。基督徒的盼望意味著對尚未見到的事物的某種期待。
基督從死裡復活，為所有人提供了生命，現在是豐盛的生命，將來是與神同在永恆的生命。
正如聖誕詩歌所唱，「誰肯謙卑打開心門，主必進入其心」（O Little Town of Bethlehem）
我們都將面對上帝仁慈的審判：但我們都可以分享女王的盼望，在生死中激發她僕人式領導的希望。
生時服務，死有盼望。所有效仿女王的人，對上帝有信心和信仰的人, 都可以得著鼓舞，都可以和她說：「我們會再見面的」。
…………
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s Sermon for The State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Come Holy Spirit, fill us with the balm of your healing love. Amen.
The pattern for many leaders is to be exalted in life and forgotten after death. The pattern for all who serve God – famous or obscure, respected or ignored – is that death is the door to glory.
Her Late Majesty famously declared on a 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the Nation and Commonwealth.
Rarely has such a promise been so well kept! Few leaders receive the outpouring of love that we have seen.
Jesus – who in our reading does not tell his disciples how to follow, but who to follow – said: “I am the way, the truth and the life”. Her Late Majesty’s example was not set through her position or her ambition, but through whom she followed. I know His Majesty shares the same faith and hope in Jesus Christ as his mother; the same sense of service and duty.
In 1953 the Queen began her Coronation with silent prayer, just there at the High Altar. Her allegiance to God was given before any person gave allegiance to her. Her service to so many people in this nation, the Commonwealth and the world, had its foundation in her following Christ – God himself – who said that he “came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
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.
The grief of this day – felt not only by the late Queen’s family but all round the nation, Commonwealth and the world – arises from her abundant life and loving service, now gone from us.
She was joyful, present to so many, touching a multitude of lives.
We pray especially for all her family, grieving as every family at a funeral - including so many families round the world who have themselves lost someone recently - but in this family’s case doing so in the brightest spotlight.
May God heal their sorrow, may the gap left in their lives be marked with memories of joy and life.
Her Late Majesty’s broadcast during Covid lockdown ended with: “We will meet again”, words of hope from a song of Vera Lynn. Christian hope means certain expectation of something not yet seen.
Christ rose from the dead and offers life to all, abundant life now and life with God in eternity.
As the Christmas carol says “where meek souls will receive him, still the dear Christ enters in.”
We will all face the merciful judgement of God: we can all share the Queen’s hope which in life and death inspired her servant leadership.
Service in life, hope in death. All who follow the Queen’s example, and inspiration of trust and faith in God, can with her say: “We will meet again.”