World Cup Churches: 15. Denmark

Continuing a series of blogs heading round the 32 qualifying countries in the 2022 World Cup - I will pick out one church in each one.  I am not going to choose only churches that are to my liking.  This is an exploration not a recommendation! To see all in the series select the label 'World Cup Churches' below.

Roskilde Cathedral is one of the great historic Protestant Church buildings, but I've chosen it for my World Cup blog partly because I've been there and mostly because it is peculiar in losing people who are already dead.  In a Northern Europe where Protestant churches lose the living at an alarming rate, it is a mildly concerning thought that they can go missing after being dead too.

More directly still, this blog dates from the period of the death of Queen Elizabeth II of England (and other places).  Roskilde Cathedral has been thought to be the burial place of a previous monarch of England - Sweyn Forkbeard.

Sweyn reigned for a short time in England - less than two months in fact - though he had been King of Denmark for nearly 30 years.  His short reign was not helped by London which, true to form, refused to accept him and delayed his accession when provincials like Winchester, Bath and Oxford readily, though fearfully, bowed the knee.

On his untimely death his remains were returned to Scandinavia (as we now call it) and thought to be to Roskilde.  Now, however, historians think it was somewhere else - in today's Sweden.  

Then there's his father Harold Bluetooth.  He was long thought to be in Roskilde until an attempt to actually find his bones was made - and none could be found.

During the long procession of people filing past the Lying-in-State of the late Queen Elizabeth in Westminster Hall there were few moments of mishap.  But one poor chap lunged at her (closed) coffin, apparently because he wanted to make sure she was there and dead.  Predictably he was bundled off to a Mental Health facility.  Predictably perhaps, but maybe he knew the stories of the royals of (or not of) Roskilde and had historical grounds for his doubts!

Our Church Flags: 3. Barbados

On Barbados's national day it only seems right to add their flag from our church's multi-national congregation.

As it happens, today Barbados became a Republic.  The flag will survive this transition because it already represents the same sense of antagonism and freedom-seeking that spawned republicanism - the broken trident symbolising the end of colonial rule at the country's independence in 1966.

There is not much to be said about this flag (which simply won a competition at independence).  For me the broken trident reminds us of the way humankind turns paradises into problems - as in the Garden of Eden.  The beauty of Barbados, the yellow sand and the blue sea represented here, has a human imprint represented by the trident.  Slavery, colonialism that did not go well for the island, an angry independence which is still represented in today's transition over 50 years later brood over its natural beauty.

The human story is not the best story in the world without its Saviour and true Monarch.

Storm Ciara

It was a very wet and windy Sunday.

I'm not a huge fan of the over-safety culture in which we live, but nonetheless I tweeted a warning for people to think twice about the safety of travelling to our morning service.  Probably more related to common sense than my tweeting, several people hunkered down and stayed indoors.

Then, later on I discovered that the Queen had also stayed at home instead of her usual visit to the Church in Sandringham.  I don't expect she'd read my tweet, but for a 93 year old it seemed very wise too.

I reflected on this a bit.

Here's Psalm 104:

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

3 He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
4 Who makes His angels spirits,
His ministers a flame of fire.

Unshockingly the monarch of Great Britain can be held back by the wind.

But the King of kings can, as it were, walk all over it.

World Cup Blogs 8: Denmark

Should England not do well - I can hardly believe I used 'should' there, as if there is some doubt - a decent option (historically speaking) is to transfer support to Denmark.  It's been awhile but there was a time when England and Denmark had the same King.  More accurately, what is now England was then the Danelaw and subject to the Danish throne.  That was King Canute (Danish: Knut).  He famously sat on the beach to show that, for all his power, he could not hold back the incoming tide.

Denmark remains a monarchy, and other Danish kings have had pause for thought about their limitations too.  Here's the Marble Church (Frederik's Church) in the royal district in Copenhagen, a picture from my most recent visit to the city.  Marble, but made largely of limestone - not enough cash available you see.  It isn't just the tide that earthly kings cannot control.

Over its entrance is written 1 Peter 1:25, The Word of the Lord endures for ever.  How good it is to remember that our passing lives are lived in the context of something that will be as true when we die as it was when we were born.  

This church also speaks of other monarchical frailties.  It was opened about 125 years ago.  This means that it has currently been open for fewer years than it took to build!  Lack of funds and effort meant it was 150 years from foundation stone to opening.  It is a monument to what the Word of a King cannot do - except the King of kings.

Unfortunately we look in vain for a Biblical prophecy of English sporting success . . .  150 years perhaps?

Monarchies

The 88 year old King of Thailand has died after a remarkable 70 year reign.

This leaves the Queen of the United Kingdom (and her other realms) as the longest reigning living Monarch (1952-present).

Bar one . . .

1 Timothy 1:17 Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Rest Home to Royalty

A day of days in our nation!

While crowds risk their lives in the political turmoil of the Arab World in this undeservedly blessed land we crowd to see a glorious celebration of human love at the centre of our national life.  We have every reason to give thanks to God as we observed the elevation of Kate Middleton to the heart of the Royal Family.

And in it all one Scripture Reading.  It was beautifully read and a majestically suitable passage for a marriage.  And a great deal else.  For just yesterday afternoon I was reading that same Scripture from Romans 12 and from my point of view it had made a journey at least as dramatic as Kate Middleton!

The setting I read it in had been a little different: the hearers were in single figures, one was in not the transcept exactly but in her bed with the door open next door, their average age at or around 90 years and more, and walking frames replaced State Coaches while a CD recording replaced the Westminster Abbey Sub-Organist, choirs, fanfare trumpeters and the English Chamber Orchestra.  Yet to these elderly saints in the rest home as we shared Communion the apostle's words were still rich and replete with meaning and significance.

I won't forget today anyway, but if I were to do so Romans 12 would always remind me of God's timeless word, a victory of faith over fashion.