CORONATION INTERCESSION

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 April 1937, Page 12

CORONATION INTERCESSION

PREPARED BY BISHOP Thanksgiving for all the King's “gifts and graces” is expressed in the “Form of Prayer and Intercession” prepared by the Bishop of Norwich for use throughout the Empire and at the Queen's Hall “Coronation Day of Intercession and Conference,” on May 11. The prayer begins: “We address ourselves to the disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ at home and abroad, far ami near, of every race, in every land, of every language under every sky, who are pleased and proud on this happy and blessed day, to acknowledge the Sovereignity of George VI. our King Emperor. In him the people of this country and of the King’s Dominions are bound together and find fellowship with one another.” Later comes this passage: — “A worthy and godly estimate of the Coronation involves four loyalties: “First, our loyalty to God; for the Coronation Service lays all at His feet. “Our second loyalty is to His Majesty the King, to whom we pledge our allegiance and for whose Person and Throne we have come to pray. “Our third loyalty is to our country and Empire, which call for our service as citizens of our own land and of the King’s Dominions beyond the seas. “Our fourth loyalty is to ourselves, our best selves as children of God, and to our own high calling; ‘as many as received Him to them gave He power to become the sons of God. ’ ” INTEREST IN TOILERS The response refers to “difficult and dangerous days,” and the prayer proceeds: “O God, Who in mysterious ways dost perform Thy wonders among men. we praise Thee for the King whom Thou hast given to us to sit upon the Throne of Thy faithful servant, His Father, and through Thy favour to carry forward at home and abroad the works and ways of him whose name he bears; in humble gratitude we acknowledge before Thee the Spirit in which he accepted the heavy task that Thou has entrusted to him. for his courage, calmness and industry which steadied the nation in time of shock and strain.

“We thank Thee. O Lord, for the experience of men and matters he had already won in unexpected preparation for his high office. We thank Thee for his interest in the welfare of. all who toil and in the safety of those who need protection. “We thunk Thee for the peace and joy of his home, for the simplicity of his way of life, his ease and friendly happiness, his comradeship with the young; and above all.’we thank Thee. O Lord, for his upholding of our Christian inheritance, his habit of worship, his love of duty, his devotion to the example of Him Who came not to be ministered unto but to minister: for all those gifts and graces granted by Thee to our Sovereign Lord, we thank Theo. O God, the Giver of all good things, through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Later appears this phrase:— “The King represents the one supreme centre of unity. His Majesty is the Head of a growing family. Every member of that family is summoned to take up his own responsibility for the good of the family and for the glory of God. The claims of Caesar and the claims of God are not conflicting: our loyalty is pledged to a Christian Prince and Ruler. In rendering to him the things which are his. we are accomplishing a part of our duty of rendering to God the things which are God’s. ‘By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.’ ”