The Citizen, 2003-05-21, Page 12PAGE 12. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 2003.
From the Minister’s
Off the mark in honouring queen
By Pastor Ernest Dow
Living Water Christian
Fellowship, Blyth
We used to refer to it as Victoria
Day. The calendar still designates
the long weekend in May by that
title, but the more popular way of
referring to it these days is “the May
2-4 weekend”.
For many, the main purpose of the
holiday is not to honour a monarch
but to party hearty. What’s being lost
in this transition?
Victoria (born May 24, 1819) was
Queen of Great Britain and Ireland
from 1837 until her death in 1901.
The Book of Knowledge states that
she “was not only a much beloved
sovereign, but one who came to
symbolize the greatness of the
Empire over which she reigned... A
well-beloved queen because of her
simple dignity and concern for the
people’s welfare... Her long reign
marked a peak of British power,
prosperity and world leadership.” It
adds, with a realistic touch, “She was
not, perhaps, a very clever person or
a great statesman. But she had great
strength of character, and she learned
a deep devotion to her people.”
She also mothered nine children -
an accomplishment in itself!
In Victoria’s time, Britain
experienced a golden age, its
greatest prosperity and world
influence. The strength of the Royal
Navy provided security for trade,
and limited the spread of war, so the
era has been referred to as the Pax
Britannica. At the end of the 19th
century, Britain was a world leader,
the wealthiest and most powerful
nation on the globe.
Early in Victoria’s reign, though,
the British were experiencing the
hardship of massive social upheaval
caused by the Industrial Revolution.
The encyclopedia tells us, “Even
while industrial Britain was
becoming enormously wealthy, the
mass of the people remained
desperately poor and unable to help
themselves. Little children were
working long hours in factories,
women were dragging cartloads of
coal on their hands and knees
through narrow mine passages deep
underground, and starving men were
being savagely punished for trapping
rabbits on rich men’s estates to help
feed their families.” How was this
transformed into a “golden age”?
It was during Victoria’s reign that
the worst evils of the Industrial
Revolution were overcome. Child
labour was steadily reduced;
working hours shortened; conditions
made safer and healthier; living
standards and factory wages
improved; trade unions organized;
universal education begun; slavery
abolished; and aristocracy replaced
by democracy.
This was not directly due to the
Crown, which by now was
politically limited in power; credit
must be given to noble-minded
government leaders such as Lord
Shaftesbury, Benjamin Disraeli, and
William Gladstone, as well as the
rise of journalism and novelists such
as Charles Dickens, and agents of
compassion like Florence
Nightingale, Dr. Barnardo, and
William Booth.
But a monarch does set the tone,
and it is significant that Queen
Victoria is reported as possessing
“great strength of character, a “deep
devotion to her people” and concern
for their welfare. She set an
honourable example.
Today “Victorian” morals are
mocked and stereotyped as prudish,
overly strict and sexually repressive.
But could it be that the age’s
religiosity and high moral standards
were in part responsible
creativity, enterprise,
prosperity? When the weekend is
only so that we may party society’s
moral fibre disintegrates and
productivity suffers.
The Bible upholds the ideal
monarch as one who judges
righteously, defends the afflicted,
saves the children of the needy, and
crushes the oppressor; under such
conditions,
“The mountains will bring
prosperity to the people, the hills the
fruit of righteousness” (Ps.72:2ff).
Jesus taught that a Christian leader
does not throw their weight around
in a heavy-handed exercise of
authority; true “greatness” seeks to
serve others, not one’s self-interest
(Mk.l0:42ff).
In this respect, Victoria and her
for its
and
are we cultivating strong character '
and concern for the less fortunate in
ourselves which will inspire others
to emulate our example?
Our age is in desperate need of
good leaders, who make their
decisions based on what’s right and
what’s best for people as a whole,
rather than based on the latest poll or
oiling the political machine.
Thank God for Christian virtues
fellow leaders in British society
were models, concerning themselves
with people’s welfare rather than
their own persona) profit. Today too,
with a widening gap between rich
and poor, concern for “the bottom
line” and “meeting the budget”
needs to be tempered with humanity
and generosity toward those at the
lower rungs of society’s ladder.
Scripture also cautions us against
scoffing and mocking — much of that shone forth in monarchs such as
which today is accepted as
“enlightened criticism” or “opinion”
(Psalm 1:1; Proverbs 1:22). Jude
(1:18) says the apostles foretold that
“In the last times there will be
scoffers who will follow their own
ungodly desires.” Rather than sneer
at morals as “Victorian” and
outdated, or complain about the
latest municipal or federal decision,
Victoria and pray and practise in
such a way as to train up leaders of
tomorrow who will be deemed
worthy of having future holidays
named in their honour.
foitt- 04-
Sunday, May 25
Morning Worship Service -10 a.m.
Evening Worship Service - 7:30 p.m.
BLYTH CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH
Pastor John Kuperus
A Hwy. 4, Blyth 523-9233
/ | \ Wheelchair accessible
THE ANGLICAN CHURCH OF CANADA
cfM to- cowe- caon^dtfi cottd cc&
Sunday, May 25
6TH SUNDAY OF EASTER
MORNING PRAYER
St. John's, Brussels
11:15 a.m.
The Rev. Tom Wilson, B.A., MDiv. 887-9273
Trinity, Blyth
9:30 a.m.
MELVILLE
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
11:00 a.m.
9:30 a.m.
BRUSSELS
- Morning Service
- Sunday School
- Belgrave Service
Wheelchair accessible
Nursery care available
Rev. Cathrine Campbell - 887-9831
Blyth United Church
Corner of Dinsley & Mill Street
Sunday, May 25
Worship Service & Sunday School
11:00 a.m.
Ascension Sunday
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Minister: Rev. Dr. Eugen Bannerman
Office: 523-4224
^ornrhunity Churc^
"The Church is not a
Building,
$ AK It is People Touching
5 XT J 1 People"
Sunday - 10:00 a.m. - Sunday School for all ages
11:00 a.m. - Morning Worship
7:30 p.m. - Evening Worship
Wednesday - 10:00 a.m. & 7:30 p.m. - Bible Studies
Phone 523-4875 308 Blyth Rd. E.
Pastor Les Cook 523-4590
£ ‘
£
£
£
M[9 10:30 a.m. - Outdoor Worship Q
- and Church Picnic
2 **Note - Location change ** iS
at A&B Morrison's, 39718 Amberley Rd.,
.<■ Wingham (west from lights at Hwy. 86)
[ [ Pastor: Ernest Dow ~ 523-4848
www.tcc.on.ca/~dowfam
IM IM EMI IM IM Ml IM IMF
St. Michael's
Roman Catholic Church
254 Drummond St E., Blyth
Sunday Mass 9:00 a.m
Father Lance Magdziak, Pastor
519-527-0142
email: stjames@rcec.london.on.ca
HURON CHAPEL EVANGELICAL
MISSIONARY CHURCH
Auburn-526-1131
PASTOR DAVE WOOD - 523-4941
- Family Bible HourSunday9:30 a.m.
10:30 a.m. - Morning Worship Service
7:30 p.m.
Wednesday 7:00 - 8:30 p.m.- Youth
7:15 p.m. - Adult Bible Study
- Evening Worship Service
BRUSSELS - ETHEL PASTORAL CHARGE
UNITED CHURCH OF CANADA
Joan Golden - Diaconal Student Minister
Church Office 887-6259 E-mail - bepc@wcl.on.ca
May 25
Ethel United Church
Worship in the park at 11:00 a.m.
Picnic lunch following the service
Brussels United Church
11:00 a.m.
Worship Service & Sunday School
Come celebrate with us the Good News of Easter
Cornerstone
Bible
Fellowship
Ethel
Communion - 9:45 - 10:30
Family Bible Hour and Sunday School ~ 11:00 - 12:00
Prayer & Bible Study - Tuesday 8 p.m.
Ladies' Time Out - The last Thursday of each month
7:30 - 9:00 p.m.
John 14:6 - Jesus said, "I am the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, no
one comes to the Father, but through Me.11
Everyone Welcome
Call Pastor Andrew Thursdays or Fridays at 887-6123
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(Ze-te-tht-a-te uf-ittb a-t
Brussels Mennonite Fellowship
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Worship Service 9:30 am
Coffee Break
Sunday School 11:00 am
10:45 am
Pastor Brent Kipfer 887-6388
Jaajua "...J. have called ifau pdendb.” ~ Jufui 15:15
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