Volume 28, No. 22
June 22, 2003  
                      
A Crowning Touch
                      
   Fifty years ago, Queen Elizabeth took the throne in a ceremony full of the sacred and the symbolic — elements that hold powerful meaning if we apply them to our own lives as children of the King.

   During her coronation in 1953, Elizabeth was anointed with holy oil made from an ancient formula. Although the exact recipe is secret, its custodian, the Dean of Westminster, has said ingredients include the oils of orange flowers, roses, cinnamon, jasmine and sesame, along with musk — a fragrance from the glands of deer — and ambergris, a grey, scented substance secreted by whales.

   At one of the most solemn moments during the coronation, the Archbishop of Canterbury anointed the Queen with the oil, which was  housed in a solid gold, eagle-shaped vessel called an ampulla.  Using a jeweled spoon, the Archbishop poured out the oil and, while the Queen knelt as a sign of humility before the Divine, he used the ancient ointment to form a cross on both palms and her forehead.

   With the Queen still on her knees, the churchman invoked a blessing, asking that the work of her hands be prospered “and that by the assistance of His heavenly grace” the Lord would preserve the people committed to her charge “in wealth, peace and Godliness.”  When Prince Charles assumes the throne, the same oil will be used to preserve the unbroken tradition of seeking divine guidance for those with the heavy responsibility of representing the Throne.

   I’m reminded of how we, too, represent the seat of heavenly Authority and need help from on high.  If we see baptism as the crowning moment of our commitment to Christ, then our anointing holds both a solemn and celebratory meaning.

   In the New Testament, we read about the anointing of the Holy Spirit.  Jesus reads in a synagogue the Old Testament prophecy of the coming Messiah —”the Anointed One” — and applies it to himself.  “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour... Today, this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”  (Luke 4:18,19,21)

   Just as Jesus was anointed by the Spirit at his baptism and set apart to do the work and will of God, so are we.  “It’s God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ,” says the apostle Paul.  “He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what’s to come.” (2 Cor. 1:21,22).

   Baptism is a proclamation of our willingness to accept our regal responsibilities:  responsibilities that come to us, not because of our talent or goodness, but only because we’re part of the Royal family and heirs to the Crown.  An act of submission and obedience to a command of the King, baptism is our coronation and our declaration of absolute dependence on our Lord.  

    To equip us for the awesome responsibility of representing the Throne, we’re anointed with the oil of love.  Though we know some of its ingredients, the overall power and mystery of that divine ointment still escapes our understanding.  But from the moment it’s poured upon us from a Dove-shaped vessel, its fragrance should fill our lives.  “For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.  To one we are the smell of death;  to the other, the fragrance of life.” (2 Corinthians 2:15,16)

   “And who is equal to such a task?” Paul asks.  We are, he concludes, but only through a confidence found in Christ.  As in the British coronation, we must humbly ask the help of God while upon our knees, our heads and hands open to His strengthening touch.  We must allow the love of the Holy Spirit to imprint the Cross upon our every thought and every deed so that, in turn, the Almighty will bless the work of our hearts and prosper the people entrusted to our care, granting them spiritual wealth, peace and godliness.

   But baptism is only the beginning.  In the Kingdom, every day is Coronation Day.
By Rick Gamble, published in Cross Current, the weekly newsletter of the Followers of Christ congregation in Brantford, Ontario, Canada.  Reprint at will in not-for-profit publications.  To subscribe, contact sgamble@bfree.on.ca