We all know we have two three-day weekends coming up! Yay! You may not be as excited as Rhiannon is about The Coronation of Charles III (she had booked her London hotel before the day was officially announced). Still, hopefully, you’ll be able to mark the occasion somehow. There have been many Royal events recently, but any excuse for a little party is always good.
We’ve been talking about bringing cakes out onto the drive and having a toned-down (no set-up, pack-down, or bunting) get-together with the neighbours. I know some churches are putting on lunch after the Sunday service, and an easy option would be to have a picnic at the nearest park.
But you know all this already. What is exciting and different about King Charles III’s Coronation is the opportunity to volunteer somewhere you’ve not thought of before. We’re encouraged to resist the urge to get to B&Q and spend the day painting the shed or power-washing the patio. If you love D.I.Y. there are lots of opportunities to D.I.Y. in a literal N.I.M.B.Y. (Not In My Back Yard) sort of way.
I downloaded the Big Help Out app to see what I could get involved with where I live. So far, it seems there are lots of charity shops to work at, Brownies and Scouts groups to help with, and park clear-ups to put my name down for. Look at webpages for charities close to your heart and see if anything is being arranged.
I wondered what I’ve enjoyed doing for others in different seasons and whether I could rekindle a love for one of those on that day. I love reading stories out loud – maybe I could see if the local nursing home would like me to visit for an hour or two. Reading to the residents saves any nervousness about what to talk about.
I can remember laughing with my mum in the corridor of our local care home when we were tasked with delivering Harvest Festival baskets. We tried to post bananas through people’s letterboxes, as nobody seemed to be answering their doors! I can picture a basket of big oranges and us giggling about how impossible it would be to try and post those! Sometimes the activity doesn’t matter; it’s the act of helping someone that boosts your well-being as much as the person you’re trying to help. And I love this memory of my mum and me laughing together – it didn’t matter what we were doing and how bruised the bananas must have been when they landed!
I’m sure you’ve experienced the joy of Life Groups/Small Groups volunteering together. Maybe there’s a project you can tackle together or a family you could help.
Whatever you do, enjoy it and feel a sense of satisfaction from doing something for others. But don’t forget, Jesus said the second greatest commandment is to ‘love your neighbour as you love yourself’. (Matthew 22:39) Many already spend a large chunk of the weekend caring, cleaning, or working for others. You may be in a season when there is barely a minute to yourself. Maybe you serve in church most weeks or support churches and charities by serving on boards, doing administration, etc.
How well are you doing with the second half of this command, ‘as you love yourself’? How do you talk to yourself? Do you speak words of encouragement, as you would to a friend, or are you allowing negative thoughts and putting yourself down? Are you getting outside for a walk or even planning in time to take a bath instead of a rushed shower? We are part of the body of Christ and are to value and love ourselves as part of that body. Christ’s summary of ‘the whole law and prophets’ (Matthew 22:40) reminds us that we need to be charitable to ourselves and our neighbours (anyone we interact with regularly).
So, however you choose to spend the Bank Holiday for the coronation of King Charles III, keep that command in mind and assess the wisdom of any commitments you make. Be kind to yourself so you can be kind to others.