In our reading from John’s gospel, Jesus is praying that God will glorify him and lift him up to the position alongside the Father which the Messiah of Jewish tradition was supposed to attain. When we think of the word ‘glory’ we think of high renown or honour, magnificence or great beauty, and we give glory to earthly things as well as heavenly. As a dedicated follower of fashion, I recently watched a tv programme about some of the dresses that Princess Catherine has worn for various state occasions and visits. And all of them in some way, were about earthly glory. The glory of stately power, of wealth, of fame, the epitome of the kinds of glory that humans can achieve. But a phrase kept coming into my mind from a very poignant moment at the funeral of our dear late Queen Elizabeth as they sang the hymn ‘Love Divine all loves Excelling.’ The queen had chosen it herself and it was a very moving reminder that all the human glory in the world cannot outshine the glory of God.

‘Changed from glory into glory, till in heaven we take our place. Till we cast our crowns before thee, lost in wonder, love and praise.’

Revd Liz