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Good morning. Today our new premier is starting her first day at work. And Whatever the religious faith or outlook of any politician, – it’s not a coincidence that they and I - share the same title. We are both ministers. I a minister of religion, Liz Truss the Prime Minister of a government. A minister is fundamentally one who serves. No one lives up to this, of course. And so for anyone who even dares to say that this is their job title, it must always be accompanied by a large dose of humility. Ministers: prime and otherwise, fall short of the ideal of service all the time. But that doesn’t mean to say the ideal should be abandoned for any who hold power or authority and are asked to use it for the common good. It has become a commonplace observation that the themes and challenges facing all in public service: local, national, and international, are huge. In this situation, stepping into governing can’t mean just organising, or even leading, far less imposing. Governing is a way of serving, through public policy, the highest possible ideals that shape a decent society. In terms of a Christian ethic of service, none of us should be afraid of addressing these fundamentals in a practical way. Questions for all of us can include what is it that we are living for? And together, how can we address the things that prevent us living for what we live for? The UK is facing fundamental questions about the future : the energy needed to survive, the quality and availability of work, the price and value of essentials, the way that the most vulnerable people are cared for: not to mention how to respond to the aggression of another nation, or the aftermath of a traumatising global pandemic and the present climate emergency. Given this complexity, a minister will ask, as one who serves: at whose feet do I place my dearest hopes, my cherished ideals? What do I have control over and what are the limits of my power? What effect will my decisions have on the poorest person I know or on the planet itself? How can I help others grow and flourish and be well? An ethical outlook that is fundamentally about the wellbeing of others is one of the building blocks that Christianity imagines will lay the foundations for a better world. It’s a demanding way to live, and more demanding the greater the responsibility we carry. But a life of service lived together offers a path through the complex challenges of our time. This confronts the persistent self-interest that will ultimately always hold us back and makes ministers of all of us.