If you’re on NetFlix, I recommend The Crown, Season 3, Episode 7, “Moondust.” Even if you haven’t watched the series, this could be a stand-alone episode. It runs less than an hour and centers around a mid-life crisis of Prince Philip against the backdrop of Apollo 11, July 1969. There are no characters that you would have to know who they were in advance, except, perhaps, Philip and Queen Elizabeth, and they are obvious! (Please ignore the warnings when the episode begins–they don’t apply!)

Here’s the setup: Philip, a formal naval officer and a licensed pilot, is fascinated with the launch of Apollo 11 in which Americans will land on the moon. (You can see a series of five blogs I wrote for the 50th anniversary beginning July 18, 2019.) Philip is contrasting his (as he sees it) dull life filled with boring events (e.g., an award presentation at the British Concrete Society) with the courage and excitement of the moon landing. There is also a scene in which he’s bored to death in a church service.

Philip has a personal meeting with the astronauts and also is forced to get to know the new pastor the Queen has hired for their chapel. Here are my takeaways:

• Every job has its bedpans (as a friend of mine used to say). The astronauts were not caught up in the excitement of the moon landing, but rather in their duties, which consisted largely of following checklists. 
• Nearly every job has dignity and worth. The astronauts were just as fascinated by Philip’s life in the palace as he was in theirs. 
• Philip learns that one can’t feel worthwhile without faith, which he had lost. 
• A good pastor with drive and vision can make a difference.

It’s a powerful episode, but even if you don’t get to see it, my takeaways are worth thinking about!

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him…Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. (Colossians 3.17, 23, 24, NIV)

The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living… (Hebrews 11.1, MSG)

I can’t impress this on you too strongly. God is looking over your shoulder. Christ himself is the Judge, with the final say on everyone, living and dead. He is about to break into the open with his rule, so proclaim the Message with intensity; keep on your watch. Challenge, warn, and urge your people. Don’t ever quit. Just keep it simple. (2 Timothy 4.1, 2, MSG)