The end of the year
NOTE: I sound the way I do as I am getting over bronchitis, don’t adjust your listening device, it probably won’t get any better.
Today is the last Sunday in the Liturgical year, hence the name of this post.
The Lectionary ends the church year with Christ the King Sunday, or Reign of Christ Sunday depending on where you worship, which is an interesting idea. The last Sunday before the beginning of Advent, where we prepare for the celebration of Jesus coming as a baby, is devoted to talking about that same Jesus as king. We may be forgiven if we don’t immediately see evidence of Christ’s kingship all around us. However, that doesn’t mean that the evidence isn’t there.
The only way we will be able to see evidence of Christ’s kingship is if we first, dispense with our definition of “king.” We all have a definition of “king” in mind when we hear the word. We even have examples from history of how a king should behave, both good and bad examples. The problem is that all of these are so far removed from what scripture means when it refers to Christ’s reign in any way that it is hard to see how the same word serves both purposes. Second, we have to toss out all our expectations of what “kingship” looks like. It is not about the exercise of power of subjects. Neither is it the compelled obedience of subjects. Jesus’ kingship is something completely and utterly new and different from every other monarch in the history of the world . . . and I’m glad.
Knox Presbyterian What kind of king is this?
St. Mark’s Presbyterian What kind of king is this?
Blessings,
