Can't make it to church? 22 November 2015

The Christian year, liturgically speaking, begins with Advent Sunday and has its last Sunday (today) with Christ the King - and this, like every year, has been immense.

Advent sees us preparing  for the birth of Jesus and this is where our year gets started as we find ourselves with shepherds, magi, baptism, miracles, transfiguration, triumphal entry, betrayal, beating and finally death… And then resurrection: Rebirth, appearing, ascending, Spirit descending - living in the power of the risen Christ: And then repeat again!

The purple of Advent gives way to the white and gold of Christmas just as it does at Lent: two preparations: the first for a baby, the second for a resurrected Christ.

Today, Christ the King, we focus on the Lordship of Jesus, the Christ and we hold ourselves up against him and ask ourselves, “How have we done?”

Jesus, a King whose kingdom is not of this world coming in to a world of a cruel and wicked puppet King, and frightening him when he hears that the ‘King of kings is coming to his patch’!

Joy to the world! Yeah, if it's not your child going to be killed as Herod tries to eradicate the threat that this newborn King apparently is – after all, he’s killed his own kids to stave off any threat to his throne, what's the kids of others matter?

Preparation for the job ahead sees Jesus in the wilderness: how have we done in the comfort and plenty of where we find ourselves I wonder? What have, and how have we, experienced in our wilderness moments? How have we handled the job in hand?

Jesus comes as a servant into a place where the King lived to be served. He with all authority and power was vanished away to another country as a refugee – escaping death at the hands of a despotic leader. I wonder if He and His family were welcomed. Did the powers that be in Egypt have a debate and vote to not allow refugees into their land like the Americans just have?

Here we are at another Christ the King, but so what? One of the joys of being part of a church that is grounded in the word and focuses on the calendar is that we mark many important moments in our feasts and festivals and lectionary readings, but to what end? Do they challenge, inspire and change us, or are they as hollow as Christmas is for some when they have reached the age where it means socks, underpants and slippers? Have we lost the joy of our first love and allowed our zeal to become mere habit?

Every Sunday we pray, “Your Kingdom come…” And yet, as Justin Welby himself has said regarding the Paris murders, “I ask where God is and I have my own personal doubt over it.” We pray it, but when do we see it, hear of others experiencing it, experience it for ourselves?

And of that passing doubt; it needs to be treasured for it is in doubt that our faith is made real. I thank God for a man at the helm who shares the same highs and lows, trials and tests as me (though many will I am sure vilify and criticise him for his honesty).

This leads us to a junction where we can continue towards the cross, praying, reading, trusting, serving others and worshipping God in word, music, prayer and life.

OR

We can decide that we need to take things into our own hands and so we campaign, we act in our own strong that bringing into being those things that we consider to be ‘best’ with little thought to what the Christ calls us to look and live like.

OR

Assuming that our God is impotent and unable (or worse still: Unwilling) to act, decide to embark upon a popularity contest and rewrite the Bible and recreate God to make her popular and where there were commandments establish suggestions which possess nothing of the essential about them.

Which paths have we taken:   Personally. -  Corporately as congregation. -  Collectively as Church

Let's revisit today’s readings:

‘To Him was given dominion and glory and kingship, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, and his kingship is one that shall never be destroyed.

Do we believe this to be true?

Look! He is coming with the clouds, every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and on his account all the tribes of the earth will wail. So it is to be. Amen.

I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.

Are we expectantly looking to the East and the dawn that heralds the coming of Jesus, the Christ, the Almighty?

Then Pilate summoned Jesus again, and asked him, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’

Jesus answered, ‘Do you ask this on your own, or did others tell you about me?’

Pilate replied, ‘I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and the chief priests have handed you over to me. What have you done?’

Jesus answered, ‘My kingdom is not from this world. If my kingdom were from this world, my followers would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jews. But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.’

Pilate asked him, ‘So you are a king?’

Jesus answered, ‘You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.’

Are we listening to the authentic voice of Jesus in our lives, the lives of those around us and for our nation?

You can hear one of the versions I did of this Sunday's sermon HERE

The Collect
Eternal Father,
whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven that he might rule over all things as Lord and King: keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit and in the bond of peace, and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen.

Daniel 7.9-10,13,14
As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat;
his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him; the court sat in judgement, and the books were opened. “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Revelation 1.4b-8
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,  and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.  Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

John 18.33-37
So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”

Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”
Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?”
Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world - to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”

Post Communion prayer
Stir up, O Lord, The wills of your faithful people;
That they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works,
May by you be plenteously rewarded;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.