The end of the year is upon us.
No, I haven't lost my mind. I know that December 31 is a ways away.
But in the Christian calendar, this Sunday is the last Sunday of the year. The following Sunday will begin the Advent cycle, which, liturgically speaking, begins a brand new year of worship.
Like most Protestant congregations, we here at Tyler Street don't do much if anything with Christ the King Sunday. It is, after all, a very new holy day instituted by the Roman Catholic Church in the 1920s. Even the Anglican and Eastern Orthodox traditions have been slow to adopt this relatively new celebration, let alone Methodists and Baptists and other groups.
But just for something different, I thought I'd blog about it.
You see, by beginning our worship year on Advent, we begin by waiting upon the birth of Christ. We focus on the human need for redemption and all the hope and glory which Christmas represents. From Advent and Christmas, we take a pit stop with the Wise Men at Epiphany, visit the Mount of Transfiguration, spend weeks of introspection through Lent, experience the drama and passion of Holy Week, triumphantly celebrate Easter, and seek church renewal at Pentecost. From summer on, we live in "ordinary time," a long season in which we try our level best to live out those high Christians virtues and hopes in the midst of every day life.
And then, before we begin the whole cycle again, we stop to contemplate not the coming of the baby Jesus, but the eventual return of Christ the Risen Lord and King.
This is a time to ponder things to come. Now is a chance to dream of the new heavens and the new earth.
It is also time to really ask ourselves: if He came today, how ready would we really be?
Below I have posted this week's Gospel story. (As I write, I don't know if Chris is preaching on this passage or if he is preaching something else.) As you read, I challenge you to really contemplate Jesus' words. Consider what it means to see Jesus in the least, the lonely, and the lost.
Matthew 25:31-46 (English Standard Version)
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
May our King come swiftly. And may we be ready!
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