Reflection for Christ the King Sunday

“And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

This Sunday we celebrate the festival of Christ the King, the last Sunday of the church year. Our liturgical calendar is set up with Advent as the first season, the beginning of the year. Therefore, this Sunday is the last Sunday of the year. It’s hard to believe that we are so close to Advent, but we are.

           

This is also our last Sunday before Thanksgiving, a time when we celebrate all that we have been given, all the bounties of God’s creation, all the good things in our lives. Whether we gather together with family for a big feast, or celebrate quietly at home, it is a holiday when we can take special time apart to recognize that all we have comes from God.

But what do Thanksgiving and Christ the King have to do with each other? How do we celebrate these two events together? Though we ought to recognize that we give thanks to God on Thanksgiving, it is really a secular holiday, one focused on consumption, and acting as a gateway to the Christmas buying season.

Well, I think that our reading from Paul this week may give us some idea of the answer. “And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.”

Fullness is certainly something that we can associate with Thanksgiving, but there is more here. We may have trouble identifying with the term “Christ the King.” After all, we aren’t a people who have regular experience with kings; it’s just not something we are familiar with. But this line from Paul gives us an idea, and when coupled with Thanksgiving, it may be one we can really hold on to.

“And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things…”

God, who has created all things, has put Christ over all things, the head over all things, with the church as his body. When we celebrate Thanksgiving, and praise God for all that has been created, we can also celebrate Christ the King, and praise God for this marvelous head that leads us into all creation, boldly, without fear.

The one who made all things, rules all things, holds all things, loves all things, is the one who made us, who loves us, who leads us.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

           

Reflection for the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost

“For you yourselves know very well

that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”

“Like a thief in the night.” So many things happen unexpectedly, “like a thief in the night.”

Illness, car accidents, heart attacks. Like a thief in the night.

Unemployment, downsizing, stock market crashes. Like a thief in the night.

Car repairs, broken hot water heaters, roof repairs. Like a thief in the night.

Flood, earthquakes, tornadoes. Like a thief in the night.

Broken relationships, broken systems, actual thieves. Like a thief in the night.

There are so many things that steal from us. Things that steal our sense of security, that steal away our independence, our safety, our comfort. Things that steal our ability to function, to encounter the world with grace and love. Things that, like a thief in the night, come unexpectedly and disastrously.

And yet, this is how Paul tells us the day of the Lord will come: unexpected, surprising, life-changing.

How can you prepare for something that is, by definition, unexpected? We can prepare for a thief in protecting ourselves: locking our doors, not advertising when we’re going to be gone, and so on. We can prepare for car repairs by saving up a “rainy day” fund just for such emergencies. We can have disaster response plans and health insurance. But there is only so much preparation that can be done. There will always be the unexpected, the unknown, the surprising, the life-changing.

The good news is that our God is in those places already. The good news is that it is the day of the Lord which is coming like a thief in the night. We trust in a God who is surprising and unexpected in grace, not in punishment. We trust in a God whose mercy is so plentiful and abundant that it surprises us and changes our lives in ways we cannot even imagine. Like a thief in the night, our God’s grace comes upon us, takes us by surprise, takes from us what we value, and changes our lives. Unlike a thief in the night, what is taken is not what need, and what is left behind is not fear and emptiness, but hope and grace.

God’s grace is unexpected.

God’s love surprises.

The day of the Lord is coming like a thief in the night.

Thanks be to God.

Amen.

Reflction for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost

“Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:18)

As we enter further into November, the holiday season seems to loom greater and greater on the horizon. Already stores are displaying their Christmas items. Though so far they are mostly the items you might need ahead of time – gifts appropriate for shipping and the things you’d need for crafting and creating projects that take time – it is still clear that the festivities which mark the end of our calendar year will be upon us soon.

And yet, the week after All Saints Sunday, I am reminded that the holidays and festivities approaching us are not signs of grace and hope for everyone. For some, Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas are reminders only of their grief or isolation. For others, the busy-ness of the season is only another weight: another chore, another set of errands, another cost of living in a materialistic society. All these weights on already weighed down bodies, minds, and hearts, can create quite a strain.

Everyone has the pieces they like and dislike about the holidays, and for whatever like or dislike you have, I can almost guarantee there is someone who feels opposite. Do the stores start carrying Christmas decorations too soon or too late? Do the songs start too quickly or too slowly? Are there too many family traditions or not enough?

And, somehow, in the midst of the busy-ness (or not busy-enough-ness) there are emotions: joy, anticipation, thanks, praise, hope, celebration, grief, fear, frustration, forgiveness, peace.

Our second reading for this Sunday comes from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. He spends some time reminding them of the impact of Christ’s resurrection, and our connection to it, and the reading ends with the simple line, “Therefore, encourage one another with these words.” Encourage one another. What can we do in these weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, before the real hustle and bustle of Advent and the Christmas season begin, to encourage one another? What simple note sent or patient smile given could have ripples of effect?

Our God is with us in all we say and do. Our God knows exactly how we feel about the upcoming holidays, and is already there ahead of us, waiting to welcome us into the season, to remind us of God’s love, no matter how busy or distracted the commercialism of the holidays may make us. And God has already sent God’s most encouraging Word, Jesus Christ, who knows and loves us, who has died and risen for us, binding us to his death and resurrection through baptism. What then is a spare moment of our time, given to other around us, who may be more in need of encouragement than we could ever know?

May God’s Spirit wash you anew this November, and remind you always of God’s grace and mercy.

Thanks be to God.

Amen