Christ the King Sunday
Dear First Pres SLO Family,
Grace and peace to you in the name of Jesus Christ the King, whose life and ministry shape us and call us to faithful service in this world.
This Sunday is called Christ the King Sunday in the church calendar. It’s a day when we celebrate the ministry of Christ in its fullness—the fulfillment of prophecy, the ways he lived and loved, the sacrifice to redeem the world, and his teaching on the Kingdom of God. All that we understand and believe about what Christ accomplished for us is what we remember this week, before starting over again with Advent on the following Sunday.
These rhythms are important for us, even if many of them pass by without our notice. In times when human life was marked by seasons of planting and harvesting and festivals, the church calendar organized those events around the story of Christ. From God’s promise of the Messiah, which is what we remember during Advent, through to the events of Holy Week, the Ascension, and Pentecost, the whole year is marked out for us as a way to remember Christ’s love and sacrifice on our behalf.
Our congregation has its rhythms, too. We’re coming to the end of one this week—the Stewardship Season. We’ve been in a very gentle discussion of our ministries and partnership over these past weeks, and this Sunday we’ll offer a prayer of commitment for the pledges we’ve received (and will receive!). If you need a pledge form, just let me know.
All of this is taking place as we struggle and fidget against the continuing restrictions on our lives due to the COVID pandemic. I feel that way, too.
As we look ahead to the Advent and Christmas seasons, and even farther into the New Year, know that we are planning for a freer and more open 2022. We will not put you or our staff at risk, but as we learn more about what is and isn’t dangerous, we’ll make adjustments to the ways we do things. I’m grateful for your patience this far, and ask for just a little bit more.
In the meantime I leave you with this. The contemporary English poet and folk-rocker—and Anglican priest—Malcom Guite wrote this sonnet for Christ the King Sunday, with an eye clearly on the Matthew 25 passage we’ve been wrestling with. Make it a part of your own prayers this week.
Our King is calling from the hungry furrows
Whilst we are cruising through the aisles of plenty,
Our hoardings screen us from the man of sorrows,
Our soundtracks drown his murmur: ‘I am thirsty’.
He stands in line to sign in as a stranger
And seek a welcome from the world he made,
We see him only as a threat, a danger,
He asks for clothes, we strip-search him instead.
And if he should fall sick then we take care
That he does not infect our private health,
We lock him in the prisons of our fear
Lest he unlock the prison of our wealth.
But still on Sunday we shall stand and sing
The praises of our hidden Lord and King.
With Blessings,
Pastor John