It's almost over--after all the struggle things are finally drawing to a close--and not a moment too soon either--without resolution surely a crisis would be at hand--it had to end.
What is it that is ending? Given the current circumstances of our country and place in history--that which most of us would hope to soon end is most probably drawn from the headlines of this morning's newspapers. The election-an end to the uncertainty--the ballot recounting--the political uncertainties of the balloting--just tell us who the next president will be and let us get on with our lives. Or maybe it is the other front page story--the fighting in Israel--an end to the Palestinian question--peace between the peoples who share the holy land. What is it that we wish was at an end? Maybe even as it is beginning we wish that the holiday season was over--at least the parts of it that bring us stress and demands.
Of course not everyone is focused on the headlines when it comes to closure and endings--for some the crisis is far more personal. The uncertainty of a business position--the challenge of a certain situation at school--the personal unknown of a medical condition that simply will not end or go away. To yearn for an ending that there might be something new--a moving on--a hope that goes beyond the current condition or situation. At various times in our lives we find ourselves struggling with circumstances and situations that threaten to overwhelm--confuse--even deny our future.
Such was the circumstances that the authors
of our various lessons for today faced. The first lesson is from
the Old Testament book of Daniel written at a time when the people
of Israel were exiled and appeared to have lost their land--their
identity--and now it seemed maybe even their faith. To such a
people struggling in the face of despair there comes a vision
of God's sovereign power
with dominion over all peoples, nations and languages. Our second
lesson is the opening verses of the last book of the Bible--Revelation--that
end time vision written to assure an early Christian community
that found itself persecuted and oppressed--written to remind
the early Christians that the God who created the world would
also bring all things to culmination in His time and power. The
glory of something new--the desire to have something new--this
is still a central theme of our lives--newness is the driving
force of much of the advertising that informs and directs this
shopping season. The ending of the old and beginning something
new even informs our view of our Gospel lesson for today--while
the rest of the world is already beginning Christmas preparations
we find our story from the final chapter of Christ's life--His
trial before Pilate soon to be followed by the cross and His death.
Today is Christ the King Sunday--the last Sunday of the Christian
calendar--the 27th week of the Pentecost season--the season of
green is finally at an end. We have reached the final chapter
to the story of Jesus begun 52 weeks ago. We begin the reruns
next week. Next Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent--we start
the story over again. With Advent we once more begin the count
down to the birth of the baby. Year after year we find ourselves
at this same intersection of time and tradition. Even as we hear
of the promised coming of Daniel's "one like a human"
who brings hope to a lost people and read of the Revelation of
Christ's transcending power as alpha and omega--beginning and
end--even as we see Jesus standing before Pilate in the final
moments before being sentenced to the cross, we find that in the
back of our minds we already are humming Christmas carols and
anticipating Mary and Joseph's baby in a manger.
The purpose of our texts for this day is that we might strive to understand what it means to come full circle to a place we have been before--it is as the poet T. S. Eliot observed, "to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." "To arrive where we started and know the place for the first time"--to see what has always been there but never really seen--to hear what has always been spoken or sung but now heard for the first time.
For centuries most people of the world have had very little control over their world or their lives--life was defined as surviving one crisis or disaster after another. When things got really bad people would turn to their God--their only hope would often be an end to the world as they knew it--an act of God that took control--either a miracle in time or a radical vision of God's kingdom beyond time.
As much as we might feel at times as if the
world is rushing past us and there is nothing we can do about
it. The fact is that we who live in America at the beginning of
the 21st century--and especially we who live here in suburban
America--have powers that would have awed our ancestors. We control
our environments with heating and cooling--we have an abundance
of food
as close as the nearest grocery store or restaurant--we travel
almost at will--even the powers and governments of the world
provide only limited obstacles to our crossing of borders with
our American passports. There is hardly a moment that goes by
that we cannot by simply touching a few keys talk to almost anyone
any where in the world either by cell phone or internet.
There is hardly a fact or detail of the world that if known to
one person cannot be known by all--knowledge has become power
that we control--and while death still stalks us we have the resources
to extend life far longer then any previous generation had dreamed
possible. While conflicts and violence are too common to many
parts of the world--we live in communities with almost overly
vigilant protectors. The good life is lived with various interpretations--we
have few unmet material needs and our houses are filled with possessions
and wants.
Previous generations brought the crisis of
time, place, and needs to their hopes that culminated in the festival
of Christ the King
--with yearnings for some way to transcend the troubled times
or the crisis of life. They waited with anticipation for their
triumphant king to return in power and redeem their daily lives--few
of us come to this day with yearnings for release to a future
in God's power--for most of us the yearning is to simply be set
free to live meaningful lives now.
The challenge of this day is to experience
the mystery of Christ the King--triumphant Lord--how to understand
the power of God
when our eyes are already being turned from the heavenly throne
to our all too worldly powers that make us our own gods.
Where do we look for the power of God today in the midst of our
affluent security?
Pilate was Governor of Palestine--he had the
power of Rome at his disposal--a power that ruled more of the
world
then the United States has ever controlled or even influenced--and
he questioned Jesus' kingship-Jesus' power.
A ragged, skinny backwoods preacher from a relatively unknown corner of the world who had been declared a threat to the government-a king? Jesus answered Pilate, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born, and for this I came into the world"
Power from birth--position and identity from
birth--this is an idea we can relate to. True enough if you are
born an American citizen (or from a few select other nations)
but Jesus declared power from birth in his oneness with humanity.
No matter how we tell the story of Jesus--trace it through the
church year--summarize it to those who have not yet heard--sooner
or later we wind up at the story of a birth. There is something
in us that finds direction and some kind of meaning in our birth
-the place-the parents-the beginning.
Power from birth--position and identity from
birth--we witness it here again today--as the church year draws
to a close and the liturgical calendar ends--we celebrate a beginning--a
baptism--a new birth by water and the Word. In a few drops of
water and the whisper of prayers guided by the Holy Spirit we
welcome a new child of God into the Holy family of the church--the
body of Christ. With anointing of oils once reserved only for
the royal children of the most high we declare Ryan a member of
the priesthood of all believers. In the laying on of hands a minister
of the church declares that Ryan is now among the chosen and most
blessed of Christ's church. There will be no mediator needed between
the prayers of this child and the great God on high.
No special offerings needed--no secret mysteries of faith that
will not be open to him. Power?--angels will be his guardians--saints
of the church from throughout the centuries are now a part of
the resources of his faith. Any nourishment for the journey of
life will be provided by the very body and blood of Christ--he
will be fed by God's Word--nourished at God's table. His will
be a God who entered the world as infant that every child will
know their God as one with them--a God who showed us how to walk
by faith
even in places where the rich and powerful would never go. He
will know all humanity as his brothers and sisters without need
to show prejudice or hatred. He will follow as a disciple the
example of one who taught that love is stronger then the greatest
weapons of warfare
Christ the King--It's almost over--or it's almost begun. Alpha and omega--beginning and end--In our baptism we too began our lives--and each day we are reborn to new life--at this table we receive anew the gift of grace-power to live lives not defined by our good deeds-our successes or failures--but lives empowered by the same Spirit that proclaims Christ King and us the inheritors of that kingdom.
So let us rejoice that another church year
has come to an end-that Christ is King--that regardless of who
wins the election our God reigns--and the promise of peace for
our time and the world will come not from diplomats or presence
of armies
but from those who have become true children of God.
A King who dies-to claim his throne--A child who is born king. "To arrive where we started and know the place for the first time"
And Jesus said, "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."
It's over--let us begin anew.
Amen.