For
Sunday, November 25, 2018, 7th Sunday in the Season of Creation, Readings: Colossians 1:15-20, Psalm 93, Revelation
1:4b-8, John 18:33-37
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation…He
is himself before all things and in him all things hold together. [Colossians 1:15a, 17]
Your testimonies are very sure, and holiness adorns your house, O Lord, for ever and for evermore. [Psalm 93:6]
Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to
come…and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness…”I am the Alpha and the Omega,”
says the Lord God… [Revelation 1:4b, 5a, 8a]
We have arrived at the
final Sunday in the Season of Creation (SoC) and also the Last Sunday after
Pentecost in the Lectionary season, both of which celebrate Christ the King.
Coming next we begin the Season of Advent, preparing for the birth of the Child
in whom the fullness of God is pleased to dwell.
The readings from Colossians and
Revelation for this SoC Sunday are filled with mysterious and almost abstract descriptions
that are difficult to comprehend for most modern, western minds. While they also
maybe somewhat familiar to anyone who regularly reads the Christian [New] Testament
and/or hears them read in a church setting, these words may seem irrelevant
in the scheme of daily living in today’s world. How does one concretely grasp God, the Almighty who is and was and is to
come, the Alpha and the Omega, from everlasting. Or,
Jesus Christ, the image of the invisible God, the faithful witness, firstborn of all creation and also of the
dead, ruler of the kings of the earth? Yet we, who would be counted as faithful
Christians, should take heed and examine more closely. It is in this daily life in
this time that we may easily lose track of our allegiances and settle in more
with the temporary earthly powers than in the everlasting divine Kingship of
Christ. Although Jesus says his kingdom is not
from here, it is here and in this time and place where we encounter
him, if we seek him, and if we choose to follow.
For me, the crux of this Sunday’s lessons
is the moment in John’s Gospel that Jesus tells Pilate that everyone who belongs to the
truth listens to my voice [John
18:37b]. Are we listening? Do we hear it? Interestingly, what
comes next is not in our appointed reading and I cannot understand why not!
Maybe it is even more difficult for us to understand. In verse 38: Pilate
asked him, "What is truth?" For
us who endeavor to follow, Christ is our unearthly King in this world who shows
us the way to the true unending Kingdom. The question for each of us is:
to what truth do we choose to belong? The easy answer is: In
him all things hold together; and then there is the hard part, faith in action.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader:
~ O Lord on High, hold us together and keep us from collapsing
in fear whenever we, Your restless multitude, tremble at earthly tumult from both
human behavior and natural disasters. In our fleeting mortality turn us always
to Christ in whose Kingdom we are forgiven and saved.
O Christ, our King
RESPONSE: Keep us in Your Truth
~ O Lord
on High, for all who are governed by power or throne,
by force or dominion, on our planet, in our country, and in our community, we
implore You to infuse the wisdom, sanity, and humanity of Jesus into all who
lead Your people. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O
Christ, our King
Keep us in Your Truth
~
O Lord on High, send healing grace
to all who suffer in spirit, mind, or body, and compassion to all who give them
care. We now join our voices to pray aloud for those in need…
O
Christ, our King
Keep us in Your Truth
~ O Lord on High, ease
our grief as the souls of our cherished departed arise from earthly death into
the ceaseless joy of Your Eternal Kingdom. We
pray especially for:
O
Christ, our King
Keep us in Your Truth
~ O Lord
on High, we pause in this moment to
offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and
memorials, aloud or silently…
O
Christ, our King
Keep us in Your Truth
~ O Lord on High, empower
the spirits of those who lead us in Your Church, through Your Word and
Sacraments, with the peace, unity, and truth of Christ’s all-encompassing love.
We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O
Christ, our King
Keep us in Your Truth
The
Celebrant adds:
Christ of All Peoples, our Faithful Witness, rescue
us from the power of darkness and transform our anxieties into fruitful action.
Keep us striving toward Your purpose by offering our labors to soothe the sufferings
of humanity near and far. We ask through Jesus our Christ, the Firstborn of all
Creation, and the Holy Spirit, the very Breath of Love, who together with You
are our One God, now and forever. Amen.
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