We have arrived at
the Last Sunday after Pentecost, celebrating the feast of Christ the King.
Coming next week we begin the Season of Advent, a time of anticipation as we
prepare our hearts and souls for the birth of the Child in whom the fullness of
God is pleased to dwell and the One who becomes our Redeemer.
The
first reading, from 2nd Samuel, contains the last words of
another King, David. The contrast of the just ruler with the godless is stark,
explicit, and worthy of pondering the comparison with our own times. The just
ruler, God has told David, is like the Light of the morning, like the
sun rising on a cloudless morning…Is not my house like this with God? God
will help us all be secure and prosper. But the godless are all like
thorns that are thrown away…entirely consumed in fire…
The
Psalm appointed for today is considered a “royal” psalm in dramatic liturgical
form. It was likely sung during the annual festival of enthroning
the Lord when the Ark was carried into the temple. It gives an
historical and theological justification for the close relationship of the
temple in Jerusalem and David’s monarchy, as David was the first King of a
united Israel. The psalmist’s recounting of the history of David’s seeking and
planning to find a site for a Temple, in which God would have a resting place,
has strong resonance with the reading in 2nd Samuel.
The
Book of Revelation is always filled with mysterious and almost abstract
descriptions that are difficult to comprehend for most modern, western minds.
The sacred number 7 is introduced, the symbol of wholeness and perfection that
is important to the structure of the Book itself. The phrase the
seven spirits may be a reference to the 7 archangels in later Judaism.
The word witness is often used to denote martyrs and verse 7
draws on the imagery of Daniel’s vision in 7:13 that says I saw one like a
human being coming with the clouds of heaven, now applied to Christ’s
Second Coming. Some of these words and phrases 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 be
attentive 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 with acceptance or
fear of 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
when Jesus tells Pilate that everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice [John 18:37b]. Are we listening? Do we hear it? Even
more interestingly to me, is that what comes next is not in our appointed
reading and I wish it was. Perhaps because, especially in these fraught times,
it is even more difficult for us to understand. In verse 38: Pilate
asked him, "What is truth?" How do we answer? For we who endeavor to follow, Christ is our only King who shows us
the way to the true and everlasting Kingdom. The question for each of us
is: to what truth do we listen and choose to belong? The “easy” answer
is: Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to [Christ’s] voice. How
then do we live it?
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Mighty God,
our Rock and our Light, 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 Forever King
RESPONSE:
Keep us
in Your Truth
~
Mighty God, our Rock and our Light, 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 everywhere. We pray especially for: add
your own petitions
O Christ, our Forever King
Keep
us in Your Truth
~
Mighty God, our Rock and our Light, 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… We now join our voices to pray
aloud for those in need… add your own petitions
O Christ, our Forever King
Keep
us in Your Truth
~
Mighty God, our Rock and our Light, ease the grief of those who mourn, as the
souls of our cherished departed arise from earthly death into the ceaseless joy
of Your Eternal Kingdom. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
O Christ, our Forever King
Keep
us in Your Truth
~
Mighty God, our Rock and our Light, we pause in this moment to
offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and
memorials, aloud or silently… add your own petitions
O Christ, our Forever King
Keep us in Your Truth
~
Mighty God, our Rock and our Light, 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 Forever King
Keep
us in Your Truth
The
Celebrant adds: Christ
of All Peoples, rescue us from the power of darkness and transform our
anxieties into fruitful action. Keep us striving toward Your purpose by
offering our labor to soothe the sufferings of humanity near and far. We ask
through Jesus our Christ, the Faithful Witness, and the Holy Spirit, the very
Breath of Love, who together with You are our One God, the Alpha and Omega, now
and forever. Amen.
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