26 November 2023: “Christ the King”

/ Rykken
Faithful Conversations #39

Introduction to Readers: 

The Liturgical Calendar

For 26 weeks, we have been in Ordinary Time in the church calendar and this week marks the end of the church year. Let me offer a bit of history here. In 1925, responding to the brutal ravages of the Great War, Pope Pius XI designated the last Sunday in October as “Christ the King” Sunday. Witnessing totalitarian and secular forces marching across the globe, including the rise of communism in Russia and fascism in Italy and Spain (foreshadowing Nazism in Germany), the Pope sought to remind Christians of their true allegiance to God Almighty.   Later, as part of the reforms emerging from the Second Vatican Council, Christ the King Sunday was moved to where it sits in the lectionary today, the final Sunday of the liturgical calendar. A reminder that the ELCA follows the Revised Common Lectionary that emerged in the 1990s, and Christ the King Sunday was absorbed from these earlier changes. My reflections this week will focus on the Gospel, and I will include the posting from this week’s Living Lutheran Lectionary Blog. As always, thanks for your continued interest in exploring the Bible within the flow of our lives! 

Note: I do utilize various hyperlinks within the body here for further exploration on your part if interested! They are a different color and italicized. 

Readings for Christ the King Sunday
Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24
Psalm 95:1-7a
Ephesians 1:15-23
Matthew 25:31-46

Matthew 25:31-46 (Focus Scripture):

Jan van Eyck (1390-1441)
“God Almighty”
The Ghent Altarpiece
Belgium

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. 34 Then the king will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, 35 for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food or thirsty and gave you something to drink? 38 And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you or naked and gave you clothing? 39 And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’ 40 And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.’ 41 Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘You who are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, 42 for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not take care of you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”

This Week’s Reflection: “The Counter-Cultural Nature of Christianity” 

President Jimmy Carter and First Lady, Rosalynn

Rosalynn Carter’s death this week conjured up memories from the 1970s. As a first-time voter in 1976 (sophomore in college), I cast my ballot for President Carter — and imagine that he and Rosalynn were already in their 30th year of marriage when he was elected! While following their lives, especially in the post-Presidential years, I have always been impressed by the authenticity of this dynamic couple’s faith journey. Both used their positions and influence to promote God’s work in this world, and they did it with amazing grace — and they did it for SO long! What a powerful example they offer.  
 
This week’s Gospel — the final of our church year — is powerful. It takes us into the realm of the final judgement, an uncomfortable topic to say the least. There is much to reflect on here, and I will leave that to the commentary linked below. What is crystal clear, however, is that as Christians, we are commanded to speak up for — and care for — the most vulnerable souls in our midst. We embody the greatest counter-cultural movement in history, an awesome realization!  James Forbes, former pastor of Riverside Church in New York City, perhaps said it best: “Nobody gets to heaven without a letter of reference from the poor” (I am indebted to Dan Clenendin for this line, as noted in a lectionary commentary he offered this week). 
 
Living Lutheran is a monthly periodical produced by the ELCA and is transitioning to a digital-only platform as we speak. In my estimation, it is a terrific resource for us, and I commend it to your reading. That said, a Lectionary Blog is featured, and I am especially impressed with this week’s offering. This excerpt is especially insightful: 

At the ELCA Systems Academy training in early October, psychologist Walter Howard Smith argued that one of the principle causes of congregations shrinking and dying is that they are in cutoff relationships with the communities that once reciprocally nourished and were nourished by them. The congregations provided good news for all, training for discipleship and aid for those on the margins. The community valued these efforts while supporting and participating in the congregation. But, as the congregations’ foci moved inward to prioritizing worship services (and, if we’re honest, emphasizing one style of worship as “correct” and others as somehow suspect or faulty) instead of forming disciples and caring for its neighbors, those communities lost interest in supporting and/or attending the church.
Access the full blog here as you reflect on this week’s readings.
Soli Deo Gloria!
 
Prayer (Inspired by Psalm 95:1-7a):
Lord God, you are the Rock of our salvation, and King above all Gods. Your majestic creation exhibits your power. We, your people, praise your awesome presence in our lives. Amen. 
 
And, for those of you that appreciate powerful organ music, here is a rendition of an 1851 hymn designated for Christ the King Sunday — “Crown Him With Many Crowns.” The organist is Craig Williams and he is playing the organ at the Cadet Chapel at West Point. My wife MaryBeth and I had the pleasure of attending a concert there during  graduation week in 2007 — an amazing experience. 
Access it here and ENJOY!

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