CHRIST THE KING
‘I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king’.
King of glory, King of peace,
I will love thee;
and that love may never cease,
I will move thee.
Thou hast granted my request,
thou hast heard me;
thou didst note my working breast,
thou hast spared me.
Wherefore with my utmost art
I will sing thee,
and the cream of all my heart
I will bring thee.
Though my sins against me cried,
thou didst clear me;
and alone, when they replied,
thou didst hear me.
Seven whole days, not one in seven,
I will praise thee;
in my heart, though not in heaven,
I can raise thee.
Small it is, in this poor sort
to enroll thee:
e'en eternity's too short
to extol thee.
Mosaic from Hagia Sophia C13th
The collect for Christ the King
Eternal Father, whose Son Jesus Christ ascended to the throne of heaven that he might rule over all things as Lord and King: keep the Church in the unity of the Spirit and in the bond of peace, and bring the whole created order to worship at his feet; who is alive and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen
First Reading: Jeremiah 23:1-6
Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! says the LORD. Therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the shepherds who shepherd my people: It is you who have scattered my flock, and have driven them away, and you have not attended to them. So I will attend to you for your evil doings, says the LORD. Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply. I will raise up shepherds over them who will shepherd them, and they shall not fear any longer, or be dismayed, nor shall any be missing, says the LORD.
The days are surely coming, says the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: ‘The LORD is our righteousness.’
Jeremiah was prophesying in the difficult years before the people of Israel were taken into exile by the Babylonians. Giving hope to the people, he spoke of a new future and the coming of a king who would reign with justice and integrity. These words clearly point towards the coming of Jesus.
This is the last Sunday of the current church year. Next Sunday sees the beginning of Advent when we start to reflect once again on the incarnation, the Son of God born as a baby in a stable, both human and divine.
Psalm 93
God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth be moved, and though the mountains be toppled into the depths of the sea;
Though its waters rage and foam, and though the mountains tremble at its tumult.
The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be overthrown; God shall help her at the break of day.
The nations make much ado, and the kingdoms are shaken; God has spoken, and the earth shall melt away. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come now and look upon the works of the Lord, what awesome things he has done on earth.
It is he who makes war to cease in all the world; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear,
and burns the shields with fire.
"Be still, then, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations;I will be exalted in the earth." The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Second Reading: Colossians 1: 10-20
Brothers and sisters: May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from his glorious power, and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the light. He has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; for in him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers – all things have been created through him and for him. He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he might come to have first place in everything. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross.
Gospel Reading: Luke 23: 33-43
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified Jesus there with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. Then Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.’ And they cast lots to divide his clothing. And the people stood by, watching; but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, ‘He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!’ The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, ‘If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!’ There was also an inscription over him, ‘This is the King of the Jews.’ One of the criminals who were hanged there kept deriding him and saying, ‘Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!’ But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.’ Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus replied, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise.’
Jesus did not come as the all powerful worldly king destined to release the Jews from Roman rule. Instead, he lived among ordinary people, experiencing the ups and downs of their lives, and despite all he did for others, suffered a cruel death on the cross. The choice of Gospel reading for “Christ the King” may be surprising but the cross was not the end but the beginning of a Kingly reign that would never end: Christ the King defeated death and rose again. The king about whom Jeremiah prophesied, though mocked and taunted at the crucifixion, embodies God’s image, fulfils His promise, and prompts us once again to ponder what the kingship of the loving and compassionate Christ means to each one of us. .
Those of us who were brought up in the Church of England may know this last Sunday in the Church’s year as “Stir Up Sunday”: it is the call to make Christmas pudding and cake so that they are at their peak for the 25th ! The feast of Christ the King, now adopted for this Sunday in the calendar of many parts of the Christian Church, was established just after the First World War by Pope Pius X1. Very troubled about the ongoing threat of war and totalitarianism, he sought to assert the power of Christ in the world and to encourage people of all nations to put Jesus at the centre of their lives and to build up the Kingdom of Heaven with its promise of hope, peace, joy and love. We can perhaps see similarities with what is going on around us now which makes Christ the King all the more relevant to us today. Christ enthroned: The Book of Kells 800 A.D
Almighty God: from the beginning of time to the end of eternity, you have chosen to use your power and majesty to love us, to redeem us, to shape us as your people.
King of Kings and Lord of Lords: you became weak so you could confront the strength of sin and death, confounding their ridicule with your resurrection.
Spirit of God, resting upon us: may your power enflame us with your peace; may your peace touch us with your grace; may your grace fill us with your hope; may your hope lead us into your Kingdom. Thom Shuman
We pray for all those in positions of power, that they may govern with wisdom and justice, serving the needs of their people. We pray in particular for those who are trying to bring peace and reconciliation to divided nations. We pray for the victims of conflict that they may not lose hope in these difficult times and that they may glimpse the coming of your kingdom through the help and support they receive from others.
We pray for those whose commitment to truth brings them into conflict with earthly powers, that they may have the courage to endure. We pray for prisoners of conscience and all working to improve the lives of others, both in this country and overseas.
We pray for those who are unwell or in distress that they may feel the loving presence of the Holy Spirit. We pray for ..................................... and for all known to ourselves who are living with anxiety, ill health or loneliness. …………. We pray that they may know your compassionate presence and find in it a source of renewed strength.
We pray for those who have departed this life and are now in the fullness of God's presence, thinking among others.......... ……. We ask you to be with the bereaved that they may find new strength and hope.
Stir up, O Lord, the wills of your faithful people; that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works, may by you be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Prayer from Archbishop Hosam Naoum of Jerusalem
O God of all justice and peace we cry out to you in the midst of pain and trauma of violence and fear which prevails in the Holy Land.
Be with those who need you in these days of suffering; we pray for people of all faiths – Jews, Muslims and Christians and for all the people of the land.
While we pray to you, O Lord, for an end to violence and the establishment of peace, we also call for you to bring justice and equity to the peoples.
Guide us into your kingdom where all people are treated with dignity and honour as your children, for to all of us you are our Heavenly Father. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
A PRAYER FOR UKRAINE
Lord, you promise us a future in which the weapons of war will be transformed into instruments of peace.
Today is not such a day, as missiles rain down on Ukraine and innocent people take refuge underground..
You taught us to pray your kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven,
and so we pray that you will restrain the aggressor, grant courage and wisdom to the resistance, and bring peace to this part of your world.
Look with mercy on the peoples of Ukraine and Russia, and grant our leaders wisdom and courage to seek a resolution that will allow truth and freedom to return to these lands.
Grant Lord, that through this conflict that we would have unimaginable four years ago, we may recognise anew our need for you, and live to thank you for answering our prayers.
Amen