The reign of Christ is about today and the present as much as an event in the past. In fact, even more so! Jesus' life, ministry and teaching and of course his death, resurrection and promised gift of the Holy Spirit are all integral to the message of hope that we know as His kingdom and His reign. But that is also about today; and it's about us today too as disciples and faithful followers.
The message of Jesus' reign is a foreign one in our contemporary society just as it was in His own day too. Mercy, justice and forgiveness are the marks of the reign of Christ that is for all time and all places; they are the foundations of the Kingdom of God. How does that fit with a society that rewards the very opposite of what Jesus himself proclaimed, and what in the end he died for? It doesn't! But that's what we profess to believe in; and that's the message we're called to preach with conviciton; proclaim with boldness; and live out with confidence. It is only through the gift of the Holy Spirit that we can ever hope to do so!
We know Jesus' crown wasn't made of glittering gold, it was a crown of thorns; and, his throne wasn't comfortable either, it was the splinters of a wooden cross. All that Jesus did in his ministry and all that he taught were foundational to this moment of sacrafice as he suffered and died. And, the hope that we trust in was made real in a resurrected Christ who appeared to the disciples on the road to Emmaus, in the upper room and on the beach.
Christ ascended to glory with the promise that He would return. And in truth, he does return again and again. He makes himself known in the everyday, ordinariness of life. We have opportunity to recognize and experience the glories of the resurrected Christ in kingdom moments we encounter along life's road; in our times of suffering, as well as in our times of joy and celebration. All we have to do is be open to seeing, hearing and ultimately believing!
For me, no where is the glory of the reign of Christ more evident than as we gather at the holy table to share in the holy banquet. We have a standing invitation. All we have to do is accept the invitation; go to the table; and receive that grace that God has in store for us; food for the journey; nourishment for the soul!
The mystery of the reign of Christ is that it is a reign that was in the past, that is today and that is yet to come in all of its fullness. Let's enter into the mystery of this sacred and holy feast day; let's celebrate the mystery with faith, hope and promise!
I wrote the words to this hymn as a reflection of what the Reign of Christ means to me. It's sung to one of my favorite hymn tunes, Cwm Rhandda. I hope you are inpsired to reflect on what the Reign of Christ means for you.
"Justice, Mercy and Forgiveness"
metre: 878787 and repeat
tune: Cwm Rhondda
Justice, mercy and forgiveness are the mark's of Jesus' reign;
His compassion is forever, healing those who are in pain.
Promised freedom; God's great blessing;
is our gift eternally; is our gift eternally.
With a twisted crown of thorns; from the cross his sacred throne;
Jesus was compliant unto death, as God's grace and love were shown.
Promised kingdom; God's great blessing;
is our gift eternally; is our gift eternally.
Far beyond our comprehension; more than we could ever ask;
with the promised resurrection, He's the one up for the task.
Promised kingdom; God's great blessing;
is our gift eternally; is our gift eternally.
Through the promised Holy Spirit; God will lead us on our way;
By a holy invitation as we take the time to pray.
Promised kingdom; God's great blessing;
is our gift eternally; is our gift eternally.
God's prepared a sacred banquet, now we're called to take our place;
With the table spread before us; with all those of every race;
Promised kingdom; God's great blessing;
is our gift eternally; is our gift eternally.
Text: copyright, The Rev. Mark Kinghan, 2009. Not to be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the express written permission of the author.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
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