Words of Welcome

2 Samuel 23:1-7 Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea, knew that the  Roman emperor didn’t appreciate it when people challenged his authority. So, when Pilate asked Jesus “Are you the King of the Jews?” he wanted to know if Jesus was going to cause him problems with the emperor. Jesus answered this question by telling Pilate that yes he was a king but his kingdom wasn’t of this world ( John 18:33-37 ). Since Pilate didn’t know what to make of this answer he decided that executing Jesus was the wisest course of action.   Pilate didn’t quite understand the meaning of Jesus’ reply but he is in good company. Theologians have been trying to make sense of that statement to this day. If Jesus’ kingdom is not of this world, then what does that mean for us?  We know from the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, that Jesus’ primary message had to do with the kingdom of God. This is especially true of his parables. In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus even tells a group of reli...

2 Samuel 23:1-7 We usually begin the church year singing “O Come, O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive, Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.” The season of Advent begins by remembering Israel’s exile. We do so in the hope that Emmanuel, the one whose name means “God is with us,” will usher in the reign of God. Then the “Desire of nations” will “bind all peoples in one heart and mind; bid envy, strife and quarrels cease; [filling] the whole world with heaven’s peace.” [ CH 119]. The journey that begins in Advent concludes this morning with Christ the King Sunday, and we’ll close out this journey by singing  “Rejoice, the Lord is King! The risen Christ adore! Rejoice, give thanks, and sing, and triumph evermore.” [ CH 699] The title “Christ the King Sunday” is rooted in an earlier time when monarchies were the most prominent form of earthly government. Things have changed over time, but the concept of monarchy is still present ...

Colossians 1:11-20 There are different kinds of calendars that we use to keep track of life. There’s the secular calendar that begins in January and ends on December 31. Along the way there are lots of different holidays and observances. In many ways, that’s the calendar that guides daily life. In the old days we turned to paper, now many use their phones to keep track of life. If you’re in business, you might make use of the fiscal calendar, which runs from July to June. There are also many different religious calendars.  For us, as followers of Jesus, the liturgical calendar or the Christian year reminds us that we are citizens of the realm of God. It begins on the First Sunday of Advent, when we receive the good news that the kingdom of God is at hand. This liturgical calendar comes to a close this morning as we celebrate Reign of Christ Sunday. Today we celebrate the enthronement of the one in whom the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. Yes, we celebrate the full re...