CHRIST THE KING SUNDAY - Jeremiah 23:1-6; Psalm 46; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:35-43 - 25 November 2007 - A sermon preached by The Rev. Peter A. Munson for St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, Boulder, Colorado
Seeing and Building the Kingdom
INTRODUCTION - YouÕve been transferred...
In the summer before I started 8th grade, my father found out that the office that he been working in for eight years in Charleston, South Carolina was being closed. If he wanted to continue his job, he was going to have to move - we all were going to have to move. Two of my sisters were already out here at CU. It did not really impact them. My sister, Adele, on the other hand, was about to begin her senior year of high school. The decision to close that office had a big impact on her. So much so that if you asked her today, ÒAdele, what was one of the hardest parts of your childhood?Ó, IÕm pretty confident that she would reply that the move in the summer of 1970 was right up there.
My dad had been transferred. If he wanted to continue his career, it was on to the next assignment in Virginia. He did want to, and we were going with him. We moved.
YOUÕVE BEEN TRANSFERRED
On the day you were baptized, you were transferred. Many of us were baptized as infants or young children, so we didnÕt realize it at the time. We may not even have a memory of the water being poured over our head, or of going under the water, as the case might have been. Nevertheless, itÕs true. In Colossians 1:13, we heard a few minutes ago: ÒHe [God the Father] 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 our sins.Ó
If you have been baptized into Christ Jesus - into his death and into his resurrection - then you have been transferred into his kingdom. In this kingdom, you have redemption - the forgiveness of your sins. But that is just the beginning. Because the kingdom of God - the kingdom of Christ Jesus - is not of this world. ItÕs in this world, but it is not of this world. The values in this kingdom are largely different from those of the prevailing culture.
IÕd like us to take a few minutes and talk about what this kingdom of God looks like. TodayÕs readings give us a few hints, and there are many other places in the New Testament that tell us what the kingdom of God is like.
(Dialog to follow here)
Images and traits of the kingdom:
$ Good news is brought to the poor
$ Liberty for the captives
$ Recovery of sight for the blind
$ Freedom for the oppressed
$ The lame walk
$ The sick are healed
$ The lost are gathered back home
$ The ÒuntouchablesÓ are touched, and even eaten with
$ The wayward are welcomed back, and parties are thrown for them!
$ Justice and righteousness prevail
$ THERE IS NO MORE FEAR
$ GOD IS IN THE MIDST OF EVERYTHING
$ People are joyful and give thanks
$ There is generosity and abundance
$ Wars cease; weapons are shattered, or turned into implements of production
$ Jesus is at the center
$ Everything is reconciled to God
$ Help and strength are found in the midst of trouble or crisis or chaos
$ Sacrifice and serving are common traits
$ Love triumphs over hate
$ Others are put ahead of, or at least on a par with, self
$ A repentant criminal hears, ÒToday you will be with me in Paradise.Ó
SEEING THE KINGDOM
The kingdom has not fully arrived yet. On the other hand, it is all around us. It is wherever God shows up. Jesus stepped on to the worldÕs stage and began his ministry by announcing, ÒThe kingdom of God is at hand.Ó (Mark 1:15) It was at hand because he was there. And suddenly people were being healed, the blind were seeing, the lame were walking, and notorious sinners had someone to listen to them and eat with them.
God is still at work in this world, transforming it. God is still at work, building his kingdom. This is the last Sunday of the church year. Next Sunday begins a new year, when we begin Advent. (This is another way that the kingdom of God is different from this world. The calendar is a little different.) LetÕs take a few moment to look back and talk about where we have seen God at work during the past year. Where have you seen the kingdom this past year? (Discuss)
IÕve seen the kingdom in these places:
$ In volunteers at the Boulder Shelter for the Homeless, at work days here at church, in people giving blood, in all the volunteers we have that make our Sunday worship happen (including new acolytes!), etc.
$ In all of you who volunteer to work with youth, whether here at St. Ambrose or in the community
$ In the support you have given others in this community (and beyond) when they have experienced the death of a loved one, or been blessed with a new child (or two!)
$ In Mary Jo Starmer, as she led our parish retreat
$ In Frank BinghamÕs faithfulness, after losing his wife and children in one terrible moment
$ In the generosity of my wife, related to my 50th birthday
$ In helpful New Yorkers and Bostonians
$ In middle school girls having fun playing basketball, even when they lose, and despite the stressing out of their coach
$ In the transformation of this worship space (KerryÕs leadership; JeffÕs countless hours of painting)
$ In many of you stepping up to write new Prayers of the People
$ In the VestryÕs loving and pastoral response to Garrett Price during his time of crisis
$ In the gathering of our community (a rather diverse group, in some ways) each Sunday for worship and Holy Communion
$ In God leading Julia and me to work with couples to deepen their marriages
I could go on and on, because God keeps showing up. His kingdom is being established.
WHAT ROLE HAVE YOU PLAYED?
People who have been transferred into this kingdom play a key role in the kingdom. We donÕt just applaud and pay homage to the King. We also are invited to work with the King to establish his kingdom. What role have YOU played during the past year? (This is not a time for false modesty. This is time to acknowledge that Jesus calls us to follow him and help him establish his kingdom.) So... what role have you played?
(Listen)
LOOKING TOWARD THE FUTURE
How do you see us being called forward? What are the new ways that God is calling you to work with Him to establish his kingdom?
CONCLUSION
We have much to celebrate on this Christ the King Sunday. Oftentimes, a job transfer is not a pleasant thing. There is often upheaval, stress, and a deep sense of loss about what is being left behind. Being transferred into the kingdom of God, on the other hand... well, thatÕs a different story.
Those who write and deliver the news might be trying to convince you otherwise. But there is good news to celebrate. GodÕs kingdom is being established. GodÕs will is being done, on earth as it is in heaven. Thank you for being such an important part of it. Thank you for working with the King!