Today,
the last Sunday of this liturgical year, as we end the time we’ve spent reading
through the Gospel According to Luke and are about to turn the page and spend a
year reading Matthew’s Gospel.
Today
we celebrate Christ the King Sunday, wrestling with what Christ’s Kingship means.
Wrestling
with it because we get this exalted description of Christ’s Kingship found in
the letter to the Colossians—
-The Invisible God made Visible,
-The One Upon Whom thrones,
dominions, rulers and powers depend,
-The Head of the Church.
Wrestling
because we also find this same king holding court with
criminals, the cross his throne.
Somewhere
between these two realities of who Jesus is as King—lofty and laughed at,
we find ourselves in his presence.
And,
in this place, we become vulnerable, but so deeply loved. Humbled and in the
presence of a ruler so strange he is strung up with us.
Then
we, like the second thief,
we can do nothing other than ask, “Jesus, remember me, when you come into
your kingdom.”
Jesus,
remember me, when you come into your kingdom
Let us pray
Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.
Because the visibility of God you offer
me, seems still invisible. We do not see you in the stable, we do not arrive
with those unstable, or at least unwelcome, Shepherds.
We do not give room at the inn or go
beyond the rumors about your strange family—Joseph and Mary, quite a scandal
there.
The audacity of your forgiveness, we
assign it to God and assess your healings as blasphemy.
When you hang out with the wrong type
of people, we say there could be no Godliness in such association.
We choose to ignore you when you
enter Jerusalem because we expected a war horse, but we got a donkey—because
the donkey... (Makes all the difference).
We look at cross and see only God’s
abandonment.
I cannot trust that you came here for
me, in flesh and in real time, that I might have life eternal.
Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom
Because beyond your blessed body, and
my ignorance of it, I also miss everything else!
I cannot believe all that is, seen
and unseen, is a gift, from God.
I am given every opportunity to say
thank you, and I instead say no thanks, and ignore my neighbor on top of it all…
No, ignoring them would be better, I
grow to hate them, often over petty things. It’s like I’m starving and a feast
beyond compare has been served, and I’m fiddling with the butter packet and do
not notice the wonderful meal before me.
Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom
Because,
I’m part of the Church, above me is the Head, the Lordship of Christ, I get to
be a disciple, to follow after you.
Yet, I am the body, and choose to
follow my appetites instead of the Mind of Christ. My eccentricities and
limited view of the world gets in the
way.
There is a whole community here
—one spanning space and time, yet
today I’d break it for a moment of petty retribution.
Jesus, remember me, when you come
into your kingdom
(Pause)
Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom… where God’s fullness is revealed. Where Emmanuel, God with Us, is
obvious.
Where stable birth and Mary’s
song—God’s in that.
Family Tree and Temptations—a God
sighting.
Where when a woman speaks or a
Samaritan of any sort is present, they
are found in the gentle protection of Your wings.
Where Sabbath is for liberation,
Repentance is regular, and Prayer is persistent.
Where poverty, wealth, or social
standing do not bar thy gates.
Where entrance is costly, and utterly
free.
Where your Holy Spirit moves me to
trust in your gift of eternal life, for I do not have the power to do so on my
own.
Yes, Jesus, remember me.
Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom… where this creation I take for granted is recreated and I are
unable to live any way other than in utter awe!
Where resurrection overflows
everywhere! The great yearning this broken world has suffered under is at an
end, it bursts forth with Joy at the new life you give us, give it, make of all
that is—new life!
Where thankfulness is always at hand.
Where I can love my neighbor.
Where I can fully pay attention to
all the grace you have given, this
wondrous world on offer.
Yes, Jesus, remember me.
Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom... you body, the Church… remember us
here!
Where we are no longer beheaded,
instead head and body work as one. The ideals
of Christ and the actuality of your
Church—are in sync.
Where your work of reconciliation is
recognizable to those of us here together,
And also to those who hear of us
second hand!
That this will be a place where
breaches of relationship are repaired.
Where we hold one another to account,
and also help each other to attain justice
and receive mercy.
Yes, Jesus, remember me.
Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.
So
often I do not see your presence, be present with me.
It
is hard to be thankful sometimes, give me eyes to see your wonders and lips to
praise you for them.
Your
Church falls short of our high calling, call us by name and make us yours.
Jesus, remember me, when you come into your kingdom.
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